President-elect Donald Trump has quickly given names to some of the prominent figures he wants to serve on his cabinet during his second term.
According to the White House The Cabinet’s role is to advise the president on any subject that they may need or require relating to the duties of each member’s respective office.
Trump’s nominees are facing national scrutiny because “cabinet members run major federal agencies, oversee billions of dollars in funding, and advise the president on major issues,” says USA Today. Cabinet members hold a lot of power which is why they need senate approval before entering their nominated positions.
Two candidates who withdrew from consideration include Matt Gaetz and Chad Chronister. Geatz was appointed Attorney General and Chronister for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Geatz withdrew several hours after getting nominated and his replacement was announced hours later. Chronister withdrew because, “There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling” he told social media.
Gaetz reached a lot of controversy because he was once under investigation by the Justice department for sex trafficking and sexual misconduct involving underage girls. Gaetz has denied the charges and ultimately said that there are no federal charges against him.
Another controversial nominee is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who is up for Secretary of Health and Human services. RFK Jr. was a third-party presidential candidate who dropped out of the race to support Trump. Although up for Secretary of Health and Human services RFK Jr. has no medical degree, concerning many Americans.
“The HHS Secretary has legal authority to take action to prepare for and respond to public health and medical emergencies under several statutes, primarily including the Public Health Service (PHS) Act; Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act; and the Social Security Act,” says ASPR.
RFK Jr. says he is not anti-vaccine and claims that he has never told the public to avoid vaccination. Yet he has repeatedly made his criticism of vaccines clear. He said on a podcast, “there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective,” and has urged people to resist CDC guidelines on when kids should get vaccinated.
Pete Hegseth who is currently the candidate for the Secretary of Defense has also reached some controversy, “The nomination of Peter Hegseth as Secretary of Defense represents a clear and present danger to America’s national security,” says The Hill.
Hegseth has heavy allegations of heavy drinking and sexual assault and has senators in both parties concerned about comments Hegseth made on how women should not serve on frontline military combat jobs. Although Hegseth has made comments on how he would drink on the job and how he has never engaged in sexual misconduct he made comments on how women should not serve in combat jobs as of last month.
Some other important positions and their nominees up for senate approval include Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, Pam Bondi for Attorney General as a replacement for Geatz, Kristi Noem for Secretary of Homeland Security, and many more other candidates and positions.