President-elect Donald Trump began picking members of his Cabinet right after winning the election, and almost immediately his choices courted lots of criticism — chief among them the fact that most of them don’t seem to have any actual experience for the positions in which they’ve been placed.
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Also, the irony isn’t lost on folks that a man whose platform seems to be staunchly anti-DEI appointed a bunch of folks who feel pretty...DEI. From Fox News hosts to alleged sexual predators to a WWE executive, here are Trump’s rather questionable Cabinet picks to date.
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
Trump selected former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who routinely amplifies Russian propaganda and conspiracy theories, as the Director of National Intelligence. In the position, her role would have her oversee 18 intelligence agencies, but folks in the House Intelligence Committee are worried about what she’ll do considering her affinity for foreign dictators like Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Education Secretary, Linda McMahon
Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon served as Trump’s Small Business Administration head during his first presidential term. As one of his top allies, McMahon will run the Department of Education — despite barely having any education experience: In 2009, she served on the Connecticut Board of Education for just one year.
Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth
The closest experience former Fox News host Pete Hegseth has in defending anything is shielding himself from sexual assault allegations — yet Trump picked him as Secretary of Defense. In 2020, Hegseth reached a settlement agreement with the accuser to protect his job. He has also been involved in a far-right extremism scandal stemming from his tattoos that led to his removal from a National Guard assignment. The host claimed they were a symbol of Christianity.
Federal Communications Commission Administrator, Brendan Carr
Trump selected Brendan Carr to head the Federal Communications Commission. Carr, who is the senior Republican commissioner at the FCC, actually authored a chapter of Project 2025. In the document, he wrote that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—which grants immunity to tech companies that moderate user-generated content—should be stripped to end content moderation that some conservatives regard as censorship. Trump once called Carr a “warrior for Free Speech.”
Administrator Of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz
Dr. Mehmet Oz, former surgeon turned TV host, will lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). If his nomination is confirmed by the Senate, Oz would oversee Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. According to federal data, at least 145 million Americans are enrolled under one of the three programs. Oz has said he supports an option that could lead to more Medicare privatization.
Administrator For Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk
X owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been tasked with overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency. Interestingly, Musk has a long history of problems with government regulatory agencies and outstanding unresolved investigations, including a Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry into inside stock trading.
Administrator For Department of Government Efficiency, Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek Ramaswamy, who previously challenged Trump in the Republican presidential primary before endorsing him in January, made reducing waste in government spending a vital policy platform for his campaign. Now, he —alongside Elon Musk — will be heading the Department of Government Efficiency.
U.S. Ambassador To Israel, Mike Huckabee
Trump has selected the former governor of Arkansas and right-wing Christian Zionist, Mike Huckabee, as his U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is also a conservative television personality who would become the first non-Jewish U.S. ambassador in 16 years. He will likely unconditionally support the Israeli government in expansionism.
Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy
Former reality TV star and Fox Business host Sean Duffy was selected as Trump’s Secretary of Transportation. Duffy was a notable loyalist in Congress during Trump’s first term. Duffy first appeared on television in 1997 as a cast member on MTV’s “The Real World.” He also served as a congressman from Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district from 2011 to 2019.
Attorney General, Pam Bondi
After Matt Gaetz removed himself from the running as Trump’s Attorney General due to sex trafficking allegations, Pam Bondi—one of the President-elect’s most notable loyalists—was announced as his replacement. Bondi was one of Trump’s lawyers when he was accused but not convicted of abusing his power as he attempted to stipulate U.S. military assistance to Ukraine on that country investigating then-former Vice President Joe Biden. She also supported Trump during his New York hush money criminal trial in May and his false claim that he won the presidential election in 2020.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services
Robert F Kennedy Jr. has been nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services, despite saying that vaccines cause autism. He is a decades-long heroin addict and self-confessed sex addict who has been accused of numerous sexual assaults. He was also reportedly involved in an affair with Olivia Nuzzi, a writer for New York Magazine, which led to the loss of her fiancee and job.
Secretary Of State, Marco Rubio
Senator Marco Rubio being Trump’s pick for Secretary of State seems like one of the President-elect’s more conventional choices. Rubio is a veteran politician who served on the foreign relations and intelligence committees for over a decade. However, when he ran against Trump in 2016, Rubio labeled his opponent as a con artist who possesses a dangerous leadership style.
U.N. Ambassador, Elise Stefanik
Trump has offered the job of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to Rep. Elise Stefanik, though she called the UN a “den of antisemitism” that she intends to confront in a recent speech posted on her website. Stefanik has also said that the UN has “continuously betrayed Israel and betrayed America” and acted as “an apologist for Iran.”
U.S. Ambassador To NATO, Matthew Whitaker
Donald Trump has selected Matthew Whitaker, who literally has no foreign policy experience, to represent America’s best interests as his ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Whitaker served as acting attorney general during Trump’s first term.
Border “Czar,” Tom Homan
Tom Homan, who served as the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first Trump administration, is a Trump loyalist who has referred to President Joe Biden’s current immigration policies as “national suicide.” Homan has also called Biden “treasonous” and has insisted that “something is coming.” As “Border Czar,” he promises to execute “the biggest deportation operation this country has ever seen.”
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