Let’s Dish about Trump’s Cabinet
December 5, 2024 | Washington, D.C.
by Tabitha Walter, Executive Director, Eagle Forum
President-elect Donald Trump hit the ground running since he won in November. Over the last few weeks, he has announced many of his cabinet nominees. Some have conservatives cheering while others raise concerns. Fortunately, the Senate will start the new Congress with a Republican majority and a promise from incoming Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to act quickly. Trump has a whopping 1,200 positions to fill in his Administration and we want to highlight some of the ones we are watching.
Border Czar
With the border crisis being at the top of the priority list, it is crucial that President Trump has a team that is willing to close the border and deport illegal immigrants already here. We know that Kamala Harris’s “border czar” title was a joke, but Trump turned that role into a serious job. Former International Customs and Border Enforcement (ICE) official Tom Homan was tapped to fulfill this duty. Homan has appeared in several Congressional hearings condemning the lack of action from the Democrats. He has promised to shut down the border for 120 days as one of the first actions of the Trump administration.
Homan is even getting support from across the political aisle. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has vowed to work with Homan to deport illegals from his city, challenging critics by saying, “Cancel me, I don’t care.” Tom Homan will not need to go through the Senate confirmation process for his post and has supported the confirmation of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to Secretary of Homeland Security.
Attorney General
Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as Attorney General was one of the more controversial and short-lived nominees. Rep. Gaetz has a solid conservative voting record in Congress earning a 90% score on our Eagle Forum Scorecard. However, his “bomb-throwing” strategies stirred up a lot of trouble among the Republican caucus.
Rep. Gaetz has also been investigated for various unfounded crimes and ethics violations. The most recent investigation conducted by the House Ethics Committee may have been the final nail in the coffin for any confirmation to the DOJ’s highest post. After revealing that Rep. Gaetz was being probed for having sex with a minor and for illicit drug use, he withdrew his nomination. He clarified that he would not return to Congress as well. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was nominated in his place.
Health & Human Services
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services was no surprise. He joined the Trump campaign this year to “Make America Healthy Again” and Trump has tapped him to be Secretary of this important agency. His views on making food healthier, holding the vaccine industry accountable, and removing chemicals from our water supply resonated with Americans, especially moms, who have been concerned about the complex health issues that are becoming more present in our children.
Pro-life groups have expressed concerns about RFK, Jr.’s stance on abortion. He considers himself “pro-choice” and supports access to abortion pills. On the other hand, he said that “every abortion is a tragedy” and promised to fund various federal programs that he claimed would reduce the amount of abortions. While we can find common ground on reducing abortions, he could be swayed by pro-abortion activists which makes his vetting by Senators essential.
Regardless, President Trump has reiterated his position that abortion policy should be set at the state level. To do that, RFK, Jr. will need to have HHS eliminate grants to abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood, ensure conscience protections for medical professionals, stop risky mail-order abortion pills, and clarify that abortion is not healthcare.
Secretary of Defense
One of the first nominees out of the gate was former Army National Guardsman Pete Hegseth to the position of Secretary of Defense. Hegseth has been a strong Trump supporter in his role as a contributor to Fox News and other conservative media. Hegseth has been outspoken in his opposition to women registering for the selective service and in combat roles saying it hasn’t “made us more lethal, it has made fighting more complicated.” These comments have inflamed women-in-draft advocates in the Senate, compromising his chances of confirmation. Additionally, he is committed to eliminating all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology from the military. Sadly, his rocky personal life, with numerous marriages and accusations of alcohol abuse, may tank his chances of making the necessary changes the DoD needs.
NIH
After years of obfuscations and lies about the COVID pandemic, the role of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is now critically important. Trump tapped physician and economist Jay Bhattacharya to serve in that role. Bhattacharya was a huge critic of the public health community’s response to the pandemic.
He spoke out in major news outlets like the Wall Street Journal questioning the inflated data and calling for a more holistic and rational response. After co-publishing research that proved natural immunity to COVID-19 was higher than projected, he came under fire from other scientists who continued the lies of lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration that highlighted the “damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies” while recommending protective measures be focused on the most vulnerable, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci and NIH Director Francis Collins colluded to censor Bhattacharya’s work. He will be a voice of reason and bring science back to the NIH.
Department of Labor
Last, Trump’s nominee for the Secretary of the Department of Labor is raising eyebrows. Former Oregon Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer was asked to join Trump’s cabinet to bolster America’s workforce. The most glaring problem is her solid pro-union stance. She was one of eight Republicans to introduce a bill to strengthen public-sector unions and has worked to overturn right-to-work laws across the country.
Among the unions that have praised this decision is the American Federation for Teachers — an activist group that knocked on doors for the Harris-Walz campaign and supports “woke” policies in schools. Make no mistake, unions today are simply channels for extreme leftist ideology that harms workers and businesses alike. Chavez-DeRemer is a bad choice for Secretary because of her pro-labor bias.
Senate Hearings
When the Senate returns in the new year, they will promptly get to work scheduling hearings and votes on these nominees. Eagle Forum will keep a close eye on the progress and weigh in when necessary. Be the first to view Trump’s announcements by visiting his Truth Social account.