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The members of Trump’s Cabinet hold various ideologies under the guise of ‘America First’. Some are seeking revenge, others aim to stabilize markets, and another group is focused on reducing staff and budgets, though the task may seem daunting.
Authored by David E. Sanger
David E. Sanger has been a journalist for The New York Times for over 40 years, during which he has reported on five different American presidents.
Before taking office, President-elect Donald J. Trump made his last selections for his cabinet and other positions, aiming for an administration that his team said would be united, loyal, and focused on the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) agenda. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that there are at least three separate groups with different beliefs and ideas, which they have had to keep under control during the confirmation procedures.
A group of individuals seeking revenge, headed by potential candidates, are given orders to dismantle the Justice Department, intelligence agencies, and Defense Department. Their goal is to target the so-called deep state and individuals involved in prosecuting Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has put together a team to help keep the markets calm, with Scott Bessent, a Wall Street billionaire chosen by Trump for Treasury secretary, as a potential leader. Bessent is in favor of deregulation and lower taxes, but he may try to prevent Trump’s more extreme ideas like tariffs that could cause inflation and disrupt the post-election stock market growth.
There is a team of government officials, including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have ambitious goals to significantly reduce government spending. They aim to cut at least $2 trillion from the annual federal budget, which is more than the total amount spent on salaries for all federal employees. This goal is higher than the total federal budget for the 2024 fiscal year, which was $6.75 trillion.
The integration and potential conflicts between these missions are major uncertainties for the new administration.
Having a variety of beliefs and viewpoints is typically viewed as a positive aspect of presidential cabinets. However, the recent choices made by Mr. Trump have surprised some, as they bring a diverse range of experiences and perspectives that may not align with the Make America Great Again agenda or loyalty to Mr. Trump. Some of his picks may not fit in well at a Trump rally.
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