Trump’s Cabinet Picks (and why they’re so horrible)
Meet (some of) Trump’s cabinet picks 👎
What Are the Cabinet Positions? What Do They Do?
Secretary of State - oversees foreign affairs, representing the US in diplomacy, managing international relations, and advising on foreign policy. Top ranking Cabinet position, and 4th in order of Presidential succession.
Secretary of Defense - oversees the U.S. Department of Defense, managing the military and advising the President on national security and defense policies.
Attorney General - serves as the chief law enforcement officer and legal advisor of the federal government, overseeing the Department of Justice and ensuring the enforcement of federal laws.
Secretary of Health and Human Services - oversees the Department of Health and Human Services, managing programs and policies related to public health, healthcare, and social services.
Secretary of Education - oversees the U.S. Department of Education, managing federal education policies, programs, and funding to promote equal access and improve the quality of education nationwide.
Secretary of Homeland Security - oversees the Department of Homeland Security, managing efforts to protect the United States from terrorism, respond to natural disasters, and ensure border and cyber security.
Director of National Intelligence - oversees and coordinates the activities of the U.S. intelligence community, providing the President and policymakers with integrated intelligence to inform national security decisions.
Medicare and Medicaid Administrator - oversees the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), managing federal healthcare programs that provide coverage to millions of Americans, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
FBI Director - leads the Federal Bureau of Investigation, overseeing federal law enforcement operations, national security investigations, and efforts to combat crime, terrorism, and cyber threats.
In total, the U.S. Cabinet is an advisory body made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, Cabinet members help implement federal laws and policies while providing guidance on critical issues. They are often the President's closest confidants in shaping national and international decisions.
Secretary of State: Marco Rubio (Republican Senator from Florida)
Supports extreme abortion restrictions, even in cases of rape and incest. He has a history of attacking Planned Parenthood and access to reproductive healthcare.
Supported stripping healthcare from 23 million Americans when Obamacare was potentially going to be repealed under the GOP in 2017.
He has called for punishing supporters and deporting immigrant students participating in pro-Palestinian protests.
Has an aggressive relationship with Iran and historically uses maximum pressure negotiation tactics. His opposition to the Iran nuclear deal and calls for more sanctions could increase the risk of conflict in the Middle East.
Secretary of Defense: Pete Hegseth (former FOX News host and Veteran)
In 2017, Hegseth was accused of sexual assault and misconduct. He denied the allegations, but reached a settlement with the victim in 2020.
Opposes providing medical care for transgender soldiers and has described LGBTQ+ issues in the military as "trans lunacy."
Has exhibited blatant Islamophobia, allegedly shouted "Kill All Muslims" while intoxicated during an official tour. He has also claimed that Muslim communities in America pose "an existential threat" to the country. Additionally, he reportedly joked about women not having the right to vote and has opposed women serving in combat roles.
Promotes religious extremism, with views influenced by Christian Reconstructionism—a movement that aims to turn America into a Christian nation governed by biblical law.
A whistleblower report alleged that Hegseth was often intoxicated at work events and created a hostile work environment through sexual misconduct. In response, Hegseth has pledged not to drink during his tenure if confirmed for the position.
Attorney General: Matt Gaetz (slashed out) (former Congressman from Florida/Podcast host)
Engaged in sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old minor in 2017, violating Florida’s statutory rape laws.
The House Ethics report found evidence that Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to multiple women for sexual services between 2017 and 2020.
In 2018, Gaetz brought a right-wing extremist who had questioned the Holocaust death toll to the State of the Union address.
Promoted false claims of election fraud after the 2020 election and pushed conspiracy theories about the January 6 Capitol attack, defending insurrectionists.
Stepped down from his position in Congress and his nomination for Attorney General.
Pam Bondi (former Attorney General of Florida)
Defended Florida's ban on same-sex marriage and opposed gay adoption, stating it would "induce public harm" until 2016.
Solicited a $25,000 donation from Trump in 2013 while her office was considering joining a lawsuit against Trump University. After receiving the donation, her office decided not to pursue the case.
Led an unsuccessful lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act and with the intention to remove protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Secretary of Health: RFK Jr. (Attorney/2024 Presidential Candidate)
Promoted false claims about vaccine safety, including the thoroughly discredited link between vaccines and autism.
Spread racist and antisemitic theories about COVID-19, stating it was ethnically targeted to “spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people”.
Called the COVID-19 vaccine "the deadliest vaccine ever made" and spread baseless claims about its safety and efficiency.
His anti-vaccine rhetoric contributed to a measles outbreak in Samoa that killed 83 people, most of which were children.
Promotes consuming raw milk, which increases the risk of foodborne illnesses and bacterial infections.
Dumped a dead bear carcass in Central Park: Kennedy admitted to this bizarre act in 2014, calling it "the little bit of the redneck” in him.
Mutilated a whale carcass: According to his daughter, Kennedy once cut off a dead whale's head with a chainsaw and tied it to the family minivan.
Education: Linda McMahon (WWE Cofounder)
A major lawsuit accuses McMahon of negligence and fostering a culture of sexual abuse within WWE, particularly regarding the "ring boys" scandal in the 1980s and 1990s.
As WWE CEO, McMahon oversaw policies classifying wrestlers as independent contractors, denying them essential benefits like healthcare and retirement plans.
Strongly supports defunding public education, instead supporting school voucher programs that divert funding from public to private and charter schools.
Plans to scale back Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students and sexual assault survivors.
Has minimal education experience, having served only one year on Connecticut's Board of Education after misrepresenting her credentials.
Homeland Security: Kristi Noem (Governor of South Dakota)
Shot her 14-month-old dog Cricket for being “untrainable” and wrote about it in her book, drawing widespread criticism
Made derogatory comments about Native American tribes, alleging some tribal leaders were personally benefiting from drug cartels. Led to her being banned from nearly 20% of South Dakota's territory by six Native American tribes.
Introduced legislation to ban critical race theory in schools and pushed for a "patriotic" curriculum that critics say “whitewashes history”.
Clashed with tribes over coronavirus checkpoints on reservations, ignoring tribal objections during the pandemic.
D.N.I. (Director of National Intelligence) : Tulsi Gabbard (Former US Representative, Hawaii)
Met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2017, an ally of Russia and Iran, raising public concerns about her judgment.
Often criticized for her questionable foreign policy positions due to her stances on Syria, Russia, and China, which some view as sympathetic to authoritarian regimes.
In 2022, Gabbard endorsed one of Russia's main justifications for invading Ukraine, regarding alleged U.S.-funded biolabs.
These views have led to accusations of Gabbard being a "Russian asset" and raised concerns about her suitability for the role of Director of National Intelligence.
Medicare and Medicaid: Dr. Mehmet Oz (Former Senate candidate and TV Show host)
Misrepresented medical research, a study found that 15% of his recommendations on "The Dr. Oz Show" contradicted evidence, while 40% lacked any supporting evidence.
Has promoted replacing traditional Medicare with private medical plans, calling traditional Medicare "highly dysfunctional".
Promoted unproven "miracle" weight loss cures like green coffee extract and raspberry ketones, leading to a Senate hearing where he admitted his claims often lacked scientific evidence.
Oz promoted hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment despite lack of evidence.
During his 2022 Senate campaign, Oz owned $600,000 in stocks of major Medicare Advantage providers, UnitedHealth and CVS/Aetna, along with approximately $8 million in various health-care sector investments, creating a major conflict of interest.
FBI: Kash Patel (Former Chief of Staff to Secretary of Defense)
Has spread baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud, QAnon, COVID-19 vaccines, and false allegations that the FBI instigated the January 6 Capitol attack.
Vowed to "come after" media figures and government officials he views as opponents. Patel has a history of taking legal action against adversaries, leading to concerns about potential misuse of FBI resources as director.
Spread debunked theories about undocumented people and marginalized groups, suggesting Democrats were using them to "rig the election".
Called the media "the most powerful enemy the United States has ever seen" and labeled journalists as "peddlers of propaganda".
DOGE: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy
Elon Musk (CEO of X and SpaceX)
Laid off nearly 50% of Twitter's employees after acquiring the app, including key executives responsible for content moderation.
Despite claiming to champion free speech, Musk has banned journalists and threatened legal action against his critics.
Frequently spreads and endorses misinformation, such as conspiracy theories surrounding the attack on Paul Pelosi and the debunked theory of a pedophile ring run out of a basement of a Washington, D.C. pizza shop.
Musk's vast business interests as a billionaire, including ownership of X and SpaceX, raise concerns about conflicts of interest with his government role.
Vivek Ramaswamy (2024 Republican Presidential Candidate)
Called climate change a "hoax" and opposes climate-related policies, spreads false information about government spending bills, has questioned the presence of federal agents during the 9/11 attacks, and causes a lack of trust in government institutions with the public.
Has called for ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and proposed using military force to secure the border.
Ramaswamy aims to fire up to 75% of federal employees, bypassing civil service protections.
Wants to "gut much of FDA," compromising food and drug safety regulations.
