¶1:
How many of Donald Trump's Cabinet appointments will not be confirmed? For the purposes of this question, the following offices are considered the only cabinet positions:
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security
Trade Representative
Director of National Intelligence
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
¶2:
For a nomination to be considered made, it must be formally submitted to the Senate and reflected in the congressional record as such. For the purposes of this question, a nomination is not confirmed if the nomination is rejected, withdrawn, returned to the president under paragraph 6 of rule XXXI of the standing rules of the Senate, or not acted upon by the Senate for 100 days. For the purposes of this question, a nomination is confirmed once the Senate transmits to the president that the nomination has been confirmed and the president commissions the cabinet officer.
¶3:
Once a nomination to an above-listed position is confirmed, failure to confirm a later appointment to that position will not count. If a recess appointment is made to one of the listed posts and no nomination is made to that post within 100 days of the recess appointment, any failure to confirm a nomination to that post after the 100 days will not count. If a nomination is submitted to the Senate for a post where a recess appointment had been made the normal rules will apply.