President-elect Donald Trump’s nominations and appointments for key roles in his upcoming administration have prompted mixed reactions.
Trump continues to build his new team, announcing his choices this week for high-profile positions in his Cabinet and senior advisor roles.
Here are some of his picks that have gained the most attention.
Attorney General: Matt Gaetz
Trump has tapped Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to serve as U.S. Attorney General, calling him a “deeply gifted and “tenacious” lawyer.
Gaetz was the center of the House Ethics Committee’s ongoing probe into sex trafficking allegations. However, Gaetz resigned from Congress on Wednesday, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson, which means that the committee’s investigation ends and the report on its probe will not be issued.
Gaetz has long denied the accusations.
According to political strategist Donte Mills, Trump’s choice to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement officer poses a problem.
While he expected Trump to appoint an attorney general that’s going to move his agenda forward, Mills believes that his pick for this particular position is rightfully questionable.
“I think that’s a disservice to the office because it doesn’t allow people to fully trust the office, when that’s their leader,” Mills told NTD.
But Trump chose someone who is similar to himself, according to Bart Marcois, former presidential campaign adviser, former U.S. diplomat, and former deputy assistant secretary for international affairs at the Energy Department.
“This appointment of Matt Gaetz, he’s saying, yeah I read the room alright. It’s a big middle finger to the room. He is appointing someone who also is a victim of lawfare of unfair investigations,” Marcois said.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tx.), a fellow Republican, said that he would like the House Ethics Committee to release the findings of its Gaetz investigation.
Trump is sending a message through this appointment, according to Cameron Hamilton, former division director at the Department of Homeland Security and Navy SEAL combat veteran.
Hamilton told NTD that Gaetz would “correct the ship” at the Department of Justice (DOJ). He is among the few legislators who have spoken out aggressively about the DOJ and questioned why it continues to be funded when it is being used to weaponize Americans, according to Hamilton.
Gaetz is a “uniquely qualified” person to hold this position because he has been a target of DOJ investigations. Gaetz would be an equal arbitrator of law because has challenged both Republicans and Democrats, Hamilton said.
Vice President-elect JD Vance issued a cheeky statement regarding Trump’s pick.
“The main issue with Matt Gaetz is that he used his office to prosecute his political opponents and authorized federal agents to harass parents who were peacefully protesting at school board meetings,” Vance wrote in a post on X.
“Oh wait, that’s actually Merrick Garland, the current attorney general.”
Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary Pete Hegseth has also raised some eyebrows.
Trump described Hegseth as “tough” and “smart,” claiming that the nation’s enemies will be “on notice” under his leadership.
However, according to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Trump’s choice must be rejected because it will make the United States less safe.
“A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense,” Warren wrote in a post on X. “I lead the Senate military personnel panel. All three of my brothers served in uniform. I respect every one of our service members.”
The Army National Guard veteran and Bronze Star recipient sparked debate over his comments about women in the military.
“I’m just straight up saying that women shouldn’t serve in combat. It hasn’t made us more effective, it hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated,” Hegseth said on the Shawn Ryan Show.
Hegseth has also called to “clean house” at the Pentagon, writing in his book that “woke” generals and the leaders of the elite service academies have left the military dangerously weak, speaking out against the left’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policy.
Hamilton told NTD that Hegseth is opposed to such progressive politics plaguing the upper ranks of the military community and “fiercely loyal to Donald Trump,” which has been described as excellent or controversial depending on who you ask.
The military should be focused on wartime readiness and ensuring troops are ready for conflict and Hegseth is qualified to lead in that capacity, according to Hamilton.
He also said that Trump’s defense secretary pick is similar to Gaetz as they are both “fighters.”
Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard
Trump nominated Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress and presidential candidate, to serve as Director of National Intelligence.
Trump highlighted Gabbard’s military experience, having served through three deployments in war zones in the Middle East and Africa. He also cited her switch to the Republican Party.
Hamilton told NTD that Gabbard offers a more “aggressive, forward-leaning perspective on her military service” and “understands the nuances of the intelligence community.”
Just like Gaetz, however, Gabbard has been directly targeted by the same intelligence communities that she is now tapped to lead.
“She been placed on the terror watch list, she’s been placed on the TSA ‘no fly list,’ she’s an individual that has been directly targeted by some of these intel organizations,” Hamilton said, adding that Trump is signaling for a new sheriff in town and the people who were most scrutinized will now be in charge.
While Gabbard has been praised for her military experience, some critics say Trump’s pick does not have the typical intelligence experience that past officeholders have had under their belt going into such a high-profile position.
Gabbard has also been criticized for public comments that have been considered pro-Russia. A video she posted on social media about biolabs in Ukraine caused an uproar from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who accused Gabbard of promoting Russian propaganda.
