Republicans Unleash Late-Night Blitz, Confirm Trump Nominees Over Democrat Resistance

Paul Riverbank, 12/19/2025Senate Republicans fast-track Trump nominees, sparking partisan clashes and shifting government appointments overnight.

If you look back to the start of the year, you’d notice the Republicans championing the pace. "We began the year by confirming President Trump’s Cabinet faster than any Senate in modern history," Senator John Barrasso from Wyoming boasted not so long ago. By the time the dust settled, the Senate had confirmed 417 of Trump’s picks. That figure stands out especially when you remember President Biden’s first year saw just 365 appointments—a subtle, if not deliberate, point of comparison for those keeping score in Washington.

It would be misleading, though, to suggest reaching that number was a seamless process. At one point, the nomination queue grew to nearly 150, some left waiting their turn for what must’ve felt like an eternity in public life terms. Most of the gridlock, depending who you ask, was down to Senate Democrats, digging in even for roles considered routine or non-controversial in previous eras. The old habit of clearing minor nominees with a quick voice vote wasn’t the norm this year.

Majority Leader John Thune, never one to avoid sharp words when the mood calls for it, put the blame squarely in one direction. According to him, Democrats were simply unable to stomach Trump’s election. "They've engaged in this pointless political obstruction in revenge," he said, giving voice to a sentiment echoed in Republican cloakrooms.

Stalemate reigned for a good part of the legislative calendar—right up until September when Senate Republicans pulled the so-called "nuclear option". They lowered the vote barrier for sub-Cabinet positions, shifting a tradition that held for decades. Suddenly, confirmations moved at a pace that had been unimaginable weeks before, and the Senate floor began to look a lot less like a bottleneck.

Among the wave of confirmations, a few figures stood out—not least Anthony D’Esposito, whose story took a sharp swerve. Last year, he lost his House seat in a close race in New York State. Now, with the Senate’s approval, he heads into the new year as Inspector General for the Department of Labor. As he returns to public service, not everyone is smiling. Lauren Gillen, the Democrat who beat him at the ballot, was quick to dismiss his comeback. “He thinks he’s owed a taxpayer-funded job as his backup plan,” she retorted, openly doubting his commitment to transparency or reform.

D’Esposito, for his part, brushed aside the barbs with a brief promise: “No excuses. Only results.” Whether that slogan turns out to be more than a sound bite remains to be seen, but it hints at the energy he says he’ll bring to the office.

The confirmation rush didn’t stop there. Two new faces joined the National Labor Relations Board; new ambassadors packed for postings in South Africa and at the U.N. As these often overlooked roles quietly changed hands, the Senate remained abuzz with a bigger, more public fight over a sweeping government funding bill.

Some Democrats, not surprisingly, voiced concern that this breakneck schedule left little room for actual vetting or serious debate. Republicans, meanwhile, stood unyielding—eyes fixed on closing out the year with a cleared docket.

As the last Senate offices flickered dark, Majority Leader Thune let slip a rare note of uncertainty: “We’ll see where it goes from there.” If nothing else, the tally of confirmations by year’s end told its own story. In the space between gridlock and a late dash, the scaffolding of government shifted quietly, shaped by decisions that rarely make the headlines but often steer the course of the months to follow.

The Senate hall, for much of that night, hummed with the kind of frenetic energy you only see when lawmakers sense the deadline looming closer with every tick of the clock. In a matter of hours, nearly a hundred of President Trump's nominees were confirmed—ushered in almost as if someone flicked a switch after months of logjams and standstill.If you look back to the start of the year, you’d notice the Republicans championing the pace. "We began the year by confirming President Trump’s Cabinet faster than any Senate in modern history," Senator John Barrasso from Wyoming boasted not so long ago. By the time the dust settled, the Senate had confirmed 417 of Trump’s picks. That figure stands out especially when you remember President Biden’s first year saw just 365 appointments—a subtle, if not deliberate, point of comparison for those keeping score in Washington.It would be misleading, though, to suggest reaching that number was a seamless process. At one point, the nomination queue grew to nearly 150, some left waiting their turn for what must’ve felt like an eternity in public life terms. Most of the gridlock, depending who you ask, was down to Senate Democrats, digging in even for roles considered routine or non-controversial in previous eras. The old habit of clearing minor nominees with a quick voice vote wasn’t the norm this year.Majority Leader John Thune, never one to avoid sharp words when the mood calls for it, put the blame squarely in one direction. According to him, Democrats were simply unable to stomach Trump’s election. "They've engaged in this pointless political obstruction in revenge," he said, giving voice to a sentiment echoed in Republican cloakrooms.Stalemate reigned for a good part of the legislative calendar—right up until September when Senate Republicans pulled the so-called "nuclear option". They lowered the vote barrier for sub-Cabinet positions, shifting a tradition that held for decades. Suddenly, confirmations moved at a pace that had been unimaginable weeks before, and the Senate floor began to look a lot less like a bottleneck.Among the wave of confirmations, a few figures stood out—not least Anthony D’Esposito, whose story took a sharp swerve. Last year, he lost his House seat in a close race in New York State. Now, with the Senate’s approval, he heads into the new year as Inspector General for the Department of Labor. As he returns to public service, not everyone is smiling. Lauren Gillen, the Democrat who beat him at the ballot, was quick to dismiss his comeback. “He thinks he’s owed a taxpayer-funded job as his backup plan,” she retorted, openly doubting his commitment to transparency or reform.D’Esposito, for his part, brushed aside the barbs with a brief promise: “No excuses. Only results.” Whether that slogan turns out to be more than a sound bite remains to be seen, but it hints at the energy he says he’ll bring to the office.The confirmation rush didn’t stop there. Two new faces joined the National Labor Relations Board; new ambassadors packed for postings in South Africa and at the U.N. As these often overlooked roles quietly changed hands, the Senate remained abuzz with a bigger, more public fight over a sweeping government funding bill.Some Democrats, not surprisingly, voiced concern that this breakneck schedule left little room for actual vetting or serious debate. Republicans, meanwhile, stood unyielding—eyes fixed on closing out the year with a cleared docket.As the last Senate offices flickered dark, Majority Leader Thune let slip a rare note of uncertainty: “We’ll see where it goes from there.” If nothing else, the tally of confirmations by year’s end told its own story. In the space between gridlock and a late dash, the scaffolding of government shifted quietly, shaped by decisions that rarely make the headlines but often steer the course of the months to follow.