🔎 What Trump’s administration picks tell us about his agenda
Also: Consciously unbossing, the future of student loan forgiveness and Zuck + T-Pain's new jam
Donald Trump’s second-term cabinet is shaping up with a mix of seasoned Republicans and a few eyebrow-raising wild cards. His top qualification this time around? Loyalty.
For a moment, Trump’s cabinet looked surprisingly conventional. Tapping Florida Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Trump gets a sharp-tongued China critic with international clout. Rubio, who’s actually been sanctioned by China (twice!), is well-known for his staunch support of Taiwan and skepticism of China. Rubio adds a level of seriousness to the mix and might bring some much-needed policy chops to Trump’s otherwise personality-driven lineup.
Then there’s Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Trump loyalist heading to the United Nations as Ambassador. With her strategic rise through the GOP ranks and outspoken defense of both Israel and Trump’s policies, Stefanik knows how to handle a crowd. Plus, she’s proven to be a reliable Trump advocate, which checks the loyalty box.
Mike Waltz, meanwhile, brings a military and policy background as National Security Advisor. Known for his “America First” stances with a strong backing of Israel, Waltz is expected to align closely with Trump’s more isolationist foreign policy vision. With these three on board, the early impression was that Trump was going traditional—keeping the lineup focused on conservative credentials.
But that’s where the “normalcy” ended. Trump’s next wave of picks pivoted to the unpredictable.
Matt Gaetz as Attorney General
Known for his role in ousting Speaker Kevin McCarthy and a federal investigation into alleged sex trafficking, Gaetz is hardly your usual attorney general. Though the Department of Justice ultimately declined to pursue charges, Gaetz is still under an ethics investigation. His reputation as a firebrand has already led some Republican senators to question his fitness for the role. But Trump clearly values Gaetz’s loyalty and willingness to shake things up. Though he may not get confirmed, if he does, Trump said Gaetz’ “end weaponized government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations,” and he “will root out the systemic corruption at the DOJ.”
Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence
The former Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii and isolationist is known for her unorthodox foreign policy approach and surprisingly friendly stances toward leaders like Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin. Her critics argue that her affinity for controversial leaders could conflict with U.S. intelligence goals. Still, Trump’s America First ethos pairs well with Gabbard’s views, and she may be just the non-traditional voice he’s looking for to lead the U.S. intelligence community.
Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense
A Fox News commentator and Army veteran, Hegseth brings a whole lot of loyalty, but not a lot of defense policy experience to the Pentagon. He’s known for his skepticism of U.S. intervention in Ukraine and his outspoken support of Israel, aligning closely with Trump’s less-interventionist foreign policy. Hesgeth has also said he believes women shouldn’t serve in combat roles and wants to get rid of “woke” military officials who support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. But Hegseth’s true appeal might be his media savvy and ability to spin the America First agenda for Trump’s base. Critics are quick to point out that “TV personality” isn’t usually a line on a Secretary of Defense’s resume, but for Trump, it seems to be a bonus.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services
The controversial vaccine skeptic is now in charge of the agency responsible for public health. Kennedy, who has claimed that vaccines cause autism (a theory thoroughly debunked by science), has a history of championing unconventional health views that have alarmed public health experts. He’s also pushing to remove fluoride from public water, calling it “industrial waste,” despite evidence that it prevents tooth decay. Critics are already calling this appointment a “public health disaster waiting to happen,” but Trump sees Kennedy’s outsider views as a chance to disrupt the status quo at HHS.
Trump’s cabinet reveals a clear message about his approach to national security
America First, even if it means straining alliances. With Gaetz, Gabbard, and Hegseth holding key roles, expect a sharp reduction in U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts. Trump has pledged to end the Ukraine conflict “within 24 hours” by brokering a direct deal, but without details, critics are questioning whether this is realistic—or if it will require the kind of concessions that make allies nervous. Meanwhile, Trump’s unyielding support for Israel, bolstered by Hegseth, could complicate relationships in the Middle East.
Assembling a team that’s tough on immigration
Based on his cabinet picks, Trump’s pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants seems like this is no joke. Stephen Miller, who Trump tapped as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, helped craft strict immigration policies during Trump’s first term. Trump chose Thomas Homan, acting Director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agenda during Trump’s first term, as immigration Czar, who was . Homan said in July that he “will run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen. Trump also picked loyalist South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to run the Department of Homeland Security, which would be the key agency enforcing the immigration crackdown.
Musk, Ramaswamy and DOGE
Then there’s the brand-new “Department of Government Efficiency,” led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Musk, who’s already proclaimed plans to cut $2 trillion in government spending (without specifics on how), is treating the role as an opportunity to “revolutionize” Washington. Critics are raising red flags over Musk’s cozy relationships with government contracts, wondering if he’ll be cutting red tape—or just cutting deals for his own companies. Meanwhile, Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur with a penchant for deregulation, will likely bring his startup mentality to the team. If DOGE ends up as Trump’s “Manhattan Project,” as he calls it, expect plenty of regulatory slashing and possibly some viral public shaming of federal spending decisions.
Trump’s new cabinet might have started traditionally, but it’s clear he’s also looking to shake things up in typical Trump fashion. This mix of conventional and controversial picks means the administration will have no shortage of headline-making decisions—and likely some fierce battles with Congress.
Dig deeper:
↪ What White House picks tell us about Trump 2.0 (BBC)
↪ Trump administration 2.0: Tracking his Cabinet, White House picks (Axios)
⚡️From Zivvy
🌎 Around the world
➤ Paris Deploys Thousands of Police Ahead of Soccer Match Between France and Israel
Authorities step up security a week after Israeli fans were attacked in Amsterdam (Wall Street Journal)
➤ South African government refuses to help hundreds of illegal miners in disused shaft
Several hundred people are believed to be in an illegal mine in South Africa with the government refusing to help them in a bid to force them to come to the surface. (CNN)
➤ New Zealand: Maori MPs disrupt parliament with haka
New Zealand's parliament was suspended after Maori lawmakers performed a haka to interrupt a vote on a controversial bill. (DW)
🗞️ In other News
➤ Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars at auction with Sandy Hook families’ backing
The satirical news publication The Onion won the bidding for Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims whom Jones owes more than $1 billion in defamation judgments for calling the massacre a hoax. (AP)
➤ Ben & Jerry's says parent Unilever silenced it over Gaza stance
Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that parent company Unilever has silenced its attempts to express support for Palestinian refugees and threatened to dismantle its board and sue its members over the issue. (Reuters)
💰 Money
➤ What a Trump presidency might mean for student loan forgiveness
President Biden will leave office with much of his student loan agenda tied up in the courts — and Donald Trump has been actively hostile to the kind of broad-based student loan forgiveness that Biden has championed. (NPR)
➤ Amazon launches Temu and Shein rival with 'crazy low' prices
Amazon has launched a new outlet called Haul which caps the price of products on sale at $20 (£15.79), in an effort to take on low-cost retailers Temu and Shein. (BBC)
👩💻 Technology
➤ Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X
Across the platform, new users — among them journalists, left-leaning politicians and celebrities — have posted memes and shared that they were looking forward to using a space free from advertisements and hate speech. Some said it reminded them of the early days of X, when it was still Twitter. (AP)
➤ I've tested a lot of AI tools for work. These 4 actually help me get more done every day
These AI tools can help you complete small but necessary daily tasks that add up to lots of saved time in the long run. The result: You spend less time on admin, and more time doing things you enjoy or that are of higher value to your work. (ZDNet)
🎓 College Corner
➤ ‘I had a feeling that America wasn’t truly ready for a Black female in office’ : SDSU Students React to Trump’s Re-election
Trump won his re-election campaign and SDSU students have a myriad of opinions about it. (Daily Aztec)
🍿Pop Culture
➤ Sydney Sweeney Calls Hollywood Feminism ‘Fake’
“This entire industry, all people say is ‘Women empowering other women,'" Sweeney told Vanity Fair. "None of it’s happening." (Jezebel)
➤ Mark Zuckerberg just released an acoustic version of 'Get Low' with T-Pain
Do you love your wife? Have you commissioned a statue of her? Have you recorded an acoustic version of the breakthrough crunk song playing on your first date? Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has. (Mashable)
📡 On the radar
➤ Scientists discover ‘immortal’ marine creature that can ‘time travel’
Scientists have uncovered a sea creature with a jaw-dropping ability. Known as a real-life “time traveler,” this species defies the natural limits of aging in ways researchers are only beginning to understand. Could this be the secret to unlocking eternal youth? (Daily Galaxy)
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