Behind the Curtain: Trump's liberal cabinet
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Trump supporters congregate Thursday near Mar-a-Lago, where he's living while he picks his administration. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Nothing captures the dramatic ideological transformation of the Republican Party more vividly than President-elect Trump's proposed cabinet.
- A pro-abortion-rights Kennedy running HHS (RFK Jr.).
- A pro-union centrist running Labor (U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon).
- A former elected Democrat as director of national intelligence (Tulsi Gabbard).
- A former George Soros adviser, who now promises Trumponomics will turn around the economy, running the Treasury (Scott Bessent).
Why it matters: Lost in the noise of Trump's most controversial picks is the simple, undebatable fact that this might be the most ideologically diverse cabinet of modern times.
- As Axios' Zachary Basu told you, Trump's Cabinet increasingly resembles a European-style coalition government, staffed with a dizzying array of ideological rivals united — for now — by a grand MAGA vision.
Between the lines: It's Trump's team of (ideological) rivals.
- The team represents the Trump worldview: Traditional conservatism is dead — and its biggest, lifelong advocates neutered to the point of irrelevance.
A Trump transition source told us most of the picks are "a version of Trump in their thinking and approach":
- "They're fearless disrupters who can walk into these buildings, and know they have a mandate for reform and change."
What we're hearing: Trump's earlier hostile takeover of the Republican establishment is now morphing into a fast-forward "hostile takeover" of the federal bureaucracy.
- Trump insiders tell us they're confident RFK will get confirmed — possibly with the help of at least one Democratic senator.
The big picture: In just under a decade, Trump, once a donor to Democrats, has transformed the GOP of George W. Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney into a populist party with radically different views on trade, immigration and spending.
- In policy, tone and personnel, this is the MAGA Party — not a GOP that any of the party's past legends would recognize.
- "The GOP establishment is now Trump's team of populists," a behind-the-scenes Republican power broker told us. "The old Bush establishment are the outsiders."
Zoom in: This phenomenon was apparent in last night's fusillade of transition announcements, when Trump announced nine major picks in 66 minutes, starting at 6:55 p.m. ET. They included:
- For Treasury, Scott Bessent will bring deep knowledge of bond and currency markets and a close relationship with Trump — as well as a surprising connection to hedge fund manager George Soros, megadonor to liberal causes and bogeyman to the political right. Go deeper with Axios' Neil Irwin & Courtenay Brown
- For Labor, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), who lost her reelection bid this month, has a pro-labor record that unions like. She backed the PRO Act, a President Biden priority that would make it easier to unionize on a federal level. Go deeper.
- For FDA, Dr. Marty Makary, a surgeon and author who gained prominence on Fox News for his contrarian COVID views. Go deeper.
- For HUD, Scott Turner, a Texan who is the highest-ranking Black person Trump has yet selected for his administration. Turner — a motivational speaker and former NFL cornerback for Washington, San Diego and Denver — ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump's first term. Go deeper.
Go deeper: Axios Cabinet tracker.
