After Donald Trump’s landslide election victory in November, he rapidly began nominating members for his Cabinet. Many of his nominees immediately sparked widespread controversy, as both Democrats and Republicans alike claimed that many of his picks were unqualified for their positions and chosen for loyalty rather than experience. Matt Gaetz, his initial choice for Attorney General, was considered a particularly problematic pick; according to BBC News, Gaetz had been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over various allegations of sexual assault and illegal drug use. This led to his replacement by Pam Bondi, who was the first female Attorney General of Florida. Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth to Defense Secretary was also considered to be a poor choice; he had served in Afghanistan and Iraq, but has otherwise spent the time since then as a Fox & Friends host. He has advocated for many conservative changes to the military, including ending “DEI” in the military and removing women from combat roles. Hegseth has also faced pressure to drop out based on allegations of infidelity in his previous marriages and alcoholism at Fox.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who ran for President as an Independent and dropped out late in the race, was additionally chosen as Trump’s head of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has no official medical experience, and has spread health misinformation, such as stating that “autism comes from vaccines” in a Fox News interview and in a New York Post interview that “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.” Time will tell whether these Cabinet picks will be confirmed–and if so, whether or not they will be able to work well. –Boris Nusinzon
