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The members of Trump’s Cabinet hold various ideologies under the guise of promoting ‘America First’. Some potential nominees are driven by a desire for revenge, others aim to stabilize markets, and another group is dedicated to reducing both staff and budgets, even if it seems like an impossible task.
Written by David E. Sanger
For over 40 years, David E. Sanger has reported on five different American presidents for The New York Times.
President-elect Donald J. Trump has finalized his cabinet picks and other appointments, forming what his aides have called a cohesive, loyal administration driven by the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) mindset. However, closer examination reveals the presence of three separate factions within the administration, each with their own range of ideologies that are only just being kept in check during the confirmation process.
A group of individuals seeking revenge, who are likely to be nominated for positions, are in charge of dismantling the Justice Department, intelligence agencies, and Defense Department. They are specifically targeting the "deep state" and individuals involved in prosecuting Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has put together a team focused on calming the markets, with the potential leader being Scott Bessent, a billionaire from Wall Street who Mr. Trump wants as Treasury secretary. While Mr. Bessent supports deregulation and lower taxes like the rest of the team, he may try to prevent Mr. Trump’s more extreme ideas, such as implementing tariffs that could cause inflation and harm the stock market’s post-election growth.
A team headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy aims to significantly 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. In the 2024 fiscal year, the total federal budget was $6.75 trillion.
One of the major uncertainties of the incoming administration is how the different missions will interact and potentially conflict with each other.
Having a variety of beliefs and perspectives is typically viewed as a positive aspect of presidential cabinets. What stands out about President Trump’s recent cabinet picks is the diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints that may not align with his "Make America Great Again" agenda. Some of his choices may not fit in well at a Trump rally despite their loyalty to him.
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