Background
On January 20, 2025, President-elect Donald Trump is set to commence his term.
While Trump’s path back to the White House certainly has not been easy, he has reassured the American public that he is ready to work to improve the lives of millions of Americans.
When addressing his supporters at his election night watch party, President-elect Trump said, “I want to thank millions of Americans for showing up in record numbers and delivering a victory. We will pay you back and do our best job.”
Understanding the Cabinet
An essential part of any president’s agenda and presidency is the people they choose to surround themselves with.
In the United States, the people in charge of helping the President effectively run the country are known as the Cabinet.
Typically, the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments—the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, along with the Attorney General—form the Cabinet.
Key people nominated for positions within President-elect Trump’s administration include White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, “border czar” Tom Homan, and the heads of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Senate Confirmations and Controversies
With Republicans holding the majority in the Senate, many of Trump’s cabinet nominees face an effortless path toward confirmation.
In reality, most people consider the Senate confirmations for the President’s cabinet to be a formality.
According to The White House.gov, the Senate has only ever rejected nine Cabinet nominees.
Typically, a nominee withdraws their name from consideration if they anticipate difficulties.
This has been the case for two of President-elect Trump’s nominations, Sheriff Chad Chronister and former Representative Matt Gaetz.
Earlier this month, Sheriff Chad Chronister withdrew his nomination to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration per AP News.
Representative Matt Gaetz, who faced severe sexual misconduct and illicit drug allegations, also withdrew from consideration for the position of attorney general according to PBS news.
Historic Nominees
The Trump administration is choosing to fill their cabinet with many historic and unprecedented picks.
These nominations are meant to promote political and social reform following Biden’s presidency.
On November 27, 2024 Susie Wiles became the first woman to hold the position of White House Chief of Staff
Another woman of note serving in the president-–elect’s cabinet is former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard.
Tulsi Gabbard has been nominated to serve as the national intelligence director.
Two former presidential candidates have also joined the Trump administration, Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Vivek Ramaswamy, alongside successful businessman Elon Musk, who came out in support of President-elect Donald Trump earlier this year, have been chosen to lead the new government agency, the Department of Government Efficiency.
Another significant nomination is former ICE director Tom Homan as “border czar.”
Nominee Homan’s immigration policies have garnered significant attention for their unyielding approach toward ending the border crisis.
This nomination draws a sharp contrast to the Biden Administration’s open border policies and will pave the way for a new approach to tackle the ever growing conflict at the southern border.
