With just over two months until Donald Trump is inaugurated for a second time, his cabinet picks are well under way.
The president-elect has taken a vastly different approach from his 2016 picks, which were broadly in line with the GOP status quo. This time around, with a term under his belt and some of the resistant old guard out of the picture, many of Trump’s choices have been described as “shocking”.
From a TV presenter to the ‘tax killer’ to the richest man in the world, Yahoo News breaks down everything you need to know about the president-elect’s most controversial cabinet choices.
Elon Musk – Head of DOGE
Elon Musk was one of Donald Trump’s most important backers. (AP)
Who is he? Billionaire businessman who acquired Twitter and swiftly changed its name to X, where he reinstated Trump’s blocked account and backed him during the election. Named by Forbes as the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is the CEO of electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, as well as astronautics company SpaceX.
Previous government experience? None
What has Trump said? The president-elect named Musk to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, saying the pair would: “Pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies.”
What do the critics say? Questions have been raised about how Musk – who has no former experience in government – will get to grips with the bureaucracy he is intent on slashing. “I don’t think Musk is going to be able to form a deep knowledge of government,” Columbia University professor Michael Morris told CNN.
There are also concerns that Musk will end up managing departments that have oversight of his businesses – which journalist Emma Brockes described as an ‘‘ugh’ moment in US politics”.
Matt Gaetz – Attorney general
Matt Gaetz is a controversial member of Congress. (AP)
Who is he? Wildly controversial Florida representative dubbed “the Trumpiest congressman”, who led to charge to oust Kevin McCarthy from his role as speaker of the House of Representatives. Other stunts include inviting a Holocaust denier to the State of the Union and attempting to eject two bereaved fathers from a gun-control hearing.
He has been investigated by the House ethics committee over alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use – both of which he has vehemently denied.
Previous government experience? Matt Gaetz served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010, before being elected to Congress for Florida’s first congressional district, where he served from 2017 until standing down in late 2024 to accept the AG position.
Before entering politics, he was a lawyer, known locally as “the tax killer” after blocking a local pet tax.
What has Trump said? In a social media post, Trump wrote: “Matt will root out the systemic corruption at the DOJ, and return the department to its true mission of fighting crime and upholding our democracy and constitution.”
What have the critics said? There are serious questions over whether the Senate will sign off on Gaetz’s appointment. Despite being a big MAGA [Make America Great Again] voice, he has detractors on both sides of the political aisle – and may find he has more enemies than friends when it comes to confirming an AG position.
Republican congressman Max Miller told Axios: “Gaetz has a better shot at having dinner with Queen Elizabeth II than being confirmed by the Senate”, while Republican senator Lisa Murkowski told NBC: “I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for the attorney general.”
Pete Hegseth – Defence secretary
Pete Hegseth hosts the Fox Nation’s Patriot Awards in 2023. (AP)
Who is he? Fox and Friends Weekend host and pundit who has long been a fan of Trump. Pete Hegseth is also a military veteran who served in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan. He holds degrees from Princeton and Harvard. Hegseth has previously criticised the US army’s “woke” agenda, suggested privatising the government department that helps veterans, and recently said women should not be in combat roles: “Over human history, men in those positions are more capable.”
Previous government experience? Limited. He ran unsuccessfully for the senate in Minnesota in 2012.
What has Trump said? Trump has described Hegseth as “tough, smart and a true believer in America First”.
What the critics have said? Reactions to Hegseth have been somewhat sneering, with several officials saying they had no idea who the presenter was.
“Never heard of him before. … To have better understanding of him, I need to meet,” one senior European defence official told Reuters.
Meanwhile, a former Pentagon official told CNN that Hegseth was “the least qualified person in history of the job”, while Democrat senator Elizabeth Warren was among those concerned about Hegseth’s lack of experience in the high-profile department.
“A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the secretary of defence,” she said. “I lead the senate military personnel panel. All three of my brothers served in uniform. I respect every one of our service members.”
Mike Huckabee – Ambassador to Israel
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will now be an envoy to Israel. (AP)
Who is he? Former governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee has twice made his own bids for the White House, while his daughter Sarah Huckabee Sanders served as Trump’s press secretary for much of his first term. A Baptist minister, Huckabee has also had his own TV show, which ran first on Fox and then on the Christian network.
Huckabee claims to have visited Israel more than 100 times and has been a longstanding ally of president-elect Trump. He describes himself as an “unapologetic Zionist” and does not believe in a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria,” he said in 2017, adding “There’s no such thing as an occupation.”
Previous government experience? Huckabee served as Arkansas governor between 1996-2007, making White House runs in 2008 and 2016, but failing to make it past the primaries. He has never previously held a diplomatic position.
What has Trump said? In a statement announcing his appointment, Trump said Huckabee “loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”
What have the critics said? Huckabee’s pro-Israeli stance has prompted worries about the ongoing Middle East conflict and the future of Palestine. Former US ambassador Luis Moreno said Huckabee “couldn’t be a more dangerous selection”, while Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti told the BBC “Huckabee has said things that are absolutely contradictory to international law… It will be really bad news for the cause of peace in this region.”
Tulsi Gabbard – Director of national intelligence
Tulsi Gabbard has switched from the Democrats to supporting Trump. (AP)
Who is she? Former Democratic presidential hopeful turned independent turned Trump supporter, Gabbard was previously a Hawaii Democratic representative between 2013-2021.
During the 2020 election cycle, when Tulsi Gabbard was in the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton suggested Russia “had their eye on” her and were “grooming” her to be a third-party favourite.
The former Iraq military veteran has been outspoken on US defence policy, and in 2022 left the Democrats, branding them an “elitist cabal of warmongers”. She became an independent before campaigning for Republicans and becoming a voice on Fox News.
Previous government experience? Yes, in the House, where she represented Hawaii. Despite running during the 2020 Democratic primaries, she did not advance further in the party after her defeat.
What has Trump said? “As a former candidate for the Democrat presidential nomination, she has broad support in both parties – she is now a proud Republican,” Trump said. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community, championing our constitutional rights, and securing peace through strength.”
What have the critics said? Gabbard is viewed as an almost bizarre choice to oversee the CIA and other intelligence agencies, given that she is viewed as soft on Russia, has no intelligence experience, and was highlighted as a security concern in 2020 (although no concrete proof was offered and she was not directly named in Clinton’s assertion).
“As she becomes the head of the entire US intelligence community, this is a very disturbing signal for sure,” said Marek Magierowski, the former Polish ambassador in Washington, who raised issues with Gabbard’s former pro-Russian comments.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former intelligence officer, said she was “appalled at the nomination”.
