News Not Noise Letter Extra: Trump Staffs Up
A rundown of people and policies Trump has announced for his administration
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It usually takes months for a new president to name his team. But Trump is at Mar-a-Lago, with Elon Musk by his side, quickly selecting the allies who will fill his administration. Unsurprisingly, those who stayed fiercely loyal over the last four years have been among the first to receive coveted positions. All reflect Trump’s views and an intention to dramatically reshape the agencies or policies they’ll oversee.
Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy, DOGE: The two businessmen will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” which Trump said would be “the Manhattan Project” of our time, providing “advice and guidance from outside government.” Ramaswamy, who ran in the 2024 presidential primary, wants to eliminate entire federal departments — including the FBI, Department of Education, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He called for eliminating one million federal government jobs. Musk has suggested he could cut “at least $2 trillion” from the nation’s budget, a figure the former dean of Columbia University’s Business School said was “mathematically impossible” to achieve. Critics worry that Musk will use his position to slash regulations governing his businesses, which he has repeatedly complained about. He’s also promised to post all actions of this new commission online “for maximum transparency.” The commission’s acronym, “DOGE,” is also the name of a cryptocurrency associated with Musk, the value of which jumped 20% after Trump announced the commission, and has surged by more than 150% since the election.
Pete Hegseth, Department of Defense: The Fox and Friends co-host and anti-DEI warrior is a surprise pick to many. CNN quotes an unnamed defense official saying, “Everyone is simply shocked.” Republican Senator Bill Cassidy told the Hill, “I don’t know anything about him.” Hegseth is an Army veteran who won two bronze stars serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He hyped the “stop the steal” message in his role on Fox and has argued that “elites” undermined the strength of the US military, which requires overhaul to become “honorable, powerful and deadly.” He also opposes women serving in combat roles. During Trump’s first term, Hegseth helped convince the president to pardon four service members convicted of war crimes. At 44 years old, Hegseth has never served as a government official. If confirmed, he will be in charge of the DOD’s 3.1 million employees, the nation’s war-fighting policy, and an $850 annual budget — the biggest in government. On-air Fox News host Laura Ingrahm called the choice “very cool.”
Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff: One of Trump’s first decisions was to name his 2024 campaign co-chair as White House chief of staff. She’ll become the first woman to fill this prestigious position. Wiles was co-chair of the lobbying firm Mercury and represented clients in tobacco, junk food, insurance and coal industries. A Florida politics powerhouse, she’s credited with getting GOP Sen. Rick Scott and Gov. Ron DeSantis elected, and is close with Sen. Marco Rubio. She has been hailed by Republicans, Democrats, and major news sources as the mastermind behind Trump’s victory last week. Sen Marco Rubio described her as a “strong, intelligent woman;” Sen Rick Scott said she’s a “true leader. Trump simply calls her "ice maiden.” Reportedly as a condition of taking the role she demanded control over who has access to Trump and the Oval Office. This role does not require Senate confirmation.
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State: “Little Marco,” as Trump called the