A rundown on Trump’s cabinet

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Trump meets with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Vice President Mike Pence after his election.

Trump’s inauguration was on Jan. 20, and with that came not only his entrance into the presidency, but also the entrance of his cabinet into the White House. Throughout the last few weeks, Trump has been choosing people for select positions in the cabinet ranging from head of the Environmental Protection Agency to Secretary of State. For those who haven’t been keeping up to date on his choices, here’s a rundown of his major picks:

Jeff Sessions (R)

Attorney General

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Jeff Sessions is taking seat as Attorney General, meaning he’s in charge of legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer. He’s senator from Alabama and is known for his support for strict immigration laws and for being tough on crime. Many people are concerned over this nomination over racism allegations dating back to the 80s, however, these allegations were never proven.

Rex Tillerson (R)

Secretary of State

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As the CEO of Exxon, many view him as simply a business executive. Our president elect, however, referred to him as more than that.

“He’s a world-class player,” said Trump in an interview with Fox News. 

This makes sense, as Tillerson is an aggressive dealmaker.

As Secretary of State, Tillerson will be in charge of foreign policy and will likely use his deal making skills when dealing with other countries.

James Mattis (R)

Defense Secretary

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As Defense Secretary, Mattis will be in charge of the Department of Defense and be the second man in power of the military behind the president himself.

Unlike other members of Trump’s cabinet, Mattis hasn’t faced much opposition. He stated that he agrees with the Iranian Nuclear deal, he would show more support for NATO, and would strike a tougher stance on Russia. These deviate from Trump’s stances on these issues, which are just the opposite.

Scott Pruitt (R)

EPA Administrator

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Pruitt, as the head of Environmental Protective Agency (EPA) will be in charge of federal environmental decisions. He has close ties to the fossil fuel industry and has actually taken on the EPA directly in the past as a lawyer. This would seem like a counterintuitive pick for an EPA administrator, however, Trump said himself that he would dismantle the EPA. He even said climate change is a “hoax”.  

Many question what the role of the EPA will be in the future, but Trump has said that his number one priority is clean air and clean water.

Betsy DeVos (R)

Education Secretary

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DeVos will be in charge of the public school system as education secretary.

She has been criticized by countless Democrats for her “inexperience” with the public school system and overall “incompetence”. This is arguable, however, she does have a long history with fighting for the privatization of public schools. Many conservatives applaud her for this and are excited for het to put a greater emphasis on private and charter schools around our country.

Reince Priebus (R)

Chief of Staff

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Priebus, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, will soon take on the role of being Trump’s assistant as the Chief of Staff.

A good deal-maker, and close with many politicians, he is applauded by many including the New York Times for bringing “stability” to Trump’s cabinet. He will likely serve as an important grounding force for Trump’s administration in the future.

Stephen Bannon (R)

Chief Strategist

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Former head of Breitbart, an alt-right news source, will soon be Trump’s right hand man as chief strategist. Many on the left criticize him for being racist and radical while Trump disagrees.

“If I thought he was a racist or alt-right or any of the things, the terms we could use, I wouldn’t even think about hiring him,” said Trump in a meeting in November with the New York Times staff.

Many are looking forward to having a strategist who is on the same page as Trump.

Rick Perry (R)

Energy Secretary

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Rick Perry, former governor of Texas, was chosen by Trump as Energy Secretary in December making him in charge of the nation’s arsenal of nuclear weapons.

He is known for having said that the energy department should be abolished in 2011 and while he recently said he regrets saying that, it still brings up questions about his legitimacy. Trump is optimistic about his choice, though, noting that Perry would bring the same successful business climate that he brought to Texas to the Energy Department.

Ben Carson (R)

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

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As the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Carson would oversee housing and development laws.

“He has stressed individual effort, not government programs, as the key to overcoming poverty,” said the New York Times in an article on Trump’s cabinet.

Carson, however, did admit that government safety net programs are important.

“I would never abolish safety net programs without having an alternative for people to follow,” said Carson in his hearing.

Trump’s cabinet has been considered a mixed bag. There’s Perry and Devos who many find unqualified. On the other hand sit Priebus and Mattis who are both extremely experienced. Regardless, the only way one can truly judge is to wait and see how they do.

This list was of the well known cabinet positions. A full list of Trump’s picks for the lesser known positions can be found here.