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The members of Trump’s Cabinet have various motivations, with some focused on seeking revenge, others on stabilizing markets, and others on reducing staff and budgets.
Written by David E. Sanger
For over forty years, David E. Sanger has reported on five different American presidents during his time at The Times.
The last group of people chosen by President-elect Donald J. Trump to fill cabinet positions and other roles were said to represent a cohesive, dedicated administration focused on the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) agenda. However, upon closer inspection, there are actually three separate groups with differing ideologies that have been kept under control to navigate the confirmation process successfully.
A group of individuals seeking revenge, led by potential candidates, has been tasked with dismantling 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 put together a team to help stabilize the markets, with the potential leadership of Scott Bessent, a wealthy individual from Wall Street who was considered for Treasury secretary by Mr. Trump. Bessent is familiar with the goals of deregulation and lower taxes promoted by Trump, but may try to prevent any drastic actions, such as implementing tariffs that could cause inflation and disrupt the recent growth in the stock market after the election.
There is a team formed by the government with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as leaders, aiming to significantly reduce government spending. They have set a goal of cutting at least $2 trillion from the annual federal budget, which is more than the total cost of federal employee salaries. 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 with each other.
Having a variety of different beliefs and perspectives is typically viewed as a positive attribute in presidential cabinets. However, what stands out about President Trump’s recent appointments is the diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints that may not align with his "Make America Great Again" slogan or personal loyalty to him. Some of his choices may not seem like they would fit in at a Trump rally.
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