In a fiercely contested presidential race, marked by deep divisions and polarization, Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump managed not only to reclaim the White House for a second non-consecutive term but also achieved a historic victory by solidifying Republican dominance in Congress. This development paves the way for a largely unhindered realization of his vision. The momentum surrounding the presidential race didn’t end with the ballot boxes on November 5th; it continues to unfold with the “controversial” choices Trump is making as he forms his new administration team. This raises numerous questions about the defining traits that could shape Trump’s second term.
The New Team: A Contentious Formation
The surprises of the 2024 US presidential elections were not confined to Trump’s significant victory, which defied several analyses, polls, and expectations, as the surprises continued with his controversial selections for Trump’s new team, shaping the early contours of his second term. This was reflected in two pivotal actions: the appointment of ministers and officials with polarizing views, and the creation of a new body, the Department of Government Efficiency.
• Ministers and Officials with Controversial Stances: Drawing lessons from the challenges of his first term, where differences in viewpoints led to frequent dismissals of officials, Trump’s current team demonstrates a more pronounced alignment with his policy agenda. A key example is his appointment of Stephen Miller, his former advisor and a staunch advocate of hardline immigration policies, as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, underscoring Trump’s commitment to advancing his anti-immigration stance. Another strategic appointment is Cuban-born Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, a move seen as bolstering his support among his Latin base. Rubio’s approach prioritizes military power in foreign policy, calls for heightened pressure on China, Iran, and Cuba, supports expanded sanctions on Iran, and advocates unwavering support for Israel.
For the defense portfolio, Trump has selected Peter Brian Hegseth, a Fox News host who claims he left the US military in 2021 due to being marginalized because of his “political and religious views.” Hegseth is expected to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises to remove military leaders who support policies on racial and social justice, which are opposed by conservatives. These policies include allowing women to serve in infantry and artillery units and engage in direct combat—roles traditionally reserved for men. While Hegseth has not demonstrated a strong focus on policy, he has openly criticized NATO for its weakness and warned that Beijing may soon dominate its neighboring countries, according to Reuters.
He has also appointed Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, to oversee the education portfolio—a department he had promised to eliminate during his campaign. Trump praised McMahon for her “deep understanding of both education and business,” emphasizing her role as “a fierce advocate for parental rights.” However, her appointment has ignited significant controversy, particularly due to allegations concerning her involvement with a WWE employee in the sexual exploitation of children
Trump has selected Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and the leader of BGC Group, to serve as commerce secretary. Lutnick, a vocal proponent of tariffs, especially those aimed at China, remarked in a recent interview, “Don’t tax our people. Make money instead. Put tariffs on China.” In addition, Trump appointed Brendan Carr, endorsed by Elon Musk, as head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which oversees the regulation of communications. Trump described Carr as a “fighter for free speech,” noting that he will challenge the tech giants and work to “dismantle the censorship cartel.”
Additionally, Trump appointed Chris Wright for the position of Secretary of Energy, spotlighting his extensive expertise in nuclear, solar, geothermal, oil, and gas sectors, and highlighting his pivotal role in driving the “US Shale Revolution.” Wright is, therefore, a well-known climate change denier and a strong supporter of increasing oil and gas production. He is expected to share Trump’s opposition to international efforts to combat climate change, having previously dismissed climate change activists as “alarming.” This choice led Jean Su, the Energy Justice Program Director and Senior Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, to remark: “Picking someone like Chris Wright is a clear sign that Trump wants to turn the United States into a pariah petrostate.”
In a similarly controversial move, Trump has appointed environmental activist Robert Kennedy as his Secretary of Health, despite Kennedy’s highly controversial anti-vaccine views and statements. Kennedy has made remarks downplaying the safety of vaccines for diseases like hepatitis, measles, and influenza, and has called the Covid-19 vaccine “the deadliest.” He has also publicly endorsed the consumption of “raw milk,” a practice that raises concerns due to the potential for serious diseases, including Escherichia coli. Additionally, Kennedy has posted on his X account that “Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.” However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics have both stated that fluoride levels in drinking water are “safe and help reduce tooth decay.”
Trump’s decision to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz, the congressman who spearheaded the removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, for the position of attorney general has sparked significant controversy, even among Republicans. Gaetz’s tarnished reputation coupled with ongoing investigations by the Ethics Committee into allegations ranging from potential involvement in sex trafficking to drug use and accepting inappropriate gifts, led him to withdraw as attorney general nominee. In addition, Trump picked his personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, as deputy attorney general, praising him as “an excellent lawyer” who would play a key role in leading the Department of Justice. This nomination seemed to serve as a veiled critique of Trump’s own legal battles, as Blanche had previously headed the defense team in Trump’s Stormy Daniels hush money case, as well as other federal cases.
In a surprising move, Trump nominated Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who defected to the Republican Party in 2022, to head the National Intelligence Directorate. Trump lauded her extensive service, saying, “For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our country and the freedoms of all Americans.” However, her position on the Russia-Ukraine war has sparked significant backlash. Gabbard has argued that Ukraine should remain neutral and reconsider its NATO ambitions, raising concerns about her perceived pro-Russian stance.
• Launching the Department of Government Efficiency: Trump has unveiled plans to establish the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by tech mogul Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. The department’s goal is to curb government spending, aiming to slash it by up to $2 trillion. Unlike a typical department, the DOGE will operate as an external working group with the authority to assess the performance and expenditures of government agencies. Its primary focus will be on reducing wasteful spending, dismantling bureaucracy, and restructuring federal institutions. Despite its ambitious objectives, the announcement has sparked considerable controversy and confusion, with many Americans questioning the scope and purpose of its mandate.
Trump has given the DOGE until July 4, 2026, to deliver a “smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy” which he hopes will serve as “perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence.” He has called the initiative “the Manhattan Project of [the] time,” drawing a comparison to the US nuclear bomb development during World War II. According to Trump, the DOGE will start by coordinating with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to advocate for broad structural reforms and forge a groundbreaking approach to governance. This new body is not meant to function as a traditional government department that requires a congressional mandate; instead, it will serve as an “advisory body” operating outside the usual government framework.
Press reports have highlighted Musk’s vision for the DOGE, which involves scaling back the Federal Trade Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Justice, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ramaswamy, on the other hand, advocates for a significant reduction in federal employees, proposing to eliminate 75% of them. His plans, as detailed by Alhurra, include closing the Department of Education, discontinuing FBI operations, reassigning 15,000 special agents to other agencies, and dissolving the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by transferring its responsibilities to other departments. The DOGE launched its official account on the X platform, with its first post stating its goal of ensuring “wise spending of tax dollars.” The post also called for “super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.”
Elaine Kamarck, founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution, commented on this in her analysis titled “Cut Government with a Scalpel, Not an Axe.” She drew parallels to the Government Performance and Results Act (REGO) undertaken during President Bill Clinton’s administration from 1993 to 2000, which she described as the “longest-running reform effort” in US history. This program resulted in a reduction of 426,000 federal workforce positions through meticulous agency reviews. Kamarck suggested that adopting a similar approach in the upcoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by the Government Efficiency Commission, might be prudent. However, she cautioned that achieving the ambitious target of cutting $2 trillion from government spending would be particularly challenging, given that the bulk of federal expenditures are tied to mandatory programs such as social Security, healthcare, veterans’ benefits, and unemployment insurance.
Musk’s appointment to the DOGE has stirred significant controversy, not only due to reports of his regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin but also over concerns that he might leverage his new role to influence government decisions in favor of his business interests. This has prompted demands for safeguards against conflicts of interest, such as mandating that he relinquish his business holdings or abstain from decisions tied to his enterprises. Detractors warn that this appointment could grant him access to multi-billion-dollar contracts, tax breaks, and regulatory changes that directly benefit his prominent companies, such as SpaceX, Tesla, and Neuralink. A case in point is Tesla’s current disputes with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Addressing this issue, Bruce Fine, a constitutional law expert and former US Deputy Attorney General, told Alhurra that constitutional provisions prevent Musk from taking actions that would serve his personal interests. He emphasized that Musk’s contributions would be confined to advisory recommendations, while the ultimate authority for decision-making resides with Congress.
Key Features of Trump’s Second Presidential Term
Despite the intense nature of the 2024 election, with opinion polls showing an equal standing between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Trump, the final results revealed what can only be called a “historic” victory for Trump over his Democratic opponent. In assembling his administration, it is clear that Trump is primarily focusing on appointing “trusted allied,” with key positions handed out based on a logic of ‘rewarding’ those who backed him and contributed to his electoral triumph. This sets the stage for the thorny dynamics that are expected to define Trump’s second term, as follows:
• The Red Wave: The 2024 elections demonstrated that Trump not only achieved a historic return to the White House for a second non-consecutive term but also propelled a red wave, solidifying Republican control of both the House and the Senate. This ensures that his policies will face little resistance, and with most, if not all, of his team’s appointments are set to sail through with ease.
• The Second Term: While Trump remains a figure whose responses are often unpredictable, his first term provides a framework for anticipating some of the core features, general direction, and policy trends that may define his second administration. Both in domestic and foreign policy, the “Trumpian approach” is likely to form the cornerstone of the United States’ strategic direction.
• A Homogeneous Administration: In his first term, Trump frequently ousted officials whose views conflicted with his own. As a result, his new administration appears to follow a strategy of assembling a more aligned and consistent team. This suggests that the administration will closely mirror his ideas and priorities, leaving little room for Trump to reconsider decisions, actions, or policies.
• Personal Character: Trump’s approach to the presidency is more personal than institutional, with his background as a businessman influencing his preference for the logic of “deals.” This mindset is applied across most, if not all, areas of his administration. As a result, many of his decisions appear “controversial” and outside the conventional institutional norms.
• A More Controversial Term: Trump’s second term is expected to be marked by increased intensity and extremism, driven by three main factors: his determination to challenge Biden’s legacy, the smear campaign he faced throughout Biden’s term along with his legal convictions, and his eagerness to secure major achievements that will sustain the momentum and expectations surrounding his victory.
• Unpredictable in Nature: Trump continues to be one of the most unpredictable figures due to his outsider status and populist rhetoric, constantly aiming for swift and unforeseen accomplishments. For instance, his opposition to political Islam did not prevent him from engaging in negotiations with the Taliban. The selection of his new administration team only adds to this unpredictability, given their controversial backgrounds and positions.
In short, the resounding victory Trump secured in the 2024 elections, which spanned the White House and Congress, signals that his second term will be deeply “Trumpian” in nature—much more than his first term, particularly evident in his tendency to fill his new administration with “trusted allies” who largely share his views.
