Sen. Susan Collins will play a pivotal role in shaping the second-term government of President Donald Trump. As former Republican Party officials in Maine, we ask Sen. Collins to oppose three nominees who are downright frightening in both their lack of qualifications and actions that are antithetical to the interests of safety, national security, democracy and good governance. Those nominees are former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense and Kash Patel as FBI director.

While presidents of both parties historically have been given wide latitude in appointing their Cabinets, ours is a constitutional government of checks and balances requiring the U.S. Senate to provide “advice and consent” to those nominations.

We appreciate that Sen. Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska already have demanded that all Cabinet appointees undergo a thorough FBI background check, as has long been the custom. But now is the moment for her to join other distinguished Maine political figures like Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, Secretary of State Edmund S. Muskie and Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen in providing principled opposition to those who threaten democracy and, yes, world order.

Tulsi Gabbard seeks to be the director of national intelligence, perhaps the most sensitive position in the country after the president, overseeing 18 civilian and military agencies involved in intelligence gathering and analysis. The DNI must work closely with our allies around the world on highly delicate issues. While she is a former lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, Gabbard has never worked directly in the intelligence field.

Moreover, as a member of Congress in 2017, she made a secret and unauthorized visit to Syria to meet with the brutal dictator, former President Bashar al-Assad. She has repeated Russian talking points regarding Syria and Ukraine, prompting former Sen. Mitt Romney to state in 2022, “Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives.”

She is a reckless choice for such an important and sensitive position.

Having worked for former U.S. Senator and Defense Secretary Bill Cohen, Sen. Collins knows firsthand what a qualified and competent secretary of defense looks like. Cohen brought to the job a vast knowledge of defense issues, experience in international affairs, as well as the keen intellect and professionalism he exhibited throughout his years in the House and Senate.

In direct contrast, Pete Hegseth has neither the experience nor character to lead the Defense Department. While his active-duty military experience in Afghanistan and Iraq is commendable, he also faces credible allegations of heavy drinking and sexual misconduct. These behaviors cannot be overlooked nor rewarded by this critical appointment.

He has stated that women in the military should no longer serve in combat and, worse, he has expressed support for using the military to put down domestic conflicts. He also has supported discredited interrogation techniques like waterboarding, and the pardoning of soldiers convicted of war crimes.

As for management experience, The New Yorker magazine reported that Hegseth was forced out from leading two relatively small veterans’ organizations amid allegations of mismanagement and personal misconduct. In short, he is just not up to this job.

The third and perhaps most frightening nominee is Kash Patel for FBI director. Patel, according to his 2023 book, would come into this critical position with an enemies list of 60 politicians and government officials he considers part of the “deep state.”

He is an election denier who has publicly vowed that Trump would “come after” journalists, judges, politicians and others who he believes have treated Trump unfairly — hardly a way to restore faith in federal law enforcement.

While all three are entitled to thorough background checks and probing public hearings, their glaring lack of skills and temperament to lead these critical agencies are disqualifiers. We urge Sen. Collins to join her Maine predecessors’ storied courage and leadership by rejecting their nominations.