Hundreds of senior federal positions remain unfilled as White House officials defend a more selective vetting process and administration insiders warn that a change in Senate control could complicate President Donald Trump’s remaining nominations.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump’s administration faces its highest number of vacancies in Senate-confirmed federal leadership positions since the Reagan presidency, with nearly 250 posts lacking nominees as Republicans approach the Nov. 3 midterm elections and the possibility of losing their Senate majority.
The staffing situation has generated disagreements within the administration over whether the White House Office of Presidential Personnel is moving quickly enough to fill important positions across agencies responsible for national security, immigration enforcement, economic policy and energy.
According to a Washington Post investigation published Monday, interviews with 18 current White House and administration officials, two former officials and five presidential allies revealed concerns about delays, extensive vetting procedures and the possibility that unfilled positions could remain vacant if Democrats gain control of the Senate.
Most interviewees spoke anonymously to discuss internal personnel decisions. Eight officials and allies expressed concern that the administration was losing valuable time to confirm senior appointees while Republicans still control the chamber.
An analysis by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service found that vacancies in Senate-confirmed leadership positions have reached their highest level since President Ronald Reagan’s administration.
Chris Piper, a senior manager at the organization, attributed the situation to employee turnover, delayed Senate confirmations and nominations withdrawn before approval. Together, those developments have produced what he described as “unprecedented levels of vacancies across leadership positions in the federal government.”
The Washington Post’s appointment tracker identifies 249 Senate-confirmed positions without nominees, while the Partnership for Public Service reports another 110 nominees awaiting Senate approval.
Despite those vacancies, the administration’s overall appointment record presents a more complicated picture.
Trump filled 452 Senate-confirmed positions during the first year of his second presidency, exceeding the pace recorded during his first term. The administration also placed political appointees into positions faster than any administration in the previous four decades, according to figures cited by the Partnership for Public Service.
A White House official said approximately 3,776 political appointees currently serve throughout the federal government.
However, the administration’s nomination pace has slowed considerably in 2026. As of Oct. 20, Trump had submitted 186 nominations during the year, while the Senate had confirmed 466 nominees overall.
The slowdown has occurred despite procedural changes adopted in September 2025 allowing senators to approve groups of nominees together, rather than requiring separate votes on every appointment.
The Senate confirmed 49 nominees in May and another 74 in August through the revised process. A White House official said an additional package of nominations is expected in the coming weeks.
“We are at 605 nominees,” the official said. “There’s no scenario here where the sky is falling.”
The administration’s personnel operation is led by Deputy White House Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, a longtime Trump adviser who also oversees much of the president’s social media activity. Morgan Dewitt-Snow, his deputy, manages the office’s daily operations and meets periodically with Trump.
Some officials have questioned whether the office’s heightened emphasis on evaluating prospective appointees has contributed to the slower nomination process.
Ten current and former officials described a more deliberate system of background checks and candidate assessments intended to identify possible concerns before nominees face Senate scrutiny.
Trent Morse, who served as deputy director of presidential personnel during the transition and the administration’s first year, defended the revised approach.
“At the beginning, every week was a march to get as many appointees as we could in a record amount of time,” Morse said.
“You’re past that start-up phase, and you’re in a maintenance phase,” he added. “The vetting has to be higher and more thorough.”
Morse praised Scavino and Dewitt-Snow for adjusting the office’s priorities after the administration’s initial staffing efforts.
Other officials argued that increased caution has discouraged personnel staff from advancing candidates because of the consequences of controversial appointments.
One administration veteran suggested that staff members face significant pressure to avoid mistakes when recommending prospective officials.
“It is hard work trying to find loyal and talented people,” the person said. “The incentive structure is to never do anything.”
The importance of candidate screening has received additional attention following several personnel controversies.
Earlier this month, Trump selected Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary without the detailed background checks ordinarily associated with senior appointments, according to two people familiar with the decision. Zacharia left the position after five days amid questions concerning her legal credentials.
Trump’s ambassador to Greece was also asked to resign following misconduct allegations. The press secretary position falls outside the personnel office’s appointment responsibilities, although the incidents reinforced concerns among officials about insufficient screening.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles rejected criticism of Scavino’s leadership, emphasizing his longstanding relationship with the president and experience in government.
“Dan Scavino is one of President Trump’s most loyal, trusted, and longest-serving advisers. He knows the President so well and understands what it takes to succeed working for him,” Wiles said.
“Having served throughout the first administration, Dan brings unmatched experience, professionalism, and institutional knowledge. He has earned the President’s trust, and he certainly has mine.”
Pete Meachum, chief of staff at the Department of Transportation, similarly defended the administration’s emphasis on selecting candidates who support its policy objectives.
“You want people who are mission-aligned, and it’s better to have the right person than the person fast,” Meachum said.
White House spokesperson and senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said Scavino and Dewitt-Snow are working to recruit officials capable of implementing the president’s agenda.
“President Trump deserves the best and most loyal people serving the American people in his administration,” Alvarez said.
“Dan Scavino and Morgan Dewitt-Snow are delivering exactly that, ensuring this administration is staffed with exceptional patriots committed to advancing the President’s mission and delivering results for the greatest nation on earth.”
Administration officials also pointed to recent appointments as evidence that the personnel office can move rapidly when circumstances require.
They cited the nomination of Jay Clayton for director of national intelligence, which reached a Senate hearing five days after its announcement, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation within 18 days.
Dave Natonski, chief of staff to the homeland security secretary, described the department’s confirmation process as exceptionally fast.
“It was a breakneck process,” Natonski said.
Nevertheless, broader confirmation timelines have lengthened substantially. The average process now takes approximately 155 days, compared with 105 days during Trump’s first administration.
Piper attributed some of the additional delays to increasingly detailed examinations of candidates’ digital histories and personal backgrounds.
Nominees face greater scrutiny from congressional committees, which can prolong reviews even when the White House has completed its own evaluations.
Congressional scheduling has also contributed to the backlog. The Senate has spent fewer days in session this year than during the comparable period in 2025, limiting opportunities to process nominations.
Some candidates have remained in consideration for more than a year, including Austin Dahmer, nominated in 2025 to serve as assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities. His nomination encountered resistance from senators in both parties during committee proceedings.
The unresolved vacancies could become more difficult to address if Republicans lose control of the Senate in November.
Although the election results will not immediately change the chamber’s composition, officials anticipate additional challenges during the period between Election Day and the start of the next Congress.
One White House official warned that negotiations over outstanding nominations frequently become more complicated during a lame-duck congressional session, with senators using procedural holds and other negotiating tools to influence confirmation decisions.
Donald Devine, who led the Office of Personnel Management during the Reagan administration, also expressed concern about the current pace.
“Certainly, if the Republicans lose the Senate, that’s going to get a lot worse,” Devine said.
Trump has previously expressed support for installing officials in acting capacities, arguing that temporary appointments provide greater flexibility and allow agencies to continue operating while permanent candidates await confirmation.
However, federal law places restrictions on how long acting officials may serve and what authority they can exercise without Senate approval. Those limitations can complicate agency operations when senior positions remain vacant for extended periods.
The administration therefore faces competing priorities as the midterm elections approach: conducting extensive reviews to identify qualified, politically aligned nominees while moving quickly enough to secure Senate approval before the political environment potentially changes.
With hundreds of positions still awaiting nominees or confirmation, the outcome of the November elections could significantly affect the president’s ability to complete his senior leadership team during the remainder of his second term.
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