Just days after his election, President Elect Trump began selecting nominees for his cabinet. He has selected loyalists who support most, if not all, of his goals and objectives for his upcoming term. Controversy has followed, as many criticize their backgrounds and experience, deeming them unfit to serve in their prospective positions.
First, Trump’s pick for Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is the country’s top official and the president’s “chief foreign affairs advisor”. Marco Rubio is the vice-chair of the Senate Select Committee on Foreign Intelligence and sits on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Although very supportive of Trump today, Rubio was formerly one of Trump’s strongest critics. He is the son of Cuban immigrants and supports the working class, but shifted his views about immigration to align with Trump’s. Rubio is also vocal about his support for Israel and strong opposition to Iran, rejecting a cease-fire. Additionally, he has not supported any measure to address climate change, although he acknowledges its existence.
To fill the Homeland Security secretary position, President Trump has selected South Dakota’s current governor, Kristi Noem. The Homeland Security secretary oversees border control and immigration enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Secret Service, among other public safety agencies. Kristi Noem is an immigrant hard-liner and will be overseeing Trump’s border policies and “mass deportations.” As governor, she deployed the state’s National Guard troops to the southern border as a political stunt. She was also banned from most Native American reservations in South Dakota after suggesting that Native tribal leaders benefit from Mexican drug cartels.
Pete Hegseth is the secretary of defense nominee. The secretary is the defense department’s chief policymaker and adviser. Hegseth is a Fox News host and strong Trump supporter. Before Fox, Hegseth was a major in the Army National Guard and served in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars. He is openly opposed to equality, diversity, and inclusion in the military, voicing that he thinks “woke” generals should be fired. He does not believe women should serve in combat, and has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in California in 2017. To make matters worse, he was flagged as a potential “insider threat” by a fellow service member because he has a tattoo associated with white supremist groups.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the Health and Human Services secretary nominee. The Health and Human Services secretary works to promote public health and prevent disease. It oversees drug, vaccine, food safety at the Food and Drug Administration, medical research at the National Institutes of Health, and health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Kennedy is a member of the Kennedy political dynasty; he is the son of Robert F. Kennedy, who served as attorney general for his brother, former President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy ran for president early on in this year’s election in the Democratic primary before running as an independent. He is an advocate for the environment and improvements in public health. Although Kennedy emphasizes the importance of reducing harmful chemicals and pollutants, he also has some controversial opinions. He has promoted vaccine misinformation, like the myth that vaccines cause autism and are unsafe. He may be a Kennedy, but with the exception of his career as a lawyer and activist, he has very little political experience.
President Trumpt has nominated Pam Bond for attorney general. The attorney general is a chief adviser on legal matters and oversees the Department of Justice, including the FBI, DEA, Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Attorneys. Bondi was the first female attorney general in the state of Florida from 2011-2019 and served on Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment trial. She is a longtime Trump supporter and member of his inner circle. Bonfdi replaced Matt Gaetz, Trump’s origin nominee, who was forced to withdraw his nomination due to sex trafficking allegations.
Linda McMahon is Trump’s pick for education secretary. The education secretary oversees all federal school-related policies and regulations for both k-12, higher education, and the department of education. The secretary’s job includes enforcing federal civil rights protections for students, inlcuding overseeing access to services for low-income and special education students, as well as allocating billions in funding to schools, colleges, universities, and student loans. McMahon served as Trump's small business services administrator for two years during his last term. She has no teaching or education experience, except for the one year she served as a trustee on the Connecticut State Board of Education.
Scott Bessent is Trump’s pick for treasury Secretary. The treasury secretary is the country’s chief financial officer responsible for making recommendations on both domestic and international financial policies, involving taxes, the economy, and U.S. debt. Bessent is a billionaire hedge fund manager, founder of Key Square Capital, and formerly worked for George Soros. If approved, he will be the first LGBTQ+ community member to lead the treasury. Bessent supports Trump’s proposed tax cuts and is an advisor and donor to his campaign.
The Director of National Intelligence nominee is Tulsi Gabbard. The director oversees all 18 of the nation’s intelligence agencies. Tulsi’s credentials include being a combat veteran, supporter of Ukraine, Trump loyalist, and Biden critic. She is also a former Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate. Tulsi is the first Hindu and American Samoan elected to Congress. Despite being a democrat, Tulsi has completely changed her views to align with Trump’s and now is a critic of top Democrats.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer is trumbs nominee for labor secretary. The labor secretary is responsible for upholding the nation’s laws and regulations governing workplace conditions, wages, unemployment benefits, and other services. Chavez-DeRemer was the first Republican woman from the Oregon to serve in the House of Representatives. She lost her reelection bid to represent Oregon, but is a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Trump nominated Howard Lutnick for commerce secretary. The commerce secretary oversees the agency tasked with promoting the nation’s economic growth and would implement some of Trump’s campaign pledges, including tariffs. Lutnick is a billionaire chairman and CEO of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald. The Cantor Fitzgerald firm assists the wounded who have been affected by acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and other emergencies. He is also on the board of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York. His brother was one of the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees killed at the World Trade Center during the September 11th attacks.
John Ratcliffe is nominated for CIA Director. The director oversees efforts to collect and analyze foreign intelligence that helps the president and other government heads make policy decisions around national security. Ratcliffe was formerly Trump’s Director of National Intelligence and represented Texas in the U.S. House from 2015-2020. But in 2020, it was learned he inflated his resume and wasn’t actually qualified to perform that job.
While not all of Trump’s nominees raise major red flags, they all raise immense concerns. Loyalty ‘trumps’ experience in Donald Trump’s eyes, despite the fact that most of the nominees lack the experience to head the agencies and department for which they have chosen.