Hegseth is in trouble. That doesn’t mean RFK Jr., Gabbard, or Patel will face the same.

Senate Republicans are showing backbone in vetting some of President-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial nominees. But it remains to be seen whether this will continue through the confirmation process.

Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Mr. Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, is facing strong headwinds to his nomination over questions about his character, notably reports of habitual heavy drinking and a sexual assault allegation (both of which he’s denied).

Republican senators are openly expressing concerns about his alleged actions, and Mr. Trump is reportedly considering replacing Mr. Hegseth. His struggles come after Matt Gaetz, Mr. Trump’s initial pick for Attorney General, was forced to withdraw his nomination as numerous Republicans balked over allegations of drug use and sexual misconduct.

But while Mr. Trump has chosen a number of other deeply polarizing figures for other spots in his administration – like Kash Patel to lead the FBI and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health & Human Services – they may face an easier path in the Senate. Although their views and plans are far outside the historic norms for nominees to their jobs, at first blush they don’t seem to have the same level of personal baggage.

Senate Republicans are showing surprisingly strong backbone in vetting some of President-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial nominees. But it remains to be seen whether this will continue through the confirmation process – or whether this will be the high water mark of resistance from the GOP.

Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Mr. Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, is facing strong headwinds to his nomination over questions about his character, notably reports of habitual heavy drinking and a sexual assault allegation (both of which he’s denied). Republican senators are openly expressing concerns about his alleged actions, and Mr. Trump is reportedly considering replacing Mr. Hegseth with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The nominee’s struggles come after Matt Gaetz, Mr. Trump’s initial pick for Attorney General, was forced to withdraw his nomination as numerous Republicans balked over allegations of drug use and sexual misconduct.

But while Mr. Trump has chosen a number of other deeply polarizing figures for other spots in his administration – like Kash Patel to lead the FBI, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health & Human Services – they may face an easier path in the Senate. That is simply because, although their views and plans are far outside the historic norms for nominees to their jobs, at first blush they don’t seem to have the same level of personal baggage.

North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer told the Monitor that the chances Mr. Hegseth will win confirmation are “tenuous,” and expressed concerns about his reported drinking problems. But he said he thought Mr. Trump would get more deference from Republican senators for his other polarizing nominees because their controversies were mostly “policy, versus the personal stuff.”

“The personal character things are not unimportant. I do think that they’ll get [more deference], they being Kash and Tulsi and RFK,” he said.

Some Democrats expect the same. Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who like Mr. Hegseth is an Iraq War veteran, said she “wouldn’t go that far” when asked if his imperiled nomination showed that her GOP colleagues were taking seriously their advice-and-consent role – and might show the same diligence for other controversial nominees.