After months of rallies, debates and seemingly endless political ads, the election is over. Donald Trump has won, and he is now in the process of choosing his cabinet officials, the people who will advise him during his presidency.

One of the most inflammatory nominees was Matt Gatez, who was originally chosen to be the attorney general. Previously serving in the House of Representatives as a representative from Florida, Gaetz has been embroiled in legal scandals for years. With a history of investigations from the Department of Justice and the House Ethics Committee due to accusations including inappropriate relations with a minor and drug use, many were concerned by his nomination. Gaetz chose to withdraw from the nomination on Nov. 21. Trump’s new pick for attorney general is Pam Bondi, who was Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019. 

Gaetz wasn’t the only nominee involved in scandals. Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, was chosen to be the Secretary of Defense. Hegseth is a veteran, having previously served in the Army National Guard. He has made comments questioning whether transgender people and women should be allowed to serve in combat roles. Critics fear that Hegseth lacks the level of experience required to effectively carry out the duties of the Secretary of Defense. These fears are similar to worries over Kristi Noem, the former South Dakota governor who has been chosen to be the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Another frequent target of criticism is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK). RFK was previously a Democrat, though he campaigned for president in 2024 as an independent before endorsing Trump. He is known for his anti-vaccine rhetoric. It is for this reason that critics are alarmed at his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services, though it should be noted that since Trump’s victory he has backtracked on his anti-vaccine stance.

The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) oversees all of the United State’s intelligence organizations and advises the President on national security. Tulsi Gabbard, who previously served in the House of Representatives as a representative from Hawaii, was selected for this position. Gabbard has a history of spreading misinformation similar to ideas spouted from Russia’s state media. One example is her claim that the US is funding labs in countries such as Ukraine to develop biological weapons, something that has been proven to be false. In 2020, she promoted bills that would have offered protections to those who leak classified information. Many claim that for those reasons, she should not be eligible to serve as DNI. 

Trump has also created the new Department of Government Efficiency, which will be led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. In a Wall Street Journal article, these two laid out their plans for this new department. They will oversee a panel with a goal to cut down on the number of government jobs, claiming that rules should come from lawmakers instead of unelected bureaucrats. Many were shocked by this new department’s creation, including Musk himself. Some have raised ethical concerns that Musk and Ramaswamy could have financial interests in this department, and therefore shouldn’t lead it due to having a conflict of interest.