The Senate confirms 48 Trump candidates in a single vote, after the Republicans went “nuclear” to accelerate confirmations

The Senate confirmed 48 of President Donald Trump’s candidates during a radical vote Thursday, marking the first confirmed block after the Republicans voted to modify the rules of the Senate to accelerate the consideration of the candidates.

The candidates confirmed that Kimberly Guilfoyle was the ambassador of Greece, Christine Toretti to be the ambassador to Sweden and Callista Gingrich to be ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The former GOP representative, Brandon Williams, was also confirmed as undersecretary to nuclear security.

This decision by the Senate Republicans comes after having made a change in the Senate rules using the so-called “nuclear option” on the objections of the Democrats. The change of rules allows candidates to be considered as a block, or as a group, because tensions increased over several months between the two parties on the back of Trump candidates while waiting for confirmation of the Senate.