Trump's Cabinet of main characters
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Photo Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photos: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Michael M. Santiago, and Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
Several members of President Trump's national security team have taken on unusually large public profiles — with frequent on-camera appearances, dramatic pronouncements and even eyebrow-raising wardrobe choices.
Why it matters: It's no secret that Trump prefers his appointees to appear straight out of "central casting." But in national security roles, showmanship can quickly become a liability.
- FBI director Kash Patel, for example, has seized the spotlight far more than his predecessors — often for all the wrong reasons.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to be merging his old job as a media personality with his new one running America's military.
- And Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has cast herself as the star of a well-funded media campaign — often pictured in tactical gear despite her bureaucratic role.
What they're saying: Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson told Axios it's no accident that Hegseth has become "the most public-facing" secretary ever.
- "Since taking office, he has communicated directly with the American people rather than through the distorted lens of a media hell-bent on his destruction," she said. "Compared to the previous administration, our social media presence is direct, engaging and unmatched."
- A spokesperson for DHS said Noem "wears her agency's uniforms to honor the men and women she leads, who wear them daily in the line of duty."
- The FBI didn't respond to a request for comment.
Driving the news: In two of the most high-profile incidents to cross his desk as director — the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the shooting at Brown University — Patel took to social media to trumpet an arrest, only for it to emerge that the perpetrator remained at large.
- Given the scrutiny over his handling of the Brown case, it was particularly bad timing when a soft-focus podcast interview (taped before the shooting) was released in which Patel and his country singer girlfriend discussed their long-distance relationship.
- Patel's unusually large media presence and his rush to seize the spotlight have rankled some in the bureau's rank and file.
- One recently retired agent told Axios that Patel's tendency to appear before the cameras in FBI windbreakers had prompted internal eye rolls: "You're the director of the FBI. Wear a f***ing suit," they said.
- Patel has faced a string of unflattering headlines in recent days, including news that the FBI hired his personal publicist and ordered a new fleet of armored BMWs to transport him.
Behind the scenes: A source familiar with the planning for one recent FBI operation said it included an unusual topic: what to do if the boss shows up.
- Patel's office always sought advance notice for any newsworthy arrests, and agents wondered if he might appear at the scene.
- They were advised to keep their heads down and not engage, according to the source. In the end, he didn't turn up.
Hegseth also appears on camera regularly — perhaps unsurprisingly given his background as a TV host. Both "Saturday Night Live" and "South Park" have lampooned him.
- From his sartorial selections — patriotic pocket squares, military-themed socks — to his zingers on physical conditioning ("fit not fat") and "woke" ideology, Hegseth leans into the performative aspects of his job.
- "I know something about filling cable news segments," he said earlier this month at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California. "You've got to do it."
The Pentagon pumps out a steady supply of videos featuring Hegseth, while cutting back on press briefings. One video shared earlier this year showed the secretary, sleeves rolled up, turning the screw on new "DEPARTMENT OF WAR" signage.
- The climax — at least thus far — was Hegseth's culture war speech to America's top generals and admirals, flown from across the world to Quantico, Virginia, in September.
Meanwhile, Noem has literally made herself the face of Trump's immigration policy — starring in a $200 million ad campaign on social media and the airwaves.
- The high-visibility media blitz has fueled a nearly year-long rumor mill that Noem is interested in using Trump's immigration agenda to promote herself for a future political campaign.
- One of the ad makers, Strategy Group, previously worked on Noem's gubernatorial campaigns.
- Noem also earned the tabloid nickname "ICE Barbie" for her frequent ride-alongs with ICE, Border Patrol and the Coast Guard, dressed up in the uniforms of those units.
The intrigue: It was a truism in Trump's first term that the best way to ensure longevity was to stay out of the spotlight, though none of the three appear to be on particularly thin ice.
- One of the first high-profile departures from Trump 2.0 is another publicly pugnacious official, deputy FBI director Dan Bongino.
- Trump offered well wishes to Bongino, saying the ex-podcaster "wants to go back to his show."
