Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Trump’s Second-Term Cabinet: Loyalty, Controversy, and the Battle for Confirmation

Vancouver, Canada – President-Elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House this January for his second term following a historic election victory and is determined to hit the ground running. He has pledged to initiate the largest mass deportation in American history, impose steep tariffs on imports, and dismantle the deep state — all starting on day one. With ambitious plans, Trump will need a strong team to support him, and his focus is now on assembling the ever-so-influential cabinet that will play a key role in carrying out his vision. However, getting them confirmed could be an issue. 

During his first term, his cabinet faced significant instability, marked by an unprecedented 14 departures. This “revolving-door” Cabinet far surpassed turnover rates in recent administrations, with the closest comparison being George H.W. Bush’s presidency, which saw eight departures. The political turbulence within Trump’s executive team presented challenges for governance, compounded by former Cabinet members publicly criticizing him. For instance, former Attorney General Bill Barr stated he would “strongly oppose Trump for the [GOP] nomination,” while former Chief of Staff John Kelly labeled him a “fascist.” As Trump prepares for his second term and continues the selection process, he will make sure to make his choices much more carefully this time. 

To avoid the pitfalls and backstabbing of years before, Trump has already begun filling his cabinet with loyalists, though some concerns have been raised that loyalty is being prioritized over expertise and, in some cases, morality, which have caused a firestorm in the political landscape. Matt Gaetz, the former lawyer, and Florida congressman, who was previously the pick for Attorney General, came under heavy criticism from both sides of the aisle for allegations such as having sex with a minor, using illicit drugs, accepting bribes, misusing campaign funds and sharing inappropriate images in the House all of which have come out in a recent House Ethics Committee report. Although Gaetz has since resigned and was never likely to reach the White House, some concerns still remain about the probability of his other cabinet picks making it through the intense confirmation process. 

The confirmation process of cabinet picks is an integral part of American democracy, ensuring transparency, maintaining checks/balances, and ensuring qualified leadership. This, in turn, entails rigorous procedures such as background checks, Senate hearings, and of course, a vote from the Senate to confirm or reject the nomination with a simple majority required for confirmation. With the Republicans now controlling the Senate 52-47 and Vice-President Elect J.D. Vance’s ability to cast a tie-breaking vote, the Republicans have a healthy margin to successfully send Trump’s top picks up to the executive branch. However, it won’t be as smooth as the returning President-Elect would like. 

One of the most notable and controversial picks made by President-Elect Trump is Robert Kennedy Jr., son of Robert Kennedy and nephew of John. F Kennedy, who is lined up to be the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, who has spent most of his career as an environmental lawyer, author, and involved in politics, certainly has an impressive resume; however, his lack of medical certification and criticisms and conspiracies surrounding vaccine safety have raised red flags in many places. The Committee To Protect Health Care, a physician organization that advocates healthcare policy issues, has posted a letter online where over 17,000 doctors nationwide have called on the Senate to reject Trump’s pick for Secretary of HHS. The Committee To Save America PAC, headed by former Vice President Mike Pence, has also sent a letter calling on Senate Republicans to oppose Kennedy’s nomination, emphasizing the need for an HHS secretary who aligns with pro-life values. Additionally, Republican Senators such as Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have openly expressed their concerns about RFK Jr., stating that he’s “wrong about vaccines,” and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) describing some of his statements as “alarming”. 

Of course, Mr. Kennedy is not the only person among Trump’s top picks being questioned about their qualifications. Pete Hegseth, the pick for Secretary of Defense, which could have him lead the Department of Defense, would advise the President on military matters, manage defense policy and the budget, and oversee all military branches. Secretary of Defense is a role that holds an incredible amount of power but also demands a lot of responsibility and proper expertise. Hegseth has served in the U.S. Army National Guard, attaining the rank of Major, was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, and has most recently worked as a TV show co-host for Fox News. Although he undoubtedly has experience in defense and military logistics, his lack of high-ranking positions, on top of allegations of excessive drinking, sexual misconduct, and controversial views, has raised concerns from both ends of the political spectrum. There has, of course, been pushback from Democrat Senators such as Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who questioned Hegseth during the confirmation process on his views regarding women in combat roles and his potential future in the defense industry and notably Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat veteran, who has expressed strong opposition, called Hegseth “the most unqualified person to ever be nominated for Secretary of Defense.” Republican Senators have also expressed their worries as well with Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stating that it would be “difficult for Hegseth to defend himself against sexual assault allegations, and Susan Collins (R-ME) has promised to thoroughly question Hegseth’s position on Ukraine and the allegations against him. 

There are some other picks, none of whom are as controversial as Gaetz, RFK Jr., and Hegseth, but they will surely raise some eyebrows. Tulsi Gabbard, the former Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee, now selected for Director of National Intelligence, has made some Republicans cautious due to her former political motivations, lack of intelligence experience, on top of her already controversial pro-Russian rhetoric, and ties with the former Al-Asaad regime in Syria.  Regarding national intelligence, Trump is also looking to appoint a new head of FBI to replace Christopher Wray. After a lot of buzz around multiple candidates, he selected Kash Patel, a former prosecutor, Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense, and an advisor to the Director of National Intelligence under the first Trump administration. Patel has garnered lots of attention regarding his beliefs, such as his narratives about the “deep state,” as well as being a proponent of QAnon, a conspiracy theory about a secret group of global elites controlling world events, which Trump allegedly fights against. He will undoubtedly have trouble winning over the vote of longtime Senators Murkowski (R-AK), Collins (R-ME), and former majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), all strong institutionalists, something that Patel is clearly far from. 

Of course, we can’t mention the new team coming into the White House without mentioning Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” or, as Musk likes to call it, “DOGE.” Although not an official department of the executive branch, or any government branch for that matter, DOGE is a proposed presidential advisory commission headed by the two uber-influential businessmen and aims to restructure the federal government and remove regulations to reduce expenditures and increase government efficiency. Since it’s not an official federal executive department that would have needed approval from Congress, the two do not need to go through the confirmation process of the other Cabinet selections and can avoid the Senate vote. Although Musk has become much more politically involved and controversial recently, donating over a quarter billion dollars to the Trump campaign, and endorsing right-wing parties such as Reform UK and the AFD in Germany, the newly created commission has been greeted with support from many, not just Republicans. Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), a self-described “democratic socialist,” recently shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) expressing his support for the proposed initiative after the Pentagon failed its 7th audit in a row, emphasizing the need for better management of taxpayer money. Although unlikely they will face any opposition in starting this “department, cautions of the ultra-rich and elite consolidating power and influencing America are prevalent and were especially emphasized in President Biden’s farewell address to the nation, where he warned of the dangers of Oligarchy’s forming in America that would “really threaten[] our entire democracy, our basic rights, and freedom.” 

Although President-Elect Trump and his team have curated a Cabinet the likes of which America has never seen before and has naturally faced strong pushback from many in the political world, which has even resulted in a resignation, Trump will likely get what he wants. In a political climate so polarized and juxtaposed, it’s a priority for the Republicans to stay unified and all be on the same page, especially when it comes to the new cabinet. Additionally, with Trump’s return to the Oval Office, loyalty will be at an all-time high, as no one is looking to make enemies with the returning President, especially with as much ambition and power as he’s re-entering. That, on top of the fact that Republicans have 5 more senators than the Democrats, with a sixth one waiting to be appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, practically solidifies this cabinet, even if there are naysayers within the party. The Senate hasn’t rejected a potential candidate since President George H.W. Bush’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, John Towers, in 1989. As things stand, there is no strong reason to believe that will happen again 36 years later in a profoundly different America. 

Author profile
Joven Heer

Joven is currently a Grade 12 student based in Vancouver, Canada. He loves biking, playing the piano, watching soccer, traveling, eating new food, writing and keeping up with politics!

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