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The members of Trump’s Cabinet represent a variety of ideologies, all under the guise of prioritizing America’s interests. Some nominees seem to be driven by a desire for revenge, others are focused on stabilizing markets, and a third group is dedicated to cutting costs and reducing staff, even if it seems like an impossible task.
Written by David E. Sanger
David E. Sanger has been a journalist for The New York Times for over 40 years and has reported on five different American presidents during his career.
Donald J. Trump, who is set to become the President, has made his final selections for his cabinet and other positions. His team has portrayed his administration as one that is cohesive, faithful, and driven by the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) ideology. However, upon closer inspection, there appear to be at least three different groups with varying beliefs and ideologies within the administration, which have been kept in check in order to successfully pass 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. They are actively searching for members of the so-called deep state and individuals involved in prosecuting Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump is looking to form a team that will help keep the markets stable, with Scott Bessent possibly leading it. Bessent, a billionaire from Wall Street who Trump is considering for Treasury secretary, is familiar with the MAGA policies of deregulation and lower taxes. However, he may work to prevent Trump’s more drastic measures, such as imposing tariffs that could lead to inflation, from negatively impacting the stock market’s post-election growth.
A team led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy is working on shrinking the government, aiming to cut at least $2 trillion from the annual federal budget. This figure is larger than the total amount spent on salaries for all federal employees. The total federal budget in the 2024 fiscal year was $6.75 trillion.
One of the major uncertainties of the new administration is how different missions will align or clash with each other.
Having a variety of beliefs and viewpoints is typically viewed as beneficial rather than a weakness in presidential cabinets. However, what has been surprising about Mr. Trump’s recent appointments is the diverse backgrounds and perspectives that some of them hold, despite their outward display of loyalty to the Make America Great Again slogan and to Mr. Trump personally. It is difficult to picture a few of his selections feeling completely at ease at a Trump rally.
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