➤ The people that US President Donald Trump has chosen for his Cabinet and other important government positions have almost all been approved by the Republican-controlled Senate. But several of Mr. Trump’s choices are not considered qualified by experts.
The people that US President Donald Trump has chosen for his Cabinet and other important government positions have almost all been approved by the Republican-controlled Senate. But several of Mr. Trump’s choices are not considered qualified by experts.
Elon Musk
It is important to note that though Elon Musk appears to be making major decisions in Mr. Trump’s government, Mr. Musk is not a Cabinet member and has not been approved by the Senate. Mr. Trump says Mr. Musk is a “special government employee [worker]”.
Some members of Mr. Trump’s Cabinet are well-respected and widely considered qualified to do their jobs.
Marco Rubio, Department of State
Marco Rubio, who was chosen by Mr. Trump to act as the Secretary of State is one example. Mr. Rubio has a solid background in international relations. Experts say he is well-prepared for the job. When Mr. Rubio was confirmed by the Senate, no one – not even any Democrats – voted against him.
Pamela Bondi, Attorney General
Mr. Trump chose Pamela Bondi as Attorney General (AG). She is also seen as having the skills and experience needed for this position. The country’s AG is expected to be independent of the president. But Mr. Trump has worked hard to appoint people who will be loyal to him. During his first term in office, Mr. Trump put great pressure on his AGs to make the decisions that he wanted. It’s not clear yet whether Ms. Bondi will act as an independent AG, or will focus on doing what Mr. Trump wants.
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Mr. Trump chose Pamela Bondi (above) as Attorney General (AG). It’s not clear yet whether Ms. Bondi will act as an independent AG, or will focus on doing what Mr. Trump wants.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Department of Labor
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who Mr. Trump chose to lead the Department of Labor, is widely seen as having the background needed for the job. She also has a strong history of supporting the rights of workers.
On the other hand, a number of Mr. Trump’s choices have raised great concerns. Several do not appear to have the background, experience, and knowledge needed to do their jobs.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services
For the Department of Health and Human Services, Mr. Trump chose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Mr. Kennedy, a Democrat, also ran for president in 2024, but gave up and chose to support Mr. Trump instead. Mr. Kennedy is a lawyer, with no science or medical background. He says he believes in the importance of eating healthy food. But he has spent much of his life spreading false information about vaccines, a very important tool in fighting diseases. Many people are concerned about having someone who often ignores science in charge of major decisions about health and food safety for all Americans.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was chosen by Mr. Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Kennedy has spent much of his life spreading false information about vaccines, a very important tool in fighting diseases.
Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
Mr. Trump chose Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense. Mr. Hegseth was the host of a TV show on the Fox network. He served in the Army in Afghanistan and Iraq. But he has never had a position of leadership. That alone makes him a very unusual choice to run the world’s largest military. There have also been several other questions about Mr. Hegseth’s behavior and his treatment of women. Some Republican senators voted against Mr. Hegseth. He was only approved after Vice President JD Vance stepped in to break the 50-50 tie.
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
Like Mr. Kennedy, Tulsi Gabbard is a Democrat who switched parties to support Mr. Trump. In turn, Mr. Trump chose Ms. Gabbard for the Director of National Intelligence. This position leads all efforts to collect information on the threats that the US might face. Ms. Gabbard is an unusual choice for the job because she has often questioned the agencies run by this department. She has seemed to support Russia, which is widely seen as being opposed to the US. She also traveled to Syria in 2017 to meet President Bashar al-Assad, who is believed to have used dangerous and illegal chemical weapons on his own people.
Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget
Mr. Trump has chosen Russell Vought to run the Office of Management and Budget. This government group helps develop plans for how government money is spent, and watches over this process. It also has some power to watch over the rules and performance of all other government agencies. Mr. Vought was one of the main people who came up with “Project 2025”, which outlined a large plan to make huge changes to the US government. In a speech in 2023, Mr. Vought said he wanted government workers to be scared. “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work,” he said.
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Mr. Trump has chosen Russell Vought to run the Office of Management and Budget. In a speech in 2023, Mr. Vought said he wanted government workers to be scared. “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work,” he said.
Chris Wright, Department of Energy
Chris Wright was chosen by Mr. Trump to run the Department of Energy. Mr. Trump has promised to increase the amount of fossil fuels produced by the US. Mr. Wright says he is eager to make this happen. Mr. Wright runs the second largest fracking company in the US. Fracking is a way of producing natural gas that is harmful to the environment. Mr. Wright has spoken strongly against climate action. In a video he posted last year, Mr. Wright said, “There is no climate crisis.” Mr. Wright is expected to push for increases in fossil fuel use and to give little support to renewable energy efforts.
Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education
Mr. Trump chose Linda McMahon to lead the Department of Education. Mr. Trump has promised to get rid of the Department of Education, and that may become Ms. McMahon’s main job. Ms. McMahon has said that she supports and agrees with this goal. Ms. McMahon is a billionaire who made her money running World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Ms. McMahon has very little experience related to education, but she says that she thought about becoming a teacher when she was younger.
Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency
Lee Zeldin represented New York in Congress from 2015 to 2023. He was chosen by Mr. Trump to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Mr. Zeldin does not have a background in protecting the environment. Until recently, he questioned whether climate change was a serious problem. He has also worked to promote fracking.
Besides Cabinet members, Mr. Trump has appointed people to other important government jobs. One of these is the Director of the FBI.
Kash Patel, Director of the FBI
Kash Patel is the person Mr. Trump chose to lead the FBI. Mr. Patel was barely approved by the Senate. Mr. Patel is a lawyer and has some experience working against terrorism. But over the last 8 years Mr. Patel has attacked the FBI and its workers over and over again. He says he wants to close the FBI’s main offices in Washington, DC and turn the building into a museum. Normally, the leader of the FBI is seen as being independent of the president. But Mr. Patel is extremely loyal to Mr. Trump. He wrote a book for children in which Mr. Trump was called “King Donald”. Many people are concerned that Mr. Patel will use the great power he will have as the leader of the FBI to attack those who oppose Mr. Trump.
This page may be updated from time to time.