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Trump’s cabinet consists of individuals with various ideologies, all working towards the common goal of putting "America First". Some potential nominees are driven by a desire for revenge, others are focused on stabilizing the markets, and a third group is dedicated to reducing both staff and budgets, even though the task may seem daunting.
Written by David E. Sanger.
Throughout his career as a reporter for The Times, David E. Sanger has followed and reported on the actions of five different American presidents for over forty years
As President-elect Donald J. Trump made his last decisions on cabinet members and other positions, his team portrayed his administration as cohesive, loyal, and focused on the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) slogan. However, beneath the surface, there are at least three different groups with varying beliefs, all working to navigate the confirmation process.
A group led by potential nominees is seeking revenge by dismantling the Justice Department, intelligence agencies, and Defense Department. They are targeting individuals in the deep state and those involved in prosecuting Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has put together a team to reassure the markets, with Scott Bessent as a potential leader. Bessent, a billionaire from Wall Street who Trump selected for Treasury secretary, supports Trump’s ideas on deregulation and lower taxes. However, he may try to prevent Trump’s more extreme measures, such as tariffs that could cause inflation, from negatively impacting the post-election stock market growth.
A team led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy is aiming to significantly reduce the size of the government. Their ambitious goal is to cut at least $2 trillion from the annual federal budget, which is more than the total cost of salaries for all federal employees. Just to give context, the total federal budget for the 2024 fiscal year was $6.75 trillion.
The interaction and potential conflicts between these missions are one of the major uncertainties for the new administration.
Having a variety of different beliefs and perspectives is typically viewed as a positive aspect of presidential cabinets. However, what is surprising about President Trump’s recent cabinet choices is the diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints that exist beneath their outward display of loyalty to the Make America Great Again movement and to Trump himself. Some of his picks may not fit in well at a Trump rally.
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