President Donald Trump’s pick to be ambassador to the EU got a much friendlier reception on Capitol Hill on Tuesday than during his failed bid for a Cabinet post in the first Trump administration.

Back in 2017, former fast food executive Andrew Puzder withdrew from consideration to be Labor secretary after a series of damaging stories, including his admission he hired an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper and did not pay taxes on her work as well as domestic abuse allegations raised against him by his first wife during divorce proceedings. He was also accused of sexually harassing a female executive at his company, which owns the fast food brands Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. Puzder has denied any wrongdoing and his ex-wife also recanted her claims.

This time round, those allegations only came up in passing. At the start of Puzder’s confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) signaled that she was concerned that the claims made him unfit to be a U.S. diplomat.

“The facts have not changed in the last eight years. But this committee needs to conduct its own due diligence on your suitability for this role, and for Senate confirmation,” Shaheen said in her opening remarks. “And frankly, some of the past statements and allegations against you are deeply concerning.” But no other Democrats joined her in highlighting the past allegations against him.

It’s the latest example of a Trump nominee gliding through the confirmation process even when their records contain potential red flags, and potentially of fatigue on the part of Democrats who have found their criticism of other Trump nominees have done little to sway colleagues across the aisle. Ahead of the hearing, it was clear Puzder had few detractors among Senate Republicans.

Democrats and Republicans alike focused on trade tensions with Europe and the future of EU-U.S. security cooperation in their questions at his hearing in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“Over a $2.5 billion hit to Nevada. And we’re only a state of 3 million people. That’s a pretty big hit sir. We have to discuss this,” Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) told Puzder in one of the more contentious exchanges of the hearing.

The light touch from Democrats towards Puzder is a sign of how much Trump’s presidencies have reshaped the bounds of what is acceptable in a nominee to a high-profile administration role. Sexual assault allegations sullied and complicated, but did not sink, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Pentagon.

The role of U.S. ambassador to the European Union has typically been an active one and this administration’s ambassador will have a spate of critical issues to address, from trade to security partnerships to the future of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence.

Republicans say Puzder’s business background will equip him well to meet the task. Trump specifically highlighted Puzder’s business acumen in a January Truth Social post announcing the nomination, saying Puzder “will do an excellent job representing our Nation’s interests in this important region.”

That’s a sales pitch Puzder and his boosters have embraced. In his opening remarks to the committee, Puzder said: “I would employ the principles that made me successful as an attorney and in business to make our nation safer, stronger and more prosperous for the good of the American people.”

After withdrawing from consideration for the role of Labor secretary in 2017, Puzder remained a top adviser to Trump and retained goodwill with the president’s inner circle. Puzder’s defenders insist that the president’s confidence in Puzder is precisely what will make him successful as envoy to the EU.

“In that particular job, you need to have the confidence of, and direct access to, the president. And Andy clearly has both,” said Gordon Sondland, who served as Trump’s first ambassador to the European Union.