Bill Hagerty's Trump cabinet prospects appear to fade
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Sen. Bill Hagerty at the Republican National Convention. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Sen. Bill Hagerty was seen as a potential cabinet pick for the incoming Trump administration, but those odds seemed to fade this week after he was passed over for secretary of state.
Why it matters: If Hagerty were to score an appointment, it would present an opening for another ambitious Tennessee Republican to take his spot in the U.S. Senate.
- If he were to remain in Congress, he could position himself as an influential ally for the president-elect.
State of play: NBC News reported Monday that Hagerty was no longer in the running for a cabinet spot.
- Soon afterward, news broke that Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida was tabbed instead to lead the State Department. Hagerty quickly congratulated him.
The intrigue: Hagerty served as ambassador to Japan in Trump's first term, and he remains one of Trump's staunchest defenders.
- Last month, Politico reported Hagerty was in contention for multiple cabinet posts, including state, treasury and commerce.
- The Politico story quoted one Japanese official who said Hagerty could be "the conscience of Trump's administration."
Between the lines: Hagerty previously aligned himself with conventional establishment Republicans. He worked in former Gov. Bill Haslam's administration and initially supported Jeb Bush in 2016.
- But Hagerty became a staunch Trump supporter.
- The Politico article, which examined Hagerty's shift, described "canny ability to straddle the MAGA, business and diplomatic worlds."
What we're watching: If Hagerty remains in the Senate, he could be in line for an array of leadership roles when Republicans take control of the chamber in January.
