Republicans are making a 'behind-the-scenes play' to get Trump to drop Herman Cain's Fed nomination
Senate Republicans have some serious concerns about President Trump's nomination of Herman Cain to the Federal Reserve board.
Republicans have been "making a behind-the-scenes play" to get Trump to "back off" his nomination of Cain, Politico reported on Tuesday. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said that "there are concerns that are being voiced to the administrations about qualifications" and that the White House is "probably going to hear from a number of our members" about this.
Outside of qualification concerns, there's also the fear that Cain, who hasn't actually been formally nominated yet, is an example of Trump trying to politicize the Federal Reserve. Then there are the fears about what will come up in Cain's background check considering he has already been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. Cain recently said he wasn't sure whether he would make it through the "cumbersome" vetting process, and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) told Politico this comment from Cain is "certainly something for thought."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who previously expressed his opposition to Cain's nomination, told Politico, "I don’t think Herman Cain will be on the Federal Reserve board, no." This might all be good news for Stephen Moore, Trump's other recent nominee for the Federal Reserve board, with GOP senators telling Politico opposition to Cain may have actually made Moore's confirmation process easier, as Republicans wouldn't want to reject both Trump picks.
Still, Thune told Politico that at this point, the chances that both Moore and Cain get confirmed are "pretty slim." And while not specifically naming Cain, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said on Tuesday that before Trump "starts floating names for DHS or the federal reserve," he should speak to Congress about whether they are "confirmable," per The New York Times' Glenn Thrush. This, Cornyn said, would "spare everybody the embarrassment."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
