93-406: (Redirected from Trump Cabinet ) Wikimedia disambiguation page Cabinet of Donald Trump may refer to: First cabinet of Donald Trump (2017–2021) Second cabinet of Donald Trump [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Cabinet of Donald Trump . It may be possible to turn this into an article about
186-634: A Muslim immigration ban that has been proposed by Donald Trump in the past. Tillerson was approved by the Foreign Relations committee on January 23, 2017, by a vote of 11–10. On February 1, Tillerson was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 56–43 and was sworn in later that day. John J. Sullivan served as acting secretary from April 1, 2018, until April 26, 2018. On March 13, 2018, President Trump dismissed Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State , and announced his nomination of CIA Director Mike Pompeo to
279-594: A civilian for Pentagon appointees, therefore Mattis needed a waiver to be allowed to become Secretary of Defense. During his hearing, Mattis agreed with the assessment that debt was the greatest threat to national security. He placed Russia first among the "principal threats" facing the United States and called Iran "the primary source of turmoil" for unrest in the Middle East. In contrast with Trump's campaign promises, Mattis advocated for maintaining NATO and keeping
372-510: A dystopian light—as a "land of abandoned factories, economic angst, rising crime"—while pledging "a new era in American politics". Although Trump was the Republican nominee, he has signaled that the official party platform , adopted at the 2016 Republican National Convention , diverges from his own views. According to a The Washington Post tally, Trump made some 282 campaign promises over
465-755: A "casual authoritarian," saying "he is a candidate who has happily and proudly spurned the entire idea of limits on his power as an executive and doesn't have any interest in the Constitution and what it allows him to do and what [it] does not allow him to do. That is concerning for people who are interested in limited government." Charles C. W. Cooke of the National Review has expressed similar views, terming Trump an "anti-constitutional authoritarian." Libertarian journalist Nick Gillespie , by contrast, calls Trump "populist rather than an authoritarian". Rich Benjamin refers to Trump and his ideology as fascist and
558-427: A "historically average level". Trump is a protectionist , according to free-market advocate Stephen Moore and conservative economist Larry Kudlow . Historian Joshua M. Zeitz wrote in 2016 that Trump's appeals to " law and order " and "the silent majority " were comparable to the dog-whistle and racially-coded terminology of Richard Nixon . According to a 2020 study, voters had the most difficulty assessing
651-409: A Democrat." During his 2016 campaign for the presidency, Trump consistently described the state of the United States in bleak terms, referring to it as a nation in dire peril that is plagued by lawlessness, poverty, and violence, constantly under threat, and at risk of having "nothing, absolutely nothing, left". In accepting the Republican nomination for president, Trump said that "I alone can fix"
744-422: A Trump presidency. Carson rejects the theory of evolution and believes that " home-schoolers do the best, private schoolers next best, charter schoolers next best, and public schoolers worst"; he said that he wanted to "take the federal bureaucracy out of education." Trump has proposed redirecting $ 20 billion in existing federal spending to block grants to states to give poor children vouchers to attend
837-531: A White House hotline so veterans can bypass the VA and bring problems directly to the president." Trump opposed the current G.I. Bill in 2016. In January 2016, Trump hosted a fundraising rally for veterans (skipping a televised Republican debate to do so). Weeks later, after The Wall Street Journal inquired with the Trump campaign when veterans' groups would receive their checks, the funds began to be disbursed. In April,
930-408: A border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. In his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump promised significant infrastructure investment and protection for entitlements for the elderly, typically considered liberal ( Democratic Party ) policies. In October 2016, Trump's campaign posted fourteen categories of policy proposals on his website, which have been since removed. During October 2016, Trump outlined
1023-462: A form of inverted totalitarianism . Legal experts spanning the political spectrum, including many conservative and libertarian scholars, have suggested that "Trump's blustery attacks on the press, complaints about the judicial system and bold claims of presidential power collectively sketch out a constitutional worldview that shows contempt for the First Amendment , the separation of powers and
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#17328955426371116-601: A former member of the Judiciary Committee while serving as senator. Although Democratic party senators, including Elizabeth Warren , criticized Sessions, at least one Democratic Senator, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, stated he would vote to confirm Sessions. Historically, there has never been a sitting senator appointed to cabinet position who was denied that post during the confirmation process. Political positions of Donald Trump The political positions of Donald Trump (sometimes referred to as Trumpism ),
1209-484: A hundred in the case of the Trump transition team by October 2016), using primarily federal funds and federal office space, to help plan how a then-hypothetical Trump administration would implement their policy-goals via the various federal agencies and departments. After the election on November 8, 2016, when the ticket formed by Trump and Pence defeated the Clinton and Kaine ticket as well as various third party opponents,
1302-459: A list on his website of regulations that he would eliminate. The list included what it called the "FDA Food Police" and mentioned the Food and Drug Administration 's rules governing "farm and food production hygiene" and "food temperatures". The factsheet provided by Trump mirrored a May report by the conservative Heritage Foundation . It was replaced later that month and the new factsheet did not mention
1395-567: A look" at entitlement programs like Medicare, but he then said via Twitter "We will not be touching your Social Security or Medicare in Fiscal 2021 Budget." His proposed 2021 budget, unveiled in February 2020, included a $ 45 billion (~$ 49.9 billion in 2023) cut to the program within Social Security that supports disabled people, as well as cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. In August 2020, as part of
1488-414: A mandate to hire from the private sector [as opposed to the governmental sector] whenever possible." Trump defeated the former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton , in the 2016 presidential election, receiving 304 electoral votes compared to Clinton's 227 electoral votes. The formal certification of the results took place on January 6, 2017. He assumed office on January 20, 2017. The vice president
1581-461: A more competitive product than they do today. Look at some of the high school tests from earlier in this century and you'll wonder if they weren't college-level tests. And we've got to bring on the competition—open the schoolhouse doors and let parents choose the best school for their children. Education reformers call this school choice, charter schools, vouchers, even opportunity scholarships. I call it competition—the American way." Trump has blasted
1674-579: A package of executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic , he signed an order to postpone the collection of the payroll taxes that support Social Security and Medicare, paid by employees and employers, for the rest of 2020. He also said that if he wins re-election, he will forgive the postponed payroll taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax, saying he would "terminate the tax", although only Congress can change tax law. Analysts said such an action would threaten Social Security and Medicare by eliminating
1767-430: A plan for reforming the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with provisions to allow veterans to obtain care from any doctor or facility that accepts Medicare, to increase funding for PTSD and suicide prevention services, and to provide ob/gyn services at every VA hospital. Trump called for greater privatization of veterans' care, although his plan made no direct reference to letting veterans get health care outside
1860-456: A school of their family's choice (including a charter school, private school, or online school ). Trump did not explain where the $ 20 billion in the federal budget would come from. Trump stated that "Distribution of this grant will favor states that have private school choice and charter laws." As president, Trump chose Republican financier Betsy DeVos , a prominent Michigan charter school advocate, as Secretary of Education. The nomination
1953-423: A series of steps for his first 100 days in office . Trump's political positions, and his descriptions of his beliefs, have often been inconsistent. Politico has described his positions as "eclectic, improvisational and often contradictory." According to an NBC News count, over the course of his campaign Trump made "141 distinct shifts on 23 major issues." Fact-checking organizations reported that during
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#17328955426372046-422: A vote of 34–28. The House voted, 268–151, to grant the waiver. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved Mattis's confirmation on January 18, 2017, by a 26–1 margin, and sent the nomination to the full Senate for consideration. One of Donald Trump's first acts as president was the approval of Mattis's waiver to become Secretary of Defense. After being confirmed by the Senate on the evening of January 20, 2017, in
2139-547: A vote of 98–1, Mattis was sworn in by Vice President Pence on the same evening. On December 20, 2018, Secretary Mattis announced his intention to resign at the end of February 2019. President Trump moved the departure date up to January 1, 2019. Upon the end of Secretary Mattis's tenure on January 1, Patrick M. Shanahan , the Deputy Secretary of Defense , became acting Secretary until June 23, 2019. Five months later, in May,
2232-506: A warning that "violent criminals were coming to town," and an accusation that the St. Regis Mohawks had a "record of criminal activity." The ad—aimed at stopping the construction of a casino in the Catskills that might hurt Trump's own Atlantic City casinos —was viewed as "incendiary" and racially charged, and at the time local tribal leaders, in response, bought a newspaper ad of their own to denounce
2325-565: Is a populist, arguing that his policies favor the rich over those less well off. Harvard Kennedy School political scientist Pippa Norris has described Trump as a "populist authoritarian" analogous to European parties such as the Swiss People's Party , Austrian Freedom Party , Swedish Democrats , and Danish People's Party . Columnist Walter Shapiro and political commentator Jonathan Chait describe Trump as authoritarian . Conservative commentator Mary Katharine Ham characterized Trump as
2418-569: Is essentially more like a "centrist Democrat" on social issues . Journalist and political analyst John Heilemann characterized Trump as liberal on social issues, while conservative talk radio host and political commentator Rush Limbaugh said that Heilemann is seeing in Trump what he wants to see. Since he became president, commentators have generally characterized his policy agenda as socially conservative . Trump and his political views have often been described as nationalist . John Cassidy of New Yorker writes that Trump seeks to make
2511-506: Is higher than in most previous presidential elections, partly because the Trump '16 campaign staff (and associated PACs ) was significantly smaller and less expensive, thus there are not as many people already expected to receive specific roles in the upcoming Trump administration. In particular, "Trump ha[d] a smaller policy brain trust [policy group] than a new president normally carries" because as an anti-establishment candidate who began his campaign by largely self- funding his way to
2604-666: Is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Judiciary committee , then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Sally Yates served as acting attorney general from January 20, 2017, until her firing ten days later, on January 30, 2017. On January 30, 2017, Trump appointed Dana Boente , the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve as acting Attorney General until Jeff Sessions ' Senate confirmation. Boente had replaced Sally Yates who
2697-448: Is the only cabinet member to be elected to the position who does not require Senate confirmation, and the vice president does not serve at the pleasure of the president. There were dozens of potential running mates for Trump who received media speculation. Trump's eventual pick of the governor of Indiana, Mike Pence , was officially announced on July 15, 2016, and confirmed by acclamation via parliamentary procedure amongst delegates to
2790-453: The 2016 Republican National Convention on July 19, 2016. Governor of Indiana Mike Pence was elected vice president of the United States, receiving 305 electoral votes, compared to Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), who received 227 electoral votes. The formal certification of the results took place on January 6, 2017. He assumed office on January 20, 2017. The following cabinet positions are listed in order of their creation (also used as
2883-678: The 45th president of the United States on January 20, 2017 , and his first term ended on January 20, 2021 . The president has the authority to nominate members of his Cabinet to the United States Senate for confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution . Before confirmation and during congressional hearings a high-level career member of an executive department heads this pre-confirmed cabinet on an acting basis. The Cabinet's creation
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2976-482: The Common Core State Standards Initiative , calling it a "total disaster". Trump has asserted that Common Core is "education through Washington, D.C.", a claim which PolitiFact and other journalists have rated "false", since the adoption and implementation of Common Core is a state choice, not a federal one. Trump has stated that Ben Carson will be "very much involved in education" under
3069-584: The Independence Party of New York . In August 2001, Trump changed his party affiliation to Democratic . In September 2009, he changed his party affiliation back to the Republican Party. In December 2011, Trump changed to "no party affiliation" ( independent ). In April 2012, he again returned to the Republican Party. In a 2004 interview, Trump told CNN's Wolf Blitzer : "In many cases, I probably identify more as Democrat", explaining: "It just seems that
3162-609: The Iran Nuclear Deal . He urged for a clear cybersecurity doctrine to be implemented. On January 12, 2017, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted, 24–3, to grant the waiver. The full Senate voted, 81–17, to pass the waiver three hours later. After the Trump transition team canceled a meeting between Mattis and the House Armed Services Committee , the waiver narrowly passed the committee by
3255-581: The Journal reported that the funds had yet to be fully distributed. In May, NPR confirmed directly with 30 recipient charities that they had received their funds, "accounting for $ 4.27 million of the $ 5.6 million total," while the remaining 11 charities did not answer the question. In February 2018, the Trump administration initiated a policy known as 'Deploy Or Get Out' (DOGO), ordering the Pentagon to discharge any soldier who would be ineligible for deployment within
3348-548: The Secretary of the Navy , then became acting secretary. On July 23, Esper was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 90–8 and was sworn in later that day. On November 9, 2020, Esper was removed from his position, and replaced with Christopher C. Miller . Christopher C. Miller served as acting Secretary from November 9, 2020, to the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021. The nomination of an Attorney General-designate
3441-524: The rule of law ." Law professors Randy E. Barnett , Richard Epstein , and David G. Post , for example, suggest that Trump has little or no awareness of, or commitment to, the constitutional principles of separation of powers and federalism . Law professor Ilya Somin believes that Trump "poses a serious threat to the press and the First Amendment," citing Trump's proposal to expand defamation laws to make it easier to sue journalists and his remark that
3534-634: The transition period , most cabinet members were unable to take office on Inauguration Day because of delays in the formal confirmation process . By February 8, 2017, President Trump had fewer cabinet nominees confirmed than any prior president two weeks into his mandate, except George Washington . Part of the lateness was ascribed to opposition by Senate Democrats and part to delays in submitting background-check paperwork. The final initial Cabinet member to take office, Robert Lighthizer , took office as U.S. Trade Representative on May 11, 2017, more than four months after his nomination. Choosing members of
3627-537: The "smear" and "racist and inflammatory rhetoric" of the earlier ad. The ads attracted the attention of the New York Temporary State Commission on Lobbying because they failed to disclose Trump's sponsorship as required by state lobbying rules. Trump acknowledged that he sponsored the ads and reached a settlement with the state in which he and his associates agreed to issue a public apology and pay $ 250,000 (the largest civil penalty ever levied by
3720-494: The 45th president and 47th president-elect of the United States, have frequently changed. Trump has been primarily called a protectionist on trade. He has also been called and calls himself a populist , semi- isolationist , nationalist and other political categories. Trump registered as a Republican in Manhattan in 1987; since that time, he has changed his party affiliation five times. In 1999, he changed his party affiliation to
3813-804: The FBI's organized crime division, the Justice Department's criminal division , and the IRS's criminal investigation division did not support Trump's assertion. Representative George Miller , a Democrat who was the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee at the time, stated: "In my 19 years in Congress, I've never heard more irresponsible testimony." Trump bankrolled in 2000 a set of anti- Indian gaming ads in upstate New York that featured "a dark photograph showing hypodermic needles and drug paraphernalia,"
Cabinet of Donald Trump - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-572: The FDA. Colman McCarthy of The Washington Post wrote in 1993 that in testimony given that year to the House Natural Resources subcommittee on Native American Affairs , Trump "devoted much of his testimony to bad-mouthing Indians and their casinos," asserted that "organized crime is rampant on Indian reservations " and that "if it continues it will be the biggest scandal ever." Trump offered no evidence in support of his claim, and testimony from
3999-524: The First, Fourth, Fifth and Eighth amendments if it tried to implement his most controversial plans." Prior to his election as president, his views on social issues were often described as centrist or moderate. Political commentator Josh Barro termed Trump a "moderate Republican," saying that except on immigration, his views are "anything but ideologically rigid, and he certainly does not equate deal making with surrender." MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said Trump
4092-560: The Republican Party "into a more populist, nativist, avowedly protectionist, and semi-isolationist party that is skeptical of immigration, free trade, and military interventionism." The Washington Post editorial page editor Fred Hiatt and College of the Holy Cross political scientist Donald Brand describe Trump as a nativist . Rich Lowry , the editor of National Review , instead calls Trump an "immigration hawk" and supports Trump's effort to return immigration levels to what Trump calls
4185-410: The Republican Party nomination, unlike most previous presidential winners "Trump does not have the traditional cadre of Washington insiders and donors to build out his Cabinet." An additional factor that tends to make the field of potential nominees especially broad, is that unlike most presidential transition teams who select politicians as their appointees, the Trump transition team "has started with
4278-408: The Republican primary race, Trump on several occasions accused his Republican opponents of being bound to their campaign financiers, and asserted that anyone (including Trump himself) could buy their policies with donations. He called super PACs a "scam" and "a horrible thing". In October 2015, he said, "All Presidential candidates should immediately disavow their Super PACs. They're not only breaking
4371-728: The United States require the advice and consent of the United States Senate following appointment by the president before taking office. The vice presidency is exceptional in that the position requires election to office pursuant to the United States Constitution . Although some are afforded cabinet-level rank, non-cabinet members within the Executive Office of the President , such as White House Chief of Staff , National Security Advisor , and White House Press Secretary , do not hold constitutionally created positions and most do not require Senate confirmation for appointment. The following were
4464-457: The VA system. The Wall Street Journal noted that "such a plan is counter to recommendations from major veterans groups, the VA itself and from the Commission on Care, an independent body established by Congress that last week made recommendations for VA changes." Trump's plan calls "for legislation making it easier to fire underperforming employees, increasing mental-health resources and adding
4557-620: The White House announced its intent to nominate Shanahan to serve as Secretary of Defense on a permanent basis; by June, Shanahan withdrew, citing family issues. With Shanahan's withdrawal, President Trump named Mark Esper , the Secretary of the Army , as his replacement as acting secretary. Once Esper was officially nominated on July 15, he stepped down in accordance with the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 ; Richard V. Spencer ,
4650-444: The appointment of conservative judges consistent with conservative ( Republican Party ) policies. However, his anti-globalization policies of trade protectionism cross party lines. In foreign affairs he has described himself as a nationalist . Trump has said that he is "totally flexible on very, very many issues." Trump's signature issue is immigration , especially illegal immigration , and in particular building or expanding
4743-614: The basis for the United States presidential line of succession ). The nomination of a Secretary-designate is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Foreign Relations committee , then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Before Tillerson was sworn in, Tom Shannon served as the acting secretary from January 20 until February 1, 2017. President-elect Trump officially selected CEO of ExxonMobil Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State on December 12, 2016. Tillerson
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#17328955426374836-481: The cabinet-level positions. However, note that the number of Cabinet positions has varied from administration to administration: under Nixon there were twelve such roles in 1968, whereas under Trump in 2016 there are fifteen. After Election Day , media outlets reported on persons described by various sources as possible appointments to senior positions in the incoming Trump presidency. The number of people which have received media attention as potential cabinet appointees
4929-497: The cabinets of Donald Trump. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cabinet_of_Donald_Trump&oldid=1258537914 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Pages with short description Short description matches Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Disambiguation pages to be converted to broad concept articles First cabinet of Donald Trump Donald Trump assumed office as
5022-542: The campaign, Trump made a record number of false statements and lies compared to other candidates, a pattern that has continued – and further increased – in office. While Trump has repeatedly expressed support for "the idea of campaign finance reform ", he has not outlined specifics of his actual views on campaign-finance regulation. For example, Trump has not said whether he favors public financing of elections or caps on expenditures of campaigns, outside groups, and individuals. During
5115-484: The charity of Obama's choice in return for the publication of his college and passport applications before the end of the month. In a 2014 interview, Trump questioned whether Obama had produced his long-form birth certificate. When asked in December 2015 if he still questioned Obama's legitimacy, Trump said that "I don't talk about that anymore." On September 14, 2016, Trump declined to acknowledge whether he believed Obama
5208-797: The commission) for evading state disclosure rules. In 2015, Trump defended the controversial team name and mascot of the Washington Redskins , saying that the NFL team should not change its name and he did not find the term to be offensive. The "Change the Mascot" campaign, led by the Oneida Indian Nation and National Congress of American Indians , condemned Trump's stance. For several years, Trump promoted "birther" conspiracy theories about Barack Obama's citizenship. In March 2011, during an interview on Good Morning America , Trump said he
5301-719: The course of his 2016 campaign. In February 2017, Trump stated that he was a "total nationalist " in a "true sense". In October 2018, Trump again described himself as a nationalist. During the last week of his presidential term in January 2021, Trump reportedly considered founding a new political party called the Patriot Party. Trump's political positions are viewed by some as right-wing populist . Politicians and pundits alike have referred to Trump's populism, anti-free trade, and anti-immigrant stances as " Trumpism ". Liberal economist and columnist Paul Krugman disputes that Trump
5394-517: The dedicated funding which pays for the programs. Trump caused a stir in July 2015 when he charged that Senator John McCain had "done nothing to help the vets," a statement ruled false by PolitiFact and the Chicago Tribune . Trump added that McCain is "not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured." As a presidential candidate, Trump was critical of
5487-572: The economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans. Now, it shouldn't be that way. But if you go back, I mean it just seems that the economy does better under the Democrats...But certainly we had some very good economies under Democrats, as well as Republicans. But we've had some pretty bad disaster under the Republicans." In a July 2015 interview, Trump said that he has a broad range of political positions and that "I identify with some things as
5580-465: The end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021. The nomination of a Secretary-designate is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Armed Services committee , then presented to the full Senate for a vote. President-elect Trump informally announced the selection of General Jim Mattis as Secretary of Defense on December 1, 2016. (The Trump Transition Team formally announced
5673-550: The fact that he continued to question Obama's citizenship in the years that followed. The next day, Trump tweeted a story in The Washington Post with the headline "Donald Trump's birther event is the greatest trick he's ever pulled". The "greatest trick" of the headline referred to the fact that cable networks aired the event live, waiting for a "birther" statement, while Trump touted his new hotel and supporters gave testimonials. In October 2016, Trump appeared to question
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#17328955426375766-462: The federal departments they were selected to lead. In terms of total personal wealth, Trump's cabinet was the wealthiest in modern American history. The cabinet was largely made up of nominees who had business experience but minimal or no experience in the government when compared to the administrations of Ronald Reagan , George H. W. Bush , Bill Clinton , George W. Bush and Barack Obama . The Pew Research Center also noted that Trump's cabinet
5859-484: The federal government of officials appointed by Obama and will ask Congress to pass legislation making it easier to fire public workers. Trump's former Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon , stated in February 2017 that Trump's goal is to "deconstruct the administrative state". Trump has provided "little detail regarding his positions on disability-related policies," and his campaign website made no mention of disabled people . As of June 1, 2016, Trump had not responded to
5952-430: The final members of President Donald Trump's First cabinet on January 20, 2021. Source: For comparison, Due to Trump's lack of prior government or military experience, and his political positions , much interest was expressed in the media over his cabinet nominations, as they were believed to show how he intended to govern. Trump's proposed cabinet was characterized by the media as being very conservative . It
6045-622: The ideology of Trump in the 2016 election out of all presidential candidates since 1972 and all contemporary legislators. In 2015, Crowdpac gave Trump a ranking of 0.4 L out of 10, indicating moderate positions. In 2016, the ranking was changed to 5.1 C out of 10, shifting him more to the conservative spectrum. The organization and website On the Issues has classified Trump in a variety of ways over time: As president, Trump has pursued sizable income tax cuts, deregulation, increased military spending, rollbacks of federal health-care protections, and
6138-461: The issue questionnaire of the nonpartisan disability group RespectAbility . Trump is opposed to D.C. statehood . In 2020, Donald Trump indicated that if the statehood legislation for Washington, D.C. passes both houses of Congress, he would veto the admission legislation. Trump has stated his support for school choice and local control for primary and secondary schools. On school choice he's commented, "Our public schools are capable of providing
6231-552: The issue, because he was not satisfied that Obama had proved his citizenship. After Obama released his long-form birth certificate on April 27, 2011, Trump said: "I am really honored and I am really proud, that I was able to do something that nobody else could do." Trump continued to question Obama's birth certificate in the following years, as late as 2015. In May 2012, Trump suggested that Obama might have been born in Kenya. In October 2012, Trump offered to donate five million dollars to
6324-435: The legitimacy of Barack Obama's presidency, referring to him at a rally as the "quote 'president' ". During his campaign Trump repeatedly promised "I'm not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I'm not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid ." For the first three years of his presidency he said nothing about cutting Social Security or Medicare. In a January 2020 interview he said he planned to "take
6417-430: The nomination, the first time in U.S. history that occurred. During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump expressed opposition to the use of academic tenure and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in U.S. educational institutions. In 2015 Trump called eminent domain "wonderful". He repeatedly asked the government to invoke it on his behalf during past development projects. In September 2016, Trump posted
6510-524: The office. On April 26, Pompeo was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 57–42 and was sworn in later that day. He served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021. The nomination of a Secretary-designate is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Finance committee , then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Adam Szubin served as acting secretary from January 20 until February 13, 2017. President-elect Trump announced
6603-533: The owner of The Washington Post , Jeff Bezos , would "have problems" if Trump was elected president. Anthony D. Romero , the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union , wrote in an op-ed published in The Washington Post in July 2016 that "Trump's proposed policies, if carried out, would trigger a constitutional crisis. By our reckoning, a Trump administration would violate
6696-504: The presidential Cabinet (and other high-level positions) is a complicated process, and began before the November 2016 general election results were known. In the case of the Trump 2016 campaign , his former rival for the Republican nomination Chris Christie was appointed to lead the transition team in May 2016, shortly after Ted Cruz and John Kasich suspended their campaigns (thus making Trump
6789-408: The presumptive nominee of the party). In addition to various other responsibilities, the transition team is responsible for making preliminary lists of potential executive branch appointees—at least for the several dozen high-level positions if not for the several thousand lower-level positions—and doing some early vetting work on those people. The transition team also hires policy experts (more than
6882-423: The proposed cabinet "a conservative dream team of domestic Cabinet appointments." On the other hand, The Wall Street Journal stated that "it's nearly impossible to identify a clear ideological bent in the incoming president's" cabinet nominations. The Wall Street Journal also stated that Trump's nominations signaled a pro- deregulation administration policy. Several of his cabinet nominees politically opposed
6975-582: The selection of Senator Jeff Sessions from Alabama as Attorney General on November 18, 2016. Members of the Democratic party in the Senate had stated their intention to oppose Sessions; that said, successfully defeating the nomination of Sessions would have required peeling away the votes of at least two or three Republican members of the Senate body. Republican members of the Judiciary Committee spoke favorably towards Sessions, as Sessions had been
7068-545: The selection of investment banker Steve Mnuchin as Secretary of the Treasury on November 30, 2016. The New York Times noted that Mnuchin's selection was surprising, since Trump had attacked the banking industry and Goldman Sachs during the campaign. Mnuchin is the third Goldman alumnus to serve as treasury secretary. During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on January 19, 2017, Mnuchin
7161-516: The selection on December 6, 2016. ) As with most cabinet roles, the Secretary-designate of Defense undergoes hearings before the appropriate committee of the United States Senate , followed by a confirmation-vote . In the case of Mattis, there was an additional step needed as he had retired from the military three years ago, since statute section 903(a) of the NDAA demands a minimum of seven years as
7254-503: The spirit of the law but the law itself." Having previously touted the self-funding of his campaign as a sign of his independence from the political establishment and big donors, Trump reversed course and started to fundraise in early May 2016. While Trump systematically disavowed pro-Trump super PACs earlier in the race, he stopped doing so from early May 2016. According to Chris Christie (who served briefly as leader of Trump's White House transition team), Trump will seek to purge
7347-402: The system, and pledged that if elected, " Americanism , not globalism, will be our credo." He described himself as a "law and order" candidate and "the voice" of "the forgotten men and women". Trump's inaugural address on January 20, 2017, focused on his campaign theme of America in crisis and decline. He pledged to end what he referred to as "American carnage", depicting the United States in
7440-472: The transition team was quickly reshuffled and expanded; Mike Pence was given the lead role (over Chris Christie ), and several additional top-level transition personnel were added to the transition effort, most of them from the now-finished campaign effort. During the remainder of 2016, the team continued finding and vetting potential nominees for the various positions, as the Electoral College process
7533-446: The vote of Mnuchin and many other nominees in response to Trump's controversial immigration executive order . On February 1, 2017, Republicans suspended committee rules to send the nomination to the Senate floor on a vote of 11–0. Mnuchin was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 53–47 on February 13, 2017. The vote fell along party lines with exception of Senator Joe Manchin as the sole Democratic vote for Mnuchin. He served until
7626-594: The ways in which veterans are treated in the United States, saying "the vets are horribly treated in this country...they are living in hell." He favored eliminating backlogs and wait-lists that had caused a Veterans Health Administration scandal the previous year. He claimed that "over 300,000 veterans have died waiting for care." He said he believed Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities needed to be technologically upgraded, to hire more veterans to treat other veterans, to increase support of female veterans, and to create satellite clinics within hospitals in rural areas. He proposed
7719-465: Was born in the United States. On September 15, 2016, Trump for the first time acknowledged that Obama was born in the United States. He gave a terse statement, saying, "President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period." He falsely accused Hillary Clinton of having started the "Birther" movement. He also asserted that he "finished" the birther controversy, apparently referring to Obama's 2011 release of his long-form birth certificate, despite
7812-478: Was criticized by Democrats due to the foreclosure practices at his company OneWest. Mnuchin also failed to disclose, in required disclosure documents, $ 95 million of real estate he owned, and his role as director of Dune Capital International, an investment fund in a tax haven. Mnuchin described the omissions as mistakes made amid a mountain of bureaucracy. Democrats of the Finance Committee boycotted
7905-545: Was described as a "conservative dream team" by Politico , "the most conservative cabinet [in United States history]" by Newsweek , and "one of the most consistently conservative domestic policy teams in modern history" by the Los Angeles Times . The Hill described Trump's potential cabinet as "an unorthodox team" popular with conservatives, that more establishment Republicans such as John McCain or Mitt Romney likely would not have chosen. CNN agreed, calling
7998-604: Was fired by Trump for ordering the Justice Department to not defend Trump's Executive Order 13769 which restricted entry to the United States. Yates claimed that, "At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities [of the Department of Justice], nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful". Boente served until the confirmation of Jeff Sessions on February 9, 2017. President-elect Trump officially announced
8091-493: Was first recommended to Trump for the secretary of state role by Condoleezza Rice , during her meeting with Trump in late November. Rice's recommendation of Tillerson to Trump was backed up by Robert Gates three days later. Tillerson's confirmation hearing with the Foreign Relations committee was held on January 11, 2017. During the hearing, Tillerson voiced support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and opposed
8184-450: Was highly controversial; The Washington Post education writer Valerie Strauss wrote that "DeVos was considered the most controversial education nominee in the history of the nearly 40-year-old Education Department." On the confirmation vote the Senate split 50/50 (along party lines, with two Republican senators joining all Democratic senators to vote against confirmation). Vice President Mike Pence used his tie-breaking vote to confirm
8277-700: Was one of the most business-heavy in American history: "A third of the department heads in the Trump administration (33%) were people whose prior experience had been entirely in the public sector. Only three other U.S. Presidents are in the same range: William McKinley (three out of eight Cabinet positions, or 37.5%), Ronald Reagan (four out of 13 positions, or 31%), and Dwight Eisenhower (three out of 10 positions, or 30%)." There were no economists in President Trump's cabinet. There were also significantly fewer lawyers in Trump's cabinet compared to previous presidents' cabinets. Despite being nominated promptly during
8370-426: Was ongoing (including recounts in some states where the winning margin was relatively tiny) and before the presidential inauguration on January 20, 2017. President-elect Trump announced his first post-election Cabinet nominee, Jeff Sessions for the role of United States Attorney General , on November 18, 2016. (Trump had earlier announced Mike Pence as his pick for vice-presidential running mate in July 2016, which
8463-565: Was part of the transition of power following the 2016 presidential election . This article documents the nomination and confirmation process for any successful or unsuccessful Cabinet nominees of the First Trump administration . They are listed in order of creation of the Cabinet position (also used as the basis for the United States presidential line of succession ). All members of the Cabinet of
8556-698: Was seriously considering running for president, that he was a "little" skeptical of Obama's citizenship and that someone who shares this view should not be so quickly dismissed as an "idiot". Trump added: "Growing up no one knew him" —a claim ranked "Pants on Fire" by Politifact . Later, Trump appeared on The View repeating several times that "I want him (Obama) to show his birth certificate" and speculating that "there's something on that birth certificate that he doesn't like." Although officials in Hawaii certified Obama's citizenship, Trump said in April 2011 he would not let go of
8649-563: Was shortly thereafter confirmed by the delegates to the Republican National Convention when they officially nominated first Trump and then Pence.) Although most positions were simultaneously under consideration by the transition team, the official announcement of offers, and the public acceptance of the offers, usually happens gradually as slots are filled ( Richard Nixon being the exception). For purposes of historical comparison, this chart includes only Cabinet roles, and not
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