The Republican-controlled Congress is forecast to vote on Trump’s cabinet picks in the coming weeks. With GOP majorities in the House (219-215) and Senate (53-47), most are expected to achieve confirmation with relative ease; still, the Republican majority is slim, and several of Trump’s picks are construed as controversial. The cabinet confirmation process has become slower and more partisan over the past few decades. The three administrations preceding Trump’s first term had all gotten over 200 nominees confirmed over their first 200 days—meanwhile, Trump had achieved 119, and Biden only 118.
Marco Rubio
Secretary of State
Senator of Florida, first elected in 2010, would be the first Latino Secretary of State if confirmed. Rubio ran for the GOP Presidential nomination against Trump in 2016, but has emerged as a strong ally Trump in recent years. The senator has consistently held relatively hawkish foreign policy positions, advocating an aggressive approach to the Beijing-Moscow-Tehran Axis. However, Rubio has shifted in favor of Trump in recent years—he has signaled support for ending U.S. funding to Ukraine, and today aligns with Trump’s protectionist trade policies. Several Democrats have already signalled support for Rubio’s appointment.
Pam Bondi
Attorney General
Bondi was Florida Attorney General until 2019, and served on the legal team of Trump during his first impeachment. She was nominated after former Florida representative Matt Gaetz withdrew, in the face of allegations related to sexual misconduct. Trump describes Bondi, a long term ally, as “an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!” Bondi is seen as substantially less controversial than Gaetz.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
RFK Jr., member of the Kennedy family, ran for the presidency as an independent, before withdrawing and endorsing Trump last August. Kennedy is a vocal vaccine skeptic, and has contradicted the CDC’s recommendation that communities fluoridate their water. He has expressed suspicion of the Pharmaceutical industry, and emphasizes support for the removal of additives from foods. Kennedy is expected to face an uphill battle for Senate confirmation.
Pete Hegseth
Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host, stands out as an unconventional choice to head the Pentagon. Hegseth served in the army in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was an avid supporter of Trump during his first term. Numerous Pentagon officials and lawmakers question Hegseth’s lack of experience and allegations of sexual assault. Still, Senate Majority Leader John Thune purportedly told Trump that he expects Hegseth to be confirmed.
Tulsi Gabbard
Director of National Intelligence
Gabbard, a 2020 Presidential candidate and former Democratic congresswomen from Hawaii, became Independent in 2022 and endorsed Trump in 2024. She served in Iraq, and is currently a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve. She generally opposes U.S. military intervention, and criticized the Obama administration for its handling of the Middle East. She controversially met with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017, and has been accused by Mitt Romney and others of “parroting false Russian propaganda.” Senate confirmation will likely not come easily.
Kash Patel
Director of the FBI
Although current FBI Director Chris Wray has only served seven years of his ten-year term, he has still promised to resign at the end of Biden’s term. Patel, announced by Trump to replace Wray, believes that the “deep state” has unjustly targeted Trump and other Republicans. He has called for the FBI to be dismantled and turned into a “museum of the deep state.” Like Kennedy and Gabbard, Patel will certainly face significant questioning.
