Trump Names Newest Member Of Cabinet If He Wins
Former President Donald Trump has been putting forward the names of friends and allies for high-level positions in what would be his second administration. This has sparked more speculation about who he might appoint to key Cabinet and White House roles.
During his many campaign stops, Trump frequently hints that some of his supporters may be tapped for positions in his government. While not making concrete promises, these suggestions offer a glimpse of potential candidates who could make it onto his shortlist for crucial roles, suggesting that a second Trump Cabinet could look significantly different from the first.
Recently, Trump has spoken highly of figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Doug Burgum, Tulsi Gabbard, Vivek Ramaswamy, Lee Zeldin, and Robert Lighthizer, all of whom are seen as contenders for senior roles in a possible second term. Additionally, he has expressed interest in bringing on Elon Musk as an advisor.
These hints suggest that loyalty will be a key factor in Trump's second-term appointments, following a first term where many top officials were replaced or resigned. In fact, Trump made some of these changes public, using Twitter to announce the firing of some Cabinet members. Others resigned due to ethical concerns or disagreements with Trump's response to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former Democrat and member of the well-known Kennedy family, is seen as a likely candidate for a high-ranking position if Trump is re-elected. Before Kennedy ended his own presidential run and threw his support behind Trump, the former president told CNN that he would "certainly be open" to Kennedy joining his administration.
Kennedy was also made an honorary co-chair of Trump's transition team and has been campaigning alongside him. Trump has praised Kennedy, particularly for his stance on health and environmental issues. “Bobby will do great on health and on the environment,” Trump said in a September interview with Full Measure.
When asked if this could mean Kennedy would lead the Health and Human Services Department, Trump responded, “No, no,” adding that while it was a possibility, no deals had been made. “It’s too early,” he noted.
Kennedy, known for his controversial views on vaccines, has offered various ideas for how a future Trump administration could tackle health and environmental issues, with much of his vision centered on the theme of “Make America Healthy Again.”
Trump has also managed to attract the support of three former Democrats: billionaire Elon Musk, former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy ran for president as an Independent after the Democratic Party rejected his candidacy in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.
In an interview on Sharyl Attkisson’s Full Measure in August, Trump was asked about potential roles for the trio of former Democrats should he win the upcoming election. When asked if he had any “specific positions” in mind for them, Trump said he hadn’t made any commitments but praised Kennedy’s health advocacy work.
“He’s been fighting for this for years,” Trump said. “He looks at other countries where they don’t use chemicals, or they use much less than we use. And the people are healthier than they are in the United States, which is not that healthy a country.”
Trump also commended Kennedy’s environmental positions, which have historically leaned to the left, and praised Gabbard as well. “Tulsi has always been good from the standpoint of common sense. She’s like a common sense person,” Trump said. “And it was a great honor when we got her. She’s, you’re right, she was a Democrat and popular too, in Hawaii.”
When asked about a possible role for Musk, Trump described him as a “big cost cutter” who could help eliminate government waste. “He is so into that. He feels there’s so much waste and fat in this country. And he’s right,” Trump noted, adding that Musk’s support had been a great asset, even though they disagreed on some issues like electric cars.
Musk's backing has extended beyond public endorsements. Earlier this month, a SuperPAC funded largely by Musk launched digital ads targeting swing state voters in support of Trump. One ad, which has already garnered millions of views on YouTube, warns, “If you sit this election out, Kamala and the crazies will win,” portraying Trump as an "American Badass" and urging voters to “fight, fight, fight!”