WASHINGTON — The appointments made by Donald Trump for his imminent Cabinet and White House showcase his distinct positions on critical issues like immigration and trade, while also presenting a diverse array of perspectives and backgrounds that prompt speculation about the ideological stability that will underpin his upcoming administration.
As he swiftly forms his second administration—more efficiently than he did eight years prior—the former president is bringing together an unconventional mix of personalities, including television figures, past Democrats, an executive from the wrestling world, and seasoned Republicans. This adds clarity to his intentions regarding tariffs on imports and a tight grip on illegal immigration, but it also leaves open questions concerning his approach to a variety of other policy issues.
Marc Short, who served as chief of staff to then-Vice President Mike Pence during Trump’s first term, suggested that while Trump is fixated on two main priorities, his administration will likely be more unpredictable. “He has his two critical focuses and doesn’t feel as strongly about other matters—it’s going to be a real free-for-all,” Short predicted. “In his first administration, he surrounded himself with more aligned conservative figures, which resulted in a more unified approach. This time, it’s an eclectic mix.”
Notably, Marco Rubio, the senator from Florida slated to become Secretary of State, has been a vocal critic of authoritarian regimes worldwide. This is particularly intriguing, as it aligns him with a president who has historically shown admiration for leaders like Vladimir Putin of Russia and Viktor Orban of Hungary in Hungary.
Oregon’s Republican Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer has been selected as the pro-labor Secretary of Labor, joining ranks with billionaires and former governors who are generally against increasing support for labor union organization.
Trump’s choice for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, aims to tackle the national deficit for a president promising tax reductions, enhancements to veteran services, and unwavering support for significant federal expenditures such as Social Security and Medicare.
Additionally, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who advocates for abortion rights, has been named by Trump as head of the Health and Human Services Department. This choice arrives at a time when Trump’s conservative base has long sought greater influence over this agency regarding anti-abortion measures.
Newt Gingrich, a former Republican House Speaker, acknowledged that Trump’s appointees may not always see eye to eye, yet he downplayed the likelihood of severe conflicts arising. “A strong Cabinet inherently means bringing together individuals with differing opinions and competencies,” he remarked.
This unpredictability seems central to Trump’s political persona. As a former reality TV star who previously disrupted Washington, he is returning with bold, at times conflicting pledges that resonate particularly with working-class voters who believe he can once again effect change.
According to Gingrich, “Trump has transformed political leadership and engagement into a more entrepreneurial venture.” Nonetheless, the extensive nature of Trump’s 2024 pledges, along with his history of reshuffling Cabinet and national security personnel throughout his past term, creates an environment ripe for discord.
Trump has committed to a series of ambitious goals, such as imposing tariffs, curbing illegal immigration, establishing a large-scale deportation initiative, boosting domestic energy production, and seeking vengeance against those who have opposed or prosecuted him. He has also vowed to reduce taxes, increase wages, conclude conflicts in Israel and Ukraine, streamline government operations, preserve Social Security and Medicare, support veterans, and quell cultural progressivism.
In recent weeks, Trump has made references to some of these promises as he finalized the appointments of his federal department heads and top White House staff. However, he has not addressed any potential contradictions or complications within these pledges.
Bessent has positioned himself as a proponent of deficit reduction, cautioning that skyrocketing national debt paired with rising interest rates leads to consumer inflation. Yet, he also backs extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which exacerbated the overall debt predicament and increased annual repayments to investors purchasing Treasury notes.
Although a hedge-fund affluence source, Bessent supports Trump’s tariffs, arguing that they should be viewed as one-time price adjustments and leverage for achieving both international policy and domestic economic objectives, rejecting claims that they contribute to inflation.
Trump has proclaimed that Bessent will assist him in ushering in what he describes as a “new Golden Age for the United States.”
Promising collaboration between business and labor, Trump stated that Chavez-DeRemer “will create historic collaboration that will revive the American Dream for Working Families.” However, he did not address her firm backing of the PRO-Act, a Democratic initiative aimed at simplifying unionization processes—an item that has never encountered significant Republican support and which Trump has not previously included in his agenda.
When announcing Kennedy as his health secretary choice, Trump steered clear of mentioning his stance on abortion rights, instead focusing on Kennedy’s ambitions to reform U.S. agriculture, food processing, and drug manufacturing sectors.
The nuances of Trump’s foreign policy remain noteworthy, as illustrated by his selection for national security adviser, Florida Representative Mike Waltz. Waltz conveyed mixed messages concerning the Russia-Ukraine conflict during a recent interview. Trump claims that this crisis would not have emerged under his administration due to his ability to deter Putin.
On a recent segment of “Fox News Sunday,” Waltz expressed concerns regarding ongoing escalations, including President Biden’s approval of sending antipersonnel mines to Ukraine. “We must restore deterrence and peace rather than merely react to the escalation ladder,” Waltz stated. Yet he simultaneously touted the necessity of the mines to support Ukraine in “halting Russian advances” and claimed he is cooperating closely with Biden’s team during the transition.
Moreover, Tulsi Gabbard—appointed by Trump as director of national intelligence, the highest intelligence role—has been a vocal advocate for both Putin and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, allies of Russia and Iran.
The most unpredictable elements of Trump’s new governance constellation include budget advisers Russell Vought, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy. Vought, having headed Trump’s Office of Management and Budget during his first term, is again vying for that same post. Musk, the wealthiest individual in the world, alongside mega-millionaire venture capitalist Ramaswamy, is spearheading a supplementary advisory panel dubbed the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
This initiative aims to spotlight waste within the government, operating without statutory authority, but allowing Trump to route the recommendations of Musk and Ramaswamy through official channels, potentially with Vought’s guidance.
As a leading theorist behind Project 2025—the conservative agenda advocating for a substantial rightward shift in U.S. governance—Vought envisions the Office of Management and Budget as not just a significant entity for shaping Trump’s budget proposals but also as a veritable power hub within the executive branch, “powerful enough to supersede the bureaucratic frameworks of implementing agencies.”
When discussing the possibility of differing opinions within his administration, Gingrich highlighted Chavez-DeRemer as an example, stating, “Though he may disagree with her on union matters, he might allow her to champion those issues herself.” He affirmed that Trump is open to suggestions, noting, “If convinced, he will readily expend presidential capital.”
Yet Short pointed out that personal dynamics and loyalty are likely to factor more significantly into Trump’s decisions. In the previous administration, Vought proposed potential spending reductions that Trump was hesitant to pursue. However, given that Vought now has the backing of influential figures like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Short suggested that the circumstances might change this time. “Trump will always weigh loyalty; you can already notice it: The unions received the labor secretary they favored, and both Putin and Assad influenced the selection for the DNI. This is less a situation of a team of rivals; rather, it resembles a reality television program,” he concluded.