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The members of Trump’s Cabinet have various ideologies hidden beneath the facade of ‘America First’. Some nominees seem driven by a desire for revenge, others aim to stabilize markets, and a third group is dedicated to making drastic cuts to both personnel and budgets, potentially in a futile effort.
Written by David E. Sanger.
David E. Sanger has reported on five American presidents during his career as a journalist for The Times, which spans over forty years.
As President-elect Donald J. Trump finalized his cabinet picks and other appointments, his aides presented his administration as unified, loyal, and driven by the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) slogan. However, upon closer examination, there are at least three distinct factions within the administration, each with their own range of ideologies that are barely kept in check during the confirmation process.
A group of individuals seeking revenge, led by potential candidates, have been tasked with dismantling the Justice Department, intelligence agencies, and Defense Department. Their goal is to target the deep state and individuals involved in the prosecution of former President Trump.
Mr. Trump has a team to calm the markets, with Scott Bessent potentially leading it. Bessent, a billionaire from Wall Street who Trump selected for Treasury secretary, supports deregulation and lower taxes. However, he may try to prevent Trump’s more extreme ideas, such as imposing tariffs that could increase inflation and disrupt the post-election stock market growth.
A team led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy is working to reduce the size of the government. Their goal is to cut at least $2 trillion from the annual federal budget, which is more than the total amount spent on federal employee salaries. For reference, the total federal budget in the 2024 fiscal year was $6.75 trillion.
One of the major uncertainties of the new administration is how these missions will align or clash with each other.
Having a variety of different beliefs and viewpoints is typically viewed as a positive aspect of presidential cabinets. However, what stands out about President Trump’s recent cabinet choices is the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives that may not align perfectly with his "Make America Great Again" platform. Some of his picks may not seem like they would fit in well at a Trump rally, despite their loyalty to him and his agenda.
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