President-elect Donald Trump is setting up his cabinet to be one of the most controversial in recent history.
Since declaring victory in the presidential election, Trump has selected a number of contentious characters to stand beside him. While his picks have faced pushback, they are expected to be quickly confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Here’s who he has selected so far.
Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
The Florida Senator was chosen by Trump to serve as Secretary of State. As the highest ranking member of the cabinet, Rubio will be act as the chief foreign affairs advisor, carry out foreign policy decisions, and manage international crisis. If confirmed by the Senate, Rubio will also become fourth in line to succeed the presidency. Rubio has made a name for himself by being a raging opponent of abortion, including in instances of rape, and his staunch anti-LGBTQ+ stance. He has openly opposed gay marriage, defended Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, and supported Florida’s ban on gay couples adopting.
Attorney General: Matt Gaetz
Former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz is set to run the same Justice Department that previously investigated him on claims of sex trafficking and having sex with underage girls. Although he was not ultimately charged, he remained under investigation by the congressional ethics panel until he resigned from Congress last week, effectively halting the investigation. If confirmed as U.S. Attorney General, he will become America’s next top law enforcement officer, despite the allegations. Gaetz has also been a booming anti-trans voice in Congress, campaigned against the Equality Act, and is anti-abortion.
Health and Human Services Secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is known as an anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist, who has just been tapped to head the world’s largest public health agency. In this position, he will oversee the FDA and be able to overturn nearly any FDA decisions. He will also oversee the CDC and NIH, putting him in charge of the multi-billion dollar budget for researching vaccines, which he incorrectly believes cause autism. RFK Jr. also opposes gender affirming care and hormone therapy for minors.
U.N Ambassador: Elise Stefanik
New York Representative Elise Stefanik, who has been a staunch Trump supporter, will act as an Ambassador to the United Nations if confirmed. During her 10 years in the House, Stefanik has voted against protections and inclusions for the LGBT community, including the Equality Act and the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act. She introduced a resolution last year in a failed attempt to “expunge” both of Trump’s impeachments and signed onto a failed bid to attempt to overturn 2020 election results in four states.
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy: Stephen Miller
Stephen Miller, who previously served as Trump’s senior advisor in 2016, will now act as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. Miller is responsible for drafting up portions of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 via his advisory group America First Legal. His group ran an anti-trans propaganda ad during the midterms. He is also a extreme anti-immigration conservative, who has said mass deportations will begin “as soon as [Trump] takes the oath of office.”
Department of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy
Billionaire ally Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy are set to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. It’s unclear what the two will be directly tasked with. Trump stated they would “provide advice and guidance from outside,” possibly indicating that their role may not be a formal part of government. Trump also declared Musk and Ramaswamy would “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Both men have spewed far-right conspiracies regarding transgender people and gender-affirming care.
Trump’s long list of concerning picks also includes Kristi Noem (Secretary of Homeland Security), Tom Homan (Border Czar), Lee Zeldin (EPA Administrator), Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence), Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary), and Michael Waltz (National Security Advisor).
