Hickenlooper says votes for Trump nominees 'reduced the damage' for Colorado

Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) said he believes he’s “reduced the damage” for his constituents by voting to support 10 of President Trump’s Cabinet picks to open up “direct lines” into executive offices. 

The Colorado lawmaker said sometimes a vote against a nominee can “piss people off.” 

“You know, the person being nominated, I'm sure they understand it, but at a certain point it irritates them, I'm sure. So, we'll see,” Hickenlooper said during a Tuesday evening appearance on NBC 9’s “Next with Kyle Clark.” 

“My hope and my gut is that we will definitely get benefits from it. And whatever bad things happen to us, without those relationships, I think the bad things would have been, will turn out to have been much worse,” he added. 

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is the only Democrat to vote “yes” for more Trump nominees than Hickenlooper. Other Democrats have staunchly opposed the president’s policies and announced investigations into agency cuts and closures. 

Fetterman represents a state won by Trump in last year's presidential election. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won Colorado.

Hickenlooper, 73, announced last August that he plans to run for a final term in office in 2026.