In the week since Donald Trump’s election victory, he has announced a number of key appointments — some of them highly controversial — that will shape his administration in a way that pleases “pro-family” evangelical groups.
In theory, that will be boosted by Republicans controlling both houses of Congress. And on Wednesday, both houses of Congress elected conservative “pro-family” leaders to guide their coming legislative agendas
Mike Johnson
The House reelected Speaker Mike Johnson, who is supported by Focus on the Family and has worked with Focus-affiliated activist groups (Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom), and opposes abortion, IVF, and gay and transgender rights.
The Senate overlooked pro-MAGA Rick Scott to elect John Thune as its new leader to succeed Mitch McConnell. As BNG reported in March, Thune is an evangelical Christian and graduate of Biola University who was elected to the U.S. Senate 20 years ago from South Dakota with the help of Focus founder James Dobson. Focus congratulated Thune in an article.
John Thune
Thune told PBS New Hour about his opposition to IVF treatments, saying, “We’re pro-family, we’re pro-life” and opposing IVF is a part of that. (Thune was elected in a secret ballot designed to protect senators who voted against Trump’s pick.)
Trump has announced a number of cabinet appointments, all of them loyalists who supported his campaign, even though some lack the experience typically expected of cabinet members. Some of the early nominations also raise questions about the sincerity of Trump’s post-election pledge to pursue unity.
Traditionally, the Senate must approve cabinet nominations, but Trump is angling to get recess appointments, which he can make freely when the Senate is not in session. Thune has not indicated what he thinks of that.
Here’s a look at key nominations, starting with the most surprising.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) answers questions outside the U.S. Capitol after successfully leading a vote to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the office of Speaker of the House October 3, 2023. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Attorney general: Matt Gaetz. Gaetz, was a U.S. representative from Florida until he abruptly resigned this week, two days before an Ethics Committee report against him was to be released. Trump says Gaetz’s job is to end the “weaponization” of the Department of Justice, but critics suspect he will instead help Trump weaponize it in unprecedented ways to hurt people on Trump’s enemies list, including Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Liz Cheney, Nancy Pelosi, Jack Smith, Mark Milley and more.
Since Gaetz is no longer a member of this Congress, his ethics investigation was dropped. But he was reelected to the next Congress, raising questions about the investigation will continue. It’s unclear if the House will release its Gaetz report or if the Senate will demand its release during confirmation hearings.
Gaetz received the Family Research Council’s True Blue Award for his “perfect voting records” on issues including abortion and LGBTQ rights. He led the campaign to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and recently voted against aid to Israel and Ukraine.
If the Senate holds hearings on Gaetz’s nomination, it promises to be a humdinger that will help show whether the next Congress will loyally support Trump or show a measure of independence.
Pete Hegseth with large Crusader tattoo. (Photo: Pete Hegseth via nstagram)
Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth. The nomination of anti-woke Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth reportedly surprisedleaders at the Pentagon and in Europe.
Educated at Princeton and Harvard, he served in the Minnesota Army National Guard and received a Bronze Star in Iraq. He has written five books, some bestsellers, including one that indicates his leadership of the nation’s military may put him at odds with military leaders: The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.
A conservative Christian, Hegseth sports tattoos of imagery from the Crusades against Muslims and attends Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship in Tennessee, part of the Reformed Reconstructionist movement led by Douglas Wilson, according to BNG reporter Rick Pidcock.
Senate hearings on Hegseth would give critics a chance to air some of his many skeletons:
- When he served as an adviser to President Trump, he lobbied Trump to pardon Eddie Gallagher and two other American soldiers accused or convicted of war crimes in Iraq.
- He is reportedly one of a dozen National Guardsmen removed from President Joe Biden’s inauguration detail for their links to rightwing militias, according to Newsweek.
- He has accused Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, of promoting “woke shit,” and said Brown, who is Black, is a diversity hire who was chosen for his skin color.
- He is opposed to women and LGBTQ people serving in the military.
Border czar: Tom Homan. Another Fox News contributor, Homan would be in charge of deporting illegal aliens, a process Trump says will begin on day one. In interviews, Homan has said he will not start with roundups or holding centers but will instead pursue criminals. Homan also was a major contributor to Project 2025.
Health and Human Services Secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump nominated Kennedy Thursday, but his nomination worries many: “The move sets up a debate over whether Kennedy, whose vaccine skepticism and unorthodox views about medicine make public health officials deeply uneasy, can be confirmed,” reported The New York Times.
Department of Government Efficiency Secretaries: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. There’s no such department yet, but Trump says he wants these two entrepreneurs with no government experience to lead it.
Musk, the billionaire who spent more than $100 million and used X as a partisan mouthpiece to reelect Trump, says he wants to cut $2 trillion from America’s $6.75 trillion budget. Musk’s companies do billions of dollars’ worth of business with the U.S. government, creating immediate conflicts of interest. Ramaswamy campaigned against Trump before endorsing and campaigning for him.
Trump also nominated culture-warring South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Homeland Security Department, which oversees borders and immigration.
BNG reported earlier on Trump nominating Zionist and former Southern Baptist pastor Mike Huckabee to serve as U.S. ambassador to Israel.
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