Gabbard and Gaetz are no stranger to controversy.
Barely one week after winning the 2024 presidential election, President-elect Donald Trump has rapidly begun assembling a Cabinet where loyalty is seemingly prioritized over experience. This has left many scratching their heads, wondering what kind of Cabinet Trump is trying to build.
After selecting the more traditional Susie Wiles for Chief of Staff and Sen. Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, Trump turned to fierce loyalists for other key spots, regardless of their qualifications – or lack thereof.
Nowhere was this more apparent in Trump’s choices for Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Director of National Intelligence, and Homeland Security Secretary.
In nominating Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth for the top Pentagon job, Rep. Matt Gaetz for AG, former Democrat turned Republican Tulsi Gabbard for DNI, and South Dakota Gov, Kristi Noem for Homeland Security Secretary, Trump has made it clear that he wants a Cabinet much in his own mold.
Indeed, in addition to loyalty, Trump’s Cabinet nominations reflect his desire for Cabinet officials who share Trump’s worldview and will likely allow Trump to expand his power via a rubber-stamp Cabinet.
With the exception of China – where every nominee, including Rubio is hawkish – his recent nominees are highly likely to push for drastic cuts in American support for Ukraine, and weakening America’s role in defending democracy abroad generally.
Quite simply, Trump’s Cabinet – unfortunately – reflects a doubling down on his base, rather than an effort to broaden his constituency by including more traditional Republicans who remain hawkish in regard to America’s role in defending our interests in Europe and the Middle East.
Put another way, the widespread confusion – even among Republicans – to Trump’s latest round of Cabinet nominations underscores Trump’s efforts to not only run a very loyal White House, but also to surround himself with people who, like him, outrage the political establishment.
Two things connect all four of these controversial nominees: their longtime loyalty to Trump, and their ability to, in the words of one Trump ally, introduce a “state of shock” as “people who are a total challenge to the system.
