In the weeks since the 2024 presidential election, no other topic has dominated headlines and dinner table conversation as much as President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks.
The roster includes seasoned politicians and industry leaders alongside unconventional picks with little governance experience. Notable names include Sen. Marco Rubio, while more controversial choices range from a wrestling executive for secretary of education to a vaccine skeptic for secretary of health and human services. Most contentious of all was the appointment for the role of attorney general of a former US representative who is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice for alleged sexual misconduct.
Then-US Rep. Matt Gaetz speaking at the 2023 AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, Dec. 17, 2023. (Gage Skidmore/Creative Commons)
Over the weekend, that nominee, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration in the face of mounting evidence against him, sparking a fresh media firestorm.
With the announcement of each new name and position, pundits flocked to television studios and spokespeople took to social media. Citizens debated, cheered, or shook their heads in dismay. Elected officials rushed to air their opinions, declaring Trump’s nominees irresponsible or inspired.
“Cabinet secretaries always seem to get selected from the revolving door of people that are connected to Washington,” Scott Perry, a Republican representative from Pennsylvania, told The Media Line. “They sometimes come from the arena that they’re regulating or go into that industry after serving. That kind of process often promotes the ‘swamp,’ and the American people lose. I welcome some different viewpoints and the outsider look of President Trump’s cabinet nominees who will fight to implement the America First agenda.”
Rep. Scott Perry. (House Creative Services)
Pennsylvania was key to the Republican victory in the election, with Trump beating Vice President Kamala Harris with 50% of the vote to her 48.4%. In the lead-up to Election Day, the state became a battleground for volunteers from both parties, underscoring its reputation as a microcosm of the nation and a focal point for contrasting visions of the Trump presidency.
As of press time, Trump’s cabinet and administration picks include Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, former Gov. Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel, John Ratcliffe as CIA director, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health and human services, Rep. Elise Stefanik as UN ambassador, Tom Homan as border czar, Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense, Chris Wright as secretary of energy, Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security, former Rep. Lee Zeldin as Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Linda McMahon as secretary of education, and Dan Scavino as deputy chief of staff.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have been appointed to a newly created and vaguely defined entity called the Department of Government Efficiency. Following Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal, Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and lobbyist for Qatar in Washington, has been announced as the new pick for attorney general.
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Then-Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Jan. 4, 2011. (State of Florida)
Rep. Perry’s all-in attitude toward Trump’s secretary wish-list stands in contrast to Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman’s more qualified approach. Fetterman has pledged to support Rubio and Stefanik but criticized other nominees, including Gaetz, whom he called an “absolute troll.” He cited Stefanik’s “strong and unapologetic pro-Israel position” as the reason for his backing her as UN ambassador.
Official portrait of US Senator John Fetterman. (US Senate)
Fetterman also indicated he might support the controversial nomination of television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz, who ran against Fetterman in the 2022 Senate midterms, could gain his backing depending on his policy goals. “If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude,” Fetterman posted on X.
In general, his advice to his fellow Democrats is that they should not “freak out” over Trump’s rhetoric and actions.
But freaking out might be the only rational response to some of Trump’s reckless and unqualified selections, Dr. David A. Oxman, an intensive care physician in Philadelphia, said. He termed the prospect of RFK Jr. heading up Health and Human Services an “unmitigated disaster.”
Dr. David A. Oxman. (Courtesy)
“He has promoted the most baseless of conspiracy theories, not just limited to the efficacy and safety of vaccines, but he has also denied that HIV causes AIDS,” Oxman told The Media Line. Among RFK Jr.’s untruths are claims that fluoride lowers children’s IQ, he added.
“Like every conspiracy theorist who knows what they are doing, he also says some sensible things. Who can argue that there are too many chemicals in food? I would liken his method to a Holocaust denier. You say a reasonable thing, another reasonable thing, a crazy thing, and then a reasonable thing. They know that when you say some reasonable things, it makes the conspiracy theories go down easier,” he said.
Oxman noted that medical professionals across the political spectrum are deeply concerned about the potential return of childhood illnesses eradicated by vaccines. “On the issue of vaccine skepticism, this is where the wacky left meets the wacky right,” he said. He warned that RFK Jr. could “unleash fusillades of misinformation to undermine health care administration and science.”
Regarding US health infrastructure, Oxman explained that RFK Jr. would not have the authority to “fire heads of hospitals” but could redirect grant funding. “The National Institutes of Health is overseen by HHS,” he said. “He could create a personal blacklist of scientific and medical leaders, revoke grants, and alter public messaging through the CDC. You cannot have a person who literally does not believe in science running American science.”
While many Pennsylvania leaders have voiced opinions about the incoming administration, Gov. Josh Shapiro has remained reserved. He has addressed Trump’s promised mass deportations, stating he would respond once more details emerge. “Let’s wait and see,” he said earlier this week.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
Shapiro’s interest in Trump’s immigration policies stems from Pennsylvania’s status as home to a major immigrant detention center housing 1,400 detainees, along with legal orientation services for those in custody.
Andrew Baranoski, head of the Pennsylvania Immigrant Resource Center (PIRC)—a bipartisan, federally funded program providing legal services to immigrants and their families—commented on the choice of Tom Homan as border czar. “PIRC’s main concern regarding political appointments is that governance remains consistent with established human rights policies and due process. Cruelty should never be a tool of enforcement—for example, family separation policies. All migrants and immigrants must be treated humanely while navigating the US immigration arena,” Baranoski said.
“Like many other states, immigrants have played vital roles in developing the social, economic, and political arenas across Pennsylvania,” Baranoski said. “Immigrants have played critical roles in Pennsylvania’s coal industry and agricultural industries for decades. Without immigrant labor both the coal industry and agricultural industry would not have thrived across the state. Today, immigrants still make major contributions to the state’s economy and have reversed population decline in parts of the commonwealth.”
Baranoski also highlighted Pennsylvania’s long history of detaining immigrants. “While other states have moved away from immigration detention, Pennsylvania has continued to support the practice,” he said.
To prepare for the incoming administration, PIRC is “in conversations with its partners to determine how the organization can use its immigration legal expertise to educate and advocate for justice for migrants, ensuring fair and lawful processes,” Baranoski said. He added that PIRC expects heightened enforcement and detention under Trump’s leadership.
At a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, former President Donald Trump pledged to launch “the largest deportation program in American history” on his first day in office. “I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered,” Trump declared, referencing the estimated 11.7 million undocumented immigrants living in the US. He has also hinted at the possible use of the National Guard to conduct raids.
Baranoski emphasized that fairness and justice should “transcend all political parties or beliefs.” Gov. Shapiro echoed this sentiment in a statement released two weeks ago. “I will never back down from standing up for the freedoms I was elected to protect,” Shapiro said. “I will continue to defend our democracy, defend our fundamental rights, and ensure we continue the legacy of William Penn by building a commonwealth that is warm and welcoming for all.”