During the kickoff of a bonanza of confirmation hearings Tuesday to fill President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet, the focus will largely be on a select group of nominees who face choppy waters. But the new Republican-led Senate will also be in the spotlight for an early glimpse at how they will handle Trump’s wishes in his second term. With each nominee requiring 50 votes for confirmation, they will only have a three-vote margin for GOP defections before requiring Democratic votes. The hearings will test whether the scuttling of Matt Gaetz’s short-lived bid to be attorney general was a one-off rejection or a signal that Senate Republicans will flex their advice-and-consent muscle. Trump and his allies have since piled pressure onto senators to back his remaining picks. Will they come into the hearings asking tough questions and be open to voting no if they’re unsatisfied? Or will they come in with the intention of getting to yes, even if it means steering clear of the tough questions and setting aside their concerns? Some have made clear that they will defer to Trump on his selections. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he will “support every one of these nominees.” Then there are those like Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who has well-documented skepticism toward Pete Hegseth, Trump’s embattled pick to lead the Defense Department. She isn’t alone, but Ernst faces re-election in 2026 and risks a primary challenger if she stands in Trump’s way. With Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump chose to be director of national intelligence, concerns persist on both sides of the aisle due to her past dealings with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. There’s little indication that she has assuaged them. As part of her damage control, Gabbard recently reversed her position on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, endorsing the controversial spying power. And the long history of vaccine skepticism and support for abortion rights has created issues in both parties for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as he seeks to become health and human services secretary. With roughly a dozen hearings scheduled this week ahead of Trump’s inauguration next Monday, the Senate is bracing for “a little bit of a train wreck” in the coming days, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said. Some of Trump’s choices, most notably secretary of state pick Marco Rubio, currently a senator from Florida, will likely sail through with plenty of Democratic votes. But for the more controversial selections, Republican senators will need to decide how much they want to risk rocking the boat with Trump as he looks to get his new administration up and running. Read more on the start of the confirmation hearings → | 