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The Trump administration’s Cabinet is made up of individuals with various beliefs and goals, all under the guise of putting America first. Some nominees are motivated by seeking revenge, others are focused on stabilizing the economy, and another group is determined to reduce staff and budgets, although their efforts may be challenging.
Written by David E. Sanger
For over forty years, David E. Sanger has reported for The Times on five different American presidents.
President-elect Donald J. Trump’s last set of cabinet selections and other appointments completed what his staff referred to as a cohesive, supportive administration focused on making America great again. However, upon closer inspection, there are at least three separate groups with different beliefs and a variety of ideologies, only kept in check to successfully navigate the confirmation process.
A group of individuals seeking revenge, led by potential nominees, have been tasked with dismantling the Justice Department, intelligence agencies, and Defense Department. Their goal is to target the "deep state" and anyone involved in the prosecution of Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump is looking to establish a team that will help keep the markets stable and calm, with Scott Bessent, a Wall Street billionaire chosen by Trump for Treasury secretary, potentially leading it. Bessent supports Trump’s ideas on deregulation and lower taxes but may work to prevent extreme measures, such as inflation-causing tariffs on foreign goods, from affecting the post-election stock market growth.
A group of individuals, including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, are leading a team focused on reducing the size of the government. Their goals are very ambitious, aiming to cut at least $2 trillion from the annual federal budget. This amount is higher than the total annual salaries of all federal employees. (For reference, 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 come together or clash.
Having a variety of different beliefs and opinions is typically viewed as a positive attribute of presidential cabinets. However, what is surprising about President Trump’s recent choices is the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives that may not be immediately apparent due to their outward loyalty to the "Make America Great Again" slogan and to Trump himself. Some of his picks may not fit in well at a Trump rally despite their public support for him.
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