What Trump’s cabinet key players say about the next four years

Announcements of those who will sit alongside Donald Trump as his hand-picked team for the next four years are coming in thick and fast. 

Some of the President’s staunchest and most loyal defenders are being rewarded with positions in his administration, and each pick offers us a better insight into how he wants to shape America over his presidency.

So, who are the biggest names in Trump’s administration so far? 

On this episode of The Briefing hosts Sacha Barbour Gatt and Bension Siebert break down the key names announced so far:

Elon Musk has been picked to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency

Elon Musk is the world’s richest man, and the owner of X, Tesla and Space X 

He along with Vivek Ramiswami, who ran against Trump for the Republican nomination this year have been picked to lead the Department of Government Efficiency.  

“His businesses rely really heavily on government and the way that they fund and regulate,” Siebert said.

Fox News contributor Pete Hesguth has been named as Defense Secretary.

Pete Hegseth is a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as well as a staunch Trump loyalist during his first term.  

The Briefing host Bension Siebert said, “He is a big defender of soldiers who’ve been accused of war crimes. He helped get some of them pardoned under Trump’s presidency. He’s famously very against women being in the military”

Susie Wiles has been named as White House Chief of Staff

She has been the only campaign manager to survive an entire campaign working for Donald Trump and not being fired or leaving.

“This is actually a role that a president doesn’t have to have, but effectively this person is a fixer, chain fixes,” he said.

Marco Rubio has been named as Secretary of State

Marco Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010, and has previously taken a hard stance on China, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba.  

“Rubio is one of several people that Trump has picked over the past week who are described as China hawks, which in the sort of defence language that people use is as opposed to doves, which are peaceful hawks, not so peaceful.”

Matt Gaetz has been named as attorney general

People might remember Matt Gaetz as the intensely botoxed man at the Republican National Convention this year.

Gaetz will lead the justice department.

“Matt Gaetz will be the deciding factor, I think, in whether or not we see that big version of a dictatorial Trump presidency.”

Kristi Noem has been named as Secretary of Homeland Security

Homeland Security oversees multiple entities including the Coast Guard and the Secret Service. 

Noem has been a fierce critic of immigration policy.  

In his announcement, Mr Trump said Ms Noem would be “very strong on border security”.  

As governor, Ms Noem sent National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border to assist Texas Governor Greg Abbott in policing it.  

Tulsi Gabbard has been named as director of national intelligence

Gabbard is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve who served in Iraq, has been a longtime critic of the foreign policy establishment.

She would oversee 18 spy agencies and would be responsible for preparing the President’s Daily Brief. 

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