Trump’s Latest Administration Pick Is a Quack TV Doctor

“They did do a vet, we are told,” Haberman said. “This did not show up, this issue, because it was a private settlement, according to the people who were briefed on what took place. Trump really likes Pete Hegseth. But this did introduce the thing Trump doesn’t like, which is an element of surprise and a negative headline.” 

The vetting by Trump’s team, however, is skipping FBI background checks, which have historically been a part of the presidential appointment process. Instead, Trump’s team is using private companies because they are trying to speed up the process and avoid revelations that could be used by their opponents.  

But avoiding a security process that has been used since the Eisenhower administration has backfired in the case of Hegseth, and has also likely kept any security issues from being revealed about Trump’s other choices, such as Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, who has a controversial past. Trump’s nominee for secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also has a history of actions that call into question his ability to obtain a security clearance.