Trump soundly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, who conceded the race Wednesday, and is now huddling at Mar-a-Lago with donors, family members, and advisers. He is expected to continue meeting with this brain trust over the following weeks.

With Republican senators easily flipping the upper chamber back into their hands, the former president is likely to have a smoother path to confirming his Cabinet selections for his second administration. The GOP currently has a 52-44 majority, with the margin likely to grow when final races are called.

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A senior Senate aide confirmed to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that lawmakers are already talking with the Trump campaign about holding hearings once the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2025, before the former president’s inauguration on Jan. 20, a move that is not unprecedented.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) previously called for swift action in the wake of a Trump victory one day before the election.

“As soon as possible, the Senate will start holding hearings for the Cabinet and other officials,” he wrote in an op-ed. “In 2017, we saw unprecedented obstruction by Democrats of President Trump’s nominees. This must not happen again.”

Republican strategists pointed to the political headaches that will now be avoided with the GOP securing the Senate and likely the House, though key races are still being counted.

“[If] President Trump had to deal with [Senate] Majority Leader [Chuck] Schumer, it would have caused a massive gridlock, just trying to get his nominations through the Senate,” said Brian Walsh, a Republican strategist. “Having that added flexibility prevent provides an enormous benefit.”

A handful of Trump campaign staffers also told the Washington Examiner they were preparing to move back to the nation’s capital later this week in anticipation of joining the administration but did not have firm commitments they would be hired.

Trump’s transition efforts are led by his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., billionaire Cantor Fitzgerald, CEO Howard Lutnick, and former Trump Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon, along with former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy said he would have a “big role” in the next Trump administration, particularly focused on health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, in a recent interview with NBC News, he said, “I’m not going to take away anybody’s vaccines,” a move meant to tamp down concern about his opposition to COVID-19 vaccines and his unproven theories.

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Conservative group America First Policy Institute has taken over the lead from the Heritage Foundation after its Project 2025 became Democratic fodder in preparing to staff up the 4,000 federal positions that need to be filled.

Trump already had numerous lawmakers who were jockeying for roles even before he won the election, making him vastly prepared compared to his first term in 2016.

For the coveted role of his chief of staff, Trump could choose between campaign co-managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, who joined him onstage at his victory speech, or former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

For the other high-profile role as attorney general, Trump could look to Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), and former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker.

However, weeks before Election Day, Trump’s campaign had not yet tapped into federal resources available for his transition team, although that could likely change in the coming 75 days before the inauguration.

Dennis Lennox, a Republican strategist, cautioned the Trump campaign to act swiftly over the next four years, as Trump will be term-limited from running for president again.

“There’s no denying that Trump has a narrow window to get things done before he becomes a lame duck like any second-term president,” Lennox said. “There will be immense pressure to get some big things done early, especially with this decisive national governing majority. Not executive orders. Major pieces of legislation. How fast can Congress act?”