Many people, including myself, are skeptical of Donald Trump’s coming takeover of the executive branch of the United States. But is there really a cause for concern? To gauge this question better, let’s look at one of the main points of power where Trump can exude influence: his cabinet. While there are some solid choices by Trump for various positions, like Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, there are undoubtedly more questionable nominations which can’t help but indicate an administration of radicalism, corruption and conspiracy.
Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth as the Secretary of Defense; Hegseth served in the US Army (2003-2014), and then after his service went to FOX news as a media pundit. In recent years, especially during 2020, the TV personality made a name for himself as a right-wing Christian conservative who celebrated every move by Donald Trump. He even wrote a book in 2020 entitled “American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free,” in which he bashes the boogeyman of woke Marxists dictating the government. The potential Secretary of Defense also has frightening rhetoric in his book; when discussing the possibility of Democrats winning the 2020 presidential election, Hegseth said, “there will be some form of civil war.” In addition, he also said that the “irreconcilable differences between the Left and the Right in America led to perpetual conflict that cannot be resolved through the political process.” Republican, Democrat or other, there is no question that Hegseth has an unhealthy fixation and distrust in what he perceives as a radical Left—an unhealthy candidate for the nation during a period of strong polarization. Many congressional members have questioned this choice given that Hegseth seemingly is unqualified for Secretary of Defense and this can possibly be Trump testing whether he is able to get his buddies into government.
In addition to Hegseth, another candidate that Trump has nominated is Dr. Mehmet Oz for the Head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The CMMS is one of the largest governmental administrations, handling over $1T and controlling Medicare and Medicaid benefits, negotiating drug prices with drug companies and organizing children’s healthcare insurance. Some politicians are skeptical of Oz’s nomination given his history. Oz is a failed 2022 Senate candidate, a TV personality—like Hegseth, a common trend—a common trend and has been perceived as corrupt. The TV doctor has money invested in many Big Pharma companies’ stocks—according to his 2022 Senate financial disclosures—such as Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, CVS and others. This seems to be a conflict of interest that the man who is going to be negotiating drug prices has money in the companies he’s negotiating with. In addition, his slick personality is on full display during his TV show, “The Dr. Oz Show,” in which he promotes weight loss scams and unapproved nutritional supplements. Mehmet Oz is what I can only describe as a modern-day snake oil salesman.
Finally, Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Head of Health and Human Services, an agency which is meant to protect the health of all Americans. However, like the other two candidates, there are concerns for RFK taking control of the HHS. Kennedy is an eccentric character who has promoted harmful conspiracies which are blatantly false. In a 2023 FOX news interview, RFK said that “autism comes from vaccines.” In addition, he has spread on the social media platform “X” that fluoride, a natural mineral which prevents tooth decay, in America’s drinking water is causing “bone cancer and IQ loss.” And the American public is supposed to put their faith in a guy who believes vaccines are harmful; RFK is a conspiracy theorist and a peculiar character.
