After Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, America awaits his administrative nominations for the executive branch.
The president appoints thousands of executive branch officials, with the more powerful Cabinet positions toward the top of the presidential lineup.
President-elect Trump nominated 12 of the 25 Cabinet members who require confirmation by the Senate and named 15 staff positions which require no Senate confirmation.
According to the New York Times, the 12 nominations which require Senate confirmation include:
Chris Wright (Secretary of Energy), Doug Burgum (Secretary of the Interior), Doug Collins (Secretary of Veterans Affairs), Elise Stefanik (U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.), John Ratcliffe (CIA Director), Kristi Noem (Secretary of Homeland Security), Lee Zeldin (EPA Administrator), Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), Matt Gaetz (Attorney General), Pete Hegseth (Secretary of Defense), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Secretary of Health) and Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence).
Recently, debates have surrounded Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Matt Gaetz’s nominations, two future Cabinet members who plan to inflame powerful areas of the federal government: health and justice.
Making America Healthy Again
Cabinet appointments tend to cause quite a stir in Washington, and Trump’s second round of Senate confirmations will not be immune from controversy or drama.
On the milder side, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to end the chronic disease epidemic in the U.S., which currently plagues around 129 million American citizens, according to the CDC.
“With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now lined up to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, it appears his Make America Healthy Again movement is poised for real power.
“Its central mandate: Reverse the chronic disease epidemic, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and drives massive health care costs,” per NPR.
Kennedy also brazenly plans to reform and eliminate corruption within the food and drug hierarchy by removing the additives and chemicals that dominate Uncle Sam’s dinner table.
“MAHA has set its sights on big food and big pharma, arguing that these industries use lobbying power to maximize profits at the expense of the country’s health.
“This message served as an animating force in the final stretch of the election, as Kennedy elevated concerns about ultra-processed foods and poor nutrition, food additives, pesticides and toxic chemicals, and the harms of industrial agriculture, among other issues.”
Justice For Who?
Trump made national headlines after announcing his nomination for Attorney General, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a staunch supporter of the president-elect and a core part of the conservative Republican group in the House.
However, Gaetz’s character came into question after an FBI human trafficking investigation, which the Florida representative vehemently denied any allegations from.
Additionally, the Department of Justice closed the case due to a lack of witness credibility and no concrete chance of conviction. U.S. News and World Report stated no charges were brought against Gaetz and the case was closed under the Biden administration.
“But in September 2022, prosecutors declined to press charges against him. The Washington Post reported that prosecutors were concerned over the credibility of two key witnesses and whether they could secure a conviction if they did bring charges. The case was formally closed in February 2023.”
Even though the Department of Justice and the FBI closed Gaetz’s case, the media’s publicity will only conjure up more negative attention towards him, and yet, President-elect Trump still decided to have Gaetz lead the executive department which formerly targeted him.
Despite this controversy, many Republicans deem Gaetz’s personality as worthy of the U.S. Attorney General position due to his stubborn and aggressive politics, per CNN.
“But many Republicans and Gaetz allies have touted his aggressive style as an essential attribute for an attorney general. Sources close to Trump said he sees Gaetz as an effective messenger of his agenda and believes his appointees to other top positions at the Justice Department can handle day-to-day duties.”
While mixed reactions to Kennedy and Gaetz flow through the news cycle, social media, discussion groups and everyday conversation, the nation must prepare itself for one of the most historical Cabinets yet: one which will rock the deep-rooted establishment of the federal government’s bureaucracy.
Click here for more information on President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominations.
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