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The members of Trump’s Cabinet have various ideologies that are hidden behind the concept of ‘America First’. Some nominees are interested in seeking revenge, while others are more focused on stabilizing the markets. There is also a group that is dedicated to reducing both the number of people and budgets, although their efforts may be seen as futile.
Written by David E. Sanger
David E. Sanger has been a journalist for The Times for over forty years, during which he has reported on the actions and policies of five different American
In the last set of cabinet picks and appointments made by President-elect Donald J. Trump, his aides emphasized that the administration was united, loyal, and driven by the MAGA agenda. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that there are at least three separate factions with different beliefs, all working together to navigate the confirmation process.
A group seeking revenge is being led by potential candidates who have been instructed to dismantle the Justice Department, intelligence agencies, and Defense Department. Their goal is to target the deep state and anyone involved in prosecuting Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has a team in place to keep the markets stable, with Scott Bessent, a Wall Street billionaire chosen by Trump for Treasury secretary, as a potential leader. Bessent supports deregulation and lower taxes, but would likely work to prevent Trump’s more drastic ideas, such as tariffs that could cause inflation, from negatively impacting the stock market after the election.
A team led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy is aiming to significantly reduce the size of the government. Their goal is to cut at least $2 trillion from the yearly federal budget, which is more than what is spent on salaries for all federal employees. The total federal budget for the 2024 fiscal year was $6.75 trillion.
One of the major uncertainties of the new administration is how these missions will interact and potentially conflict with each other.
Having a variety of beliefs and perspectives is typically seen as a positive aspect of presidential cabinets. However, some of President Trump’s recent cabinet choices have surprised people due to the diverse backgrounds and viewpoints they bring, despite outwardly showing loyalty to the Make America Great Again slogan and to Trump himself. It is difficult to picture a few of his selections fitting in well at a Trump rally.
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