Trump Shaking Hands with Elon Musk | Photo by Anna Moneymaker | GettyImages
President-elect Donald Trump has begun cabinet selections and his picks are being widely scrutinized. Many of his picks are seen as unconventional or polarizing, sparking debates about their suitability for the roles.
Department of Health and Human Services
Robert F. Kennedy was chosen to be Trump’s lead in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Kennedy was in the running for presidency in 2024, and was considered Trump’s opponent. He is now the fifth one in his family to have run for president.
Kennedy and Trump do not have a new relationship. On Aug. 23, Kennedy held a press conference suspending his run for presidency and endorsed Trump.
This was not expected as it had been known that the two did not get along, especially with Trump calling Kennedy a “crazy Liberal,” and Kennedy’s open criticisms of Trump’s policies during his presidency.
Despite this, Trump announced Kennedy as his DHHS head.
Kennedy is considered a controversial pick for this role due to his beliefs on several important and sensitive issues. He has been known to be critical of vaccines, processed foods/nutrition, weight loss drugs and drug research.
Trump also picked Dr. Mehmet Oz as his choice for lead of Medicare and Medicare Services (MMS). This is under the DHHS. According to Trump, he chose Dr. Oz for his qualifications.
“Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake,” Trump said at a rally.
Oz is a controversial pick to many due to his nature as a talk show host.
“Oz isn’t qualified. He’s a talk show doctor,” Springfield resident Tabitha Lee said. “He’s a real doctor, but he ain’t even a good one. He also says crazy [things]. Trump just wanted to put his TV friends in the cabinet.”
Oz has had several controversies throughout the years when he was on air that were deemed “bad medical advice.” One of his biggest controversies came after he recommended known malaria drugs to ‘cure’ COVID-19.
Despite this, Trump remains confident in his pick.
Department of Transportation
Trump picked Former congressman Sean Duffy as the secretary of the Department of Transportation.
Duffy served in Congress from 2011 to 2019, where he chaired a financial services subcommittee. After leaving politics, he transitioned to media. His appointment has sparked criticism due to his limited experience in transportation.
“I don’t really know if I care for Duffy as the Department of Transportation pick,” Fairborn resident Christy Wreth said. “He kind of backs up everything that Trump does, and I don’t think that is healthy.”
Nonetheless, Trump asserts that Duffy is a good choice.
“The husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on Fox News, and the father of nine incredible children, Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely, and with peace of mind,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social, a alternative social media platform owned by Trump.
Duffy is so far the second Fox-affiliated television host that Trump has named to his Cabinet, according to the Associated Press.
Department of Government Efficiency
Trump created a new department for this second presidency: The Department of Government Efficiency. The picks for this position are Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswarmy.
The two will be acting as co-secretaries in this position. The point of the new department is to track government efficiency and make things run smoother.
Musk and Ramaswarmy were chosen because they run successful companies. Musk runs SpaceX and Tesla while Ramaswarmy runs a pharmaceutical company.
While there is not entirely too much concern with Ramaswarmy, Musk is extremely controversial for any government seat.
“There is no reason why the richest person in the world should be anywhere near the government,” Springfield resident Kathy Price said. “He knows nothing about politics, other than what is going to help him and bribing people to vote for Trump.”
This is a common sentiment amongst people. Trump spoke out to defend his choices on Truth Social.
“The department’s goal is to provide advice and guidance from outside of government,” Trump said.
Only time will tell if Trump’s controversial picks for cabinet will meet or exceed the public’s expectations.
