Tommy Tuberville Claims Senators Have No Business Voting Against Nominees: ‘It’s Not Us to Determine That’

Move over, “Advice and Consent of the Senate,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said senators have no business scrutinizing the appointments of President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump has already made several nominations since winning a second term last week. On Wednesday, he made his most controversial selection yet by choosing Matt Gaetz to be attorney general. Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives just hours later. Almost immediately, Punchbowl News reported that the House Ethics Committee was slated to vote Friday on whether to release a “highly damaging” report on Gaetz, whom the panel investigated over allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, among other things. With Gaetz’s resignation, the probe is over, and the report will not be released.

Two Republican senators have already said they will oppose Gaetz’s nomination. Pending a recount in Pennsylvania, the GOP will hold either 52 or 53 seats in the next Congress.

Tuberville appeared on Wednesday’s edition of The Evening Edit on Fox Business, where he showed no interest in the “Advice and Consent” clause found in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution – or for separation of powers.

“President Trump and JD Vance are going to be running the Senate,” Tuberville declared.

“So, will Matt Gaetz get the votes in the Senate?” host Elizabeth MacDonald asked.

“I don’t know,” Tuberville replied. “You’re finding all the swamp creatures coming out right now. Everybody’s got an opinion up here. But at the end of the day, President Trump was elected by an enormous vote, and he deserves a team around him that he wants. It’s not us to determine that. We’ve got 53 votes in the Senate. We can confirm with 51.”

Republicans can confirm nominees with 50 votes, plus the vote of soon-to-be Vice President Vance.

“I’ve already seen where a couple says, ‘I’m not voting for him,'” Tuberville continued. “Wait a minute. You are not the United States of America. You have one vote in the U.S. Senate. You did not get elected the president. Vote with President Trump. This is the last chance we’re gonna have of saving this country. And if you wanna get in the way, fine. But we’re gonna try to get you out of the Senate, too if you try to do that.”

The Constitution states that certain presidential appointments are subject to the “Advice and Consent of the Senate.”

“He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law,” Article II states.

The president does have the power to appoint the aforementioned positions while the Senate is in recess, but this is a controversial and rare tactic that Trump has nonetheless signaled he may deploy.

Watch above via Fox Business Network.