Idaho Senator Jim Risch is ready for Trump’s second term

Those in my line of work who cover the Washington, DC, temporary zoo would be wise not to stick a microphone under Senator Jim Risch’s chin.

He won’t make great comments about President-elect Trump’s Cabinet appointments – even those he might like. Here’s what he says about Rep. Elisa Stefanik of New York, Trump’s pick for United Nations ambassador: “She’ll be fine.”

Risch has been more vocal about his support for Sen. Marco Rubio, a longtime friend and foreign affairs colleague, as secretary of state. Risch says he is working with the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to confirm Rubio on the first day of Trump’s second term.

“Aside from (Sen.) Mike Crapo, Marco is the best friend I have here,” Risch said. “We know each other well and I know his way of thinking. He influences me in that way and I influence him.”

So it’s a good path forward for Risch, who will soon take over as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Risch, who served as committee chairman in Trump’s first term, has a long-standing working relationship with the president and one of his best friends on Capitol Hill will be secretary of state.

But don’t expect him to comment on more controversial Cabinet appointments like Pete Hegseth (Defense), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Health and Human Services) or Linda McMahon (Education). Risch has indicated that he will vote for all of the above and more when these nominations come up. Until then, he’ll leave the checking, fighting and mike drops to others.

“I have my hands full in my committee,” says Risch. Rubio and Stefanik are two high-profile endorsements before his committee, but there are also numerous endorsements from the State Department and ambassadors in nearly 200 countries. Risch wants to make appointments early and concentrate immediately on the business at hand.

“It’s hard to put into words how much better I feel with (the new administration),” Risch said. “I watched what the (Biden) administration did, and it failed so much in so many areas. The most obvious was the disastrous way they handled the end of the war in Afghanistan – and they clearly encouraged others to take advantage of this.”