Trump’s staffing struggle: After 3 years, unfilled jobs across the administration
The 45th president has struggled with key political appointments more than any recent president — despite his party’s control of the Senate.
Pushing nominees through the Senate confirmation process takes twice as long under President Donald Trump as it did during President Ronald Reagan’s time in office — a record that appears to have limited Trump’s influence during his three years as president.
On average, it takes 115 days to confirm a presidential appointee for Trump, compared with 56.4 days under Reagan, according to new data from the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. In 2019, the process took even longer: an average of 136 days for the Senate to confirm appointees, particularly for sub-Cabinet positions.
The delays come from several factors including the extensive paperwork applicants must complete, as well as the increasingly common practice of the opposing party delaying nominations by placing holds on them, or filibustering them, according to the partnership’s research.
The latest data illuminates the extent to which the Trump administration has struggled to fill jobs as it heads into its fourth year on Monday. Of the 714 key positions requiring Senate confirmation, 515 of them have a confirmed nominee in place — with 170 positions having no nominee, according to the latest tracking from the partnership.
White Houses typically do not get many nominees confirmed in the fourth year of any presidency apart from Cabinet positions, if needed, and judicial nominations. The Trump administration is likely to be no different and is aware of this fact, one White House official said.
Instead, the Trump White House is focusing its attention on staffing for a potential second term and the steps the administration needs to take on nominations and confirmations, the official added — even though the same aide stressed that no one is yet drawing up lists with potential names.
The White House press office did not respond to a request for comment.
Administrations tend to have the most success in filling Senate-confirmed jobs in the first and fifth years of any administration, according to the partnership data.