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The members of Trump’s Cabinet have various ideologies that are hidden behind the concept of ‘America First’. Some of the potential nominees are driven by a desire for revenge, others are focused on stabilizing markets, and another group is committed to reducing both the number of people and budgets, although this may prove to be a difficult task.
Written by David E. Sanger
Throughout his career at The Times, David E. Sanger has provided coverage on five different American presidents spanning over 40 years.
The last set of cabinet picks and appointments made by President-elect Donald J. Trump were said to form a cohesive and loyal administration focused on the Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that there are at least three different groups with varying ideologies within the administration, although they are working together to navigate the confirmation process.
A group of individuals seeking revenge, headed by potential appointees, have been tasked with dismantling the Justice Department, intelligence agencies, and Defense Department. They are targeting the supposed deep state and those involved in prosecuting Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has a team in place to keep the markets stable, with Scott Bessent, a billionaire from Wall Street, as the potential leader. While Bessent supports Trump’s views on deregulation and lower taxes, he may work to prevent extreme measures like imposing tariffs on foreign goods that could disrupt the post-election stock market growth.
Another group, consisting of government officials Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, aims to significantly reduce the size of the government. Their objective 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 new administration is how these missions will work together and potentially conflict with each other.
Having a variety of beliefs and viewpoints is typically viewed as a positive aspect of presidential cabinets. However, there has been some surprise regarding the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives among Mr. Trump’s recent cabinet selections. Some of these individuals may not seem like typical supporters at a Trump rally, despite their outward loyalty to the President and his "Make America Great Again" agenda.
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