President-elect Donald Trump has just been sworn into office and all eyes are on his cabinet selections — a team that will play a critical role in determining how the next four years unfold for the nation and beyond.
With nominees ranging from government officials to controversial outsiders, Trump has laid the groundwork for his 2024 administration with what is shaping up to be one of the most unconventional cabinets in modern history.
The Constitution states that the role of the Cabinet is to “advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member’s respective office.”
The 2024 elections saw both the Senate and the House achieve a Republican majority, and with a Republican president-elect, the Grand Old Party (GOP) will once again have complete control over the government.
Politics have become more and more polarizing in recent years. Parties have been more focused on slander than policy. It is no longer just about legislation, but about rights. People’s lives and liberties are being threatened and outright attacked.
Congress is the only part of the government able to make and pass new laws or change existing laws. By having full power over Congress and a slew of Cabinet members with either little experience or his unconditional support, Trump’s checks and balances for his power are greatly reduced.
“I feel nervous about the kind of policies we might see implemented under a Republican-controlled government, since historically conservative policies have worked against things I value, like abortion rights, equity for all people, promotion of public education and natural conservation,” said Sophie Lafrenz, a junior and a member of the Model United Nations (MUN) club at Ida B. Wells.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been nominated for Secretary of State, a position responsible for “carrying out the president’s foreign policy decisions and advising the president on issues of international concern.” He has previously outlined an aggressive foreign policy approach toward countries like China, Iran and Venezuela. He has now been approved by the Senate.
One nomination awaiting approval is Pam Bondi for Attorney General. The Attorney General is responsible for enforcing federal and state laws, representing the United States in legal matters and supervising the Department of Justice.
Bondi served as the Florida Attorney General from 2011-2019 and was one of Trump’s defense lawyers during his 2020 impeachment. She has been known as a “Trump loyalist” since his first presidency.
The previous nomination for Attorney General went to Matt Gaetz, one of Florida’s U.S. Representatives from 2017-2024. Gaetz has been investigated by the Department of Justice for child sexual abuse, sex trafficking and illegal drug use. He resigned from Congress the same day of his nomination.
At least 26 women have publicly accused Donald Trump, the president-elect, of sexual assault.
“Having a man who has sexually assaulted women as the president and who has talked about women in such an objective manner makes me worry for my own safety and well being,” said Dalya Lyons, another junior and member of MUN at IBW. “I fear there will likely be a regression of progress for the rights of women and so many other things.”
Three of Trump’s other nominations have also been linked to sexual misconduct allegations: the Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, the Department of Health and Human Services lead nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Department of Education lead nominee Linda McMahon.
“Linda McMahon has no discernible experience in education. That could end up being a good thing as she may not know what to change to achieve Trump’s policy goals,” said Tim Loveless, a social studies teacher at IBW. “Trump has not stated any broad policy goals other than eliminating the Department of Education (DOE). The DOE does have significant influence over national education laws, like the Americans with Disabilities Act which guarantees equal education regardless of disability status. Lower enforcement of that could affect Special Education offerings, accommodations and worse outcomes for served students.”
While some of Trump’s picks still need to be approved by the Senate, some don’t require confirmation and have already joined the Cabinet.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, and Vivek Ramaswamy, founder of pharmaceutical company Roivant Sciences, have been named heads of the new Department of Government Efficiency. Its purpose is relatively unclear but seems to focus on major funding cuts, leading to concerns about funding for the Department of Education (DOE). Musk has no prior government experience.
Many have been concerned about the possible influence of a Republican-majority government on funding or curriculum changes, including Loveless. He said, “Funding is a serious concern. Education is already in a funding crisis. Plenty of funding comes from the national government through grants to the states. Since Nixon, Republican presidents have been hostile to the grant system and continually tried to cut funding. McMahon, Musk and Ramaswamy could be effective in reducing national funding.”
Jeannie Redrejo, the French teacher at IBW, echoed his concerns. “I think the incoming administration has a strong desire to implement school choice across the country, and I think that would negatively impact school funding as people might be inclined to remove their children from public schools.”
While Trump has insisted he has no involvement with “Project 2025,” a conservative “presidential transition project” with policies including abolishing the DOE, rejecting abortion as health care and reducing climate change regulations, his proposals and actions often align with the project.
“I don’t think this administration will prioritize any policies that I agree with. They are a very radicalized right-wing administration that only seems to care about taking away rights from the federal government and giving it to the state governments,” said IBW junior Sean Elliott.
“I do think that younger people will raise their voices against Trump’s reckless political rhetoric as it gets clearer what he’s actually going to enact. People will have a stronger response to a larger extreme and I do think we will see that in the coming years,” Elliott added.
Trump’s victory in the 2024 election led many to feelings of resignation. Lyons noted, “I think a lot of people are feeling helpless at this point and feeling like they can’t do anything to change the situation and aren’t being very politically active. I hope that people don’t lose their voice and realize that they can actually make change if they continue fighting.”
