Since November 13, Donald Trump has been making nominations for key positions within his government. Climate skeptic, anti-vaccine, ultra-conservative accused of sex trafficking, pro-Russian, pro-gun television star… The president-elect’s explosive casting for his future administration confirms his intention to shake up the American establishment.
Elon Musk for “governmental efficiency”
It is an alliance whose ideological, economic, geopolitical and even military scope is still difficult to measure. On November 13, President-elect Donald Trump confirmed, following a series of sensational appointments, his campaign promise: he named the richest man on the planet, Elon Musk, to head a new ministry, that of “governmental efficiency”, which he will lead jointly with the Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. This commission will be responsible for reducing public spending and deregulation.
Elon Musk then announced on X, the social network he owns, that the ministry’s actions would be listed online “for maximum transparency”, accompanied by a “ranking of the most terribly stupid expenses”. “We will not do things gently,” warned Vivek Ramaswamy, who has in the past proposed a series of radical reforms, including the abolition of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
After investing his time and more than 200 million dollars in the Republican’s campaign, making sometimes hysterical appearances, Elon Musk is now taking part, according to the New York Timesto a number of decisions. He recently met with Iran’s ambassador to the UN to “ease tensions” between Tehran and the United States – something Iran denies.
Pete Hegseth: a Fox News star at the Pentagon
He is “without doubt the least qualified candidate for Secretary of Defense in American history”, Paul Rieckhoff was movedfounder of the association of veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, who worked alongside the new Minister of Defense. If Donald Trump had chosen in 2016 one of the most successful generals in the United States to lead the Pentagon, in 2024, it is Pete Hegeth, a 44-year-old veteran and star host on Fox News, who was chosen by the president elected to fill the strategic position of Secretary of Defense.
A member of the reserve forces and deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, he has been a commentator and presenter on the very conservative American channel Fox News for ten years. A platform which allowed him to widely attack Democratic candidate Kamala Harris during the campaign, to combat “wokism” by attacking LGBTQ minorities within the armed forces and to firmly defend the right to hold a weapon, up to some assault rifles.
Robert Kennedy Jr: an anti-vax to Health
A notorious anti-vaxxer will take control of health and food agencies in the United States. And he intends to tackle it. John F. Kennedy’s nephew, Robert Kennedy Jr, announced upon his appointment his desire to “clean up the corruption” of these national agencies, while the Americans are, according to Trump himself, “crushed by the agri-food complex and laboratories pharmaceutical companies that have engaged in public health deception and misinformation.
Admired for 20 years for his commitment to the environmental fight – he is a lawyer specializing in the environment by profession, and led the fight against Monsanto and its herbicide Roundup – this fervent fighter against multinationals has moved away from science with time and the Covid-19 pandemic. Its reputation was recently tarnished by the assertion, going against all scientific basis, that vaccination could be the cause of cases of autism in children. Robert Kennedy Jr nevertheless affirmed after his nomination that he “is not going to take away anyone’s vaccines”. He intends to reform the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), whose nutrition department does not protect, according to him, young Americans “from a thousand additives which are illegal in Europe” and responsible for chronic diseases.
Matt Gaetz: the Minister of Justice entangled in business
Like the president-elect, Florida elected official Matt Gaetz, appointed attorney general of the United States, has several legal cases to his credit, including alleged involvement in sex trafficking. Together, Donald Trump and Matt Gaetz “will make the Department of Justice a weapon to protect themselves and their allies,” Kamala Harris’ campaign team reacted to the announcement of her nomination. Follower of the great replacement theory, climate skeptic, pro-arms and opponent of the right to abortion… Matt Gaetz, for some, is even more Trumpist than Donald Trump.
Even in his camp, the elected official with extremist ideology is considered “a person of moral turpitude”, in the words of John Bolton, former Republican national security adviser. The future Minister of Justice is very familiar with the system: in recent years, he has been the subject of several investigations by federal prosecutors and the FBI regarding his alleged involvement in the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl (l the case is still ongoing), but also for potential embezzlement of public funds or drunk driving.
Climate skeptics at the head of environmental policy
Climate skeptic and supported by American oil companies: Chris Wright, CEO of the company Liberty Energy, specializing in hydraulic fracturing, a polluting method of extracting hydrocarbons, was appointed to the post of Secretary of Energy by Donald Trump . Chris Wright judged, barely a year ago, that “there is no climate crisis and we are not in the middle of an energy transition either”.
His roadmap: deregulation of the sector. “Chris will be a key leader, stimulating innovation, reducing administrative barriers and ushering in a new golden age of American prosperity and world peace,” promised Donald Trump. Chris Wright will also be a member of the brand new National Energy Council (NEC), whose mission will be to “oversee the path to energy dominance in the United States”. He will have Doug Burgum to accompany him. The governor of North Dakota, also close to the oil and gas industries, was appointed head of the CNE and also minister of the Interior responsible for the management of national parks.
Marc Rubbio, Tulsi Gabbard, Tom Homan…
Other nominations were announced during the week. Like that of the influential senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state. With the new national security adviser, Mike Walt, they will become the main architects of the foreign policy of Donald Trump, who promised to end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, without ever explaining how. Tulsi Gabbard was assigned to the national intelligence directorate. The favorable positions taken towards Russia by this former soldier, and defector from the Democratic Party, are controversial.
To represent the United States at the United Nations, Elise Stefanik, a 40-year-old representative from New York State, was chosen after refusing to certify the presidential election won in 2020 by Joe Biden. Donald Trump also announced that he would entrust the burning issue of immigration control at the borders to Tom Homan, a hard-liner known as “the border czar”, who will be responsible for implementing the candidate’s promise to achieve the largest expulsion operation of illegal immigrants in the history of the United States. The only exception due to her discretion in the formation of this new government: the chief of staff of the new president-elect, Susie Wiles. At age 67, she will be the first woman to occupy this position.
The nine secretaries of state appointed by Donald Trump will still have to be ratified by the Senate – the majority of which is Republican – before they can take their positions.