by Trump’s decisive victory over Kamala’s weak, pro-corporate campaign is quickly being followed up by an aggressive appointment of far-right economic nationalists and culture-war veterans to Trump’s new cabinet and core advisory team.
The policy goals of Trump’s next term have largely already been shared openly by Project 2025’s Mandate For Leadership since earlier this year. But Trump’s pick of key appointees to top government posts, as well as his own personal advisory team and presidential staff, reveal a bit about where his head is at and which far-right deputies will lead Trump’s charge in each core area of government.
Overall, Trump’s appointments seem to pursue 3 key objectives: policies, politics, and loyalty.
First, Trump is leaning on immigration hardliners like Stephen Miller and Tom Homan, as well as proposed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to pursue his aggressive set of policies which focus on a revival of economic nationalism and a preparation for a confrontation with China.
Second, Trump has picked names like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Elise Stefanik, and Vivek Ramaswamy to pursue an aggressive culture war in the media, holding his base’s attention and fighting to win a mass base of support for his administration even as he pursues policies which overwhelmingly benefit the super rich.
Third, Trump has placed loyal yes-men in key roles to eliminate any obstacles over his direct control of the administrative state. Taps including Matt Gaetz and Pete Hegseth largely depend on Trump for their careers and will loyally carry out his will as they lead the repressive arms of the capitalist state.
Elon Musk
Musk will lead the newly-proposed “Department of Government Efficiency,” alongside Vivek Ramaswamy.
Musk has extensive experience implementing brutal restructuring campaigns, as he did when he took over Twitter and fired 80 percent of its workforce.
Musk’s desire to “cut red tape” will help to free him and his fellow billionaires from important environmental and civil regulations. The impending mass-firings of public employees will be a massive attack on the labor movement, and will also be helpful for the Trump regime to create a culture of fear in the Federal government by targeting those who are willing to stand up to Trump’s agenda within the government.
Marco Rubio
Although Marco Rubio is a familiar face of the Republican establishment, his appointment by Trump to arguably the most powerful cabinet position does not represent business as usual for US foreign policy.
Rather, Rubio is one of the most hardline Senators on China, Iran, and Venezuela, and his appointment suggests an escalation of conflict with China as well as renewed meddling by the US in Latin America.
Elise Stefanik
Elise Stefanik’s rapid rise to power from within the Republican congressional delegation is a testament to her aggressive tactics.
Stefanik made a name for herself last year leading the neo-McCarthyist congressional hearings targeting university administrators.
As US Ambassador to the United Nations, we can expect Stefanik to help lead the charge in defense of Israel and against those nations and persons who would stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine.
Robert Lighthizer
Robert Lighthizer’s economic-nationalist agenda haunts the dreams of laissez faire die-hards and Chinese businessmen alike.
Lighthizer was Trump’s US Trade Representative from 2017 to 2021, where he led the re-negotiation of NAFTA into the USMCA. He served as deputy US Trade Representative in the Reagan administration, and opposed the admittance of China into the WTO under the Clintons.
Lighthizer’s appointment has yet to be formally announced, but there is little doubt that he will continue to be Trump’s point man in escalating protectionism and waging a trade war on China.
Susie Wiles
Super-Karen Susie Wiles has worked her way up from a campaign scheduler on the 1980 Reagan campaign, to being Trump’s right-hand lady since he left office in 2020.
Wiles is a key power-broker in the Florida Republican Party, and has served as the head honcho of “Trump-Land” for several years, including as the CEO of Trump’s Save America PAC.
As Chief of Staff she will be a key enforcer of Trump’s will and his eyes on the ground supervising his White House staff.
Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Vaccine-skeptic and alternative health guru Robert Kennedy Jr. will bring his unique brand of health sciences to the department which oversees the Food and Drug Administration, the Center for Disease Control, the National Institute of Health, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Trump’s earlier embrace of vaccine skepticism was more about opposing restrictions on business and channel pandemic frustrations than a genuine embrace of pseudo-science.
While Kennedy keeps the vaccine skeptics engaged, he will have time to get to work freeing the pharmaceutical industry from pesky and expensive safety regulations.
Matt Gaetz
If confirmed as Attorney General, Gaetz will be the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government, despite Gaetz facing charges of sex trafficking.
It is likely this very dispute, as well as Gaetz record as a hardline Trumper, which makes him an ideal pick, as Gaetz’ political future seemingly requires complete and utter loyalty to Trump.
This loyalty will be key as Trump leans on Gaetz to strip the Department of Justice of any semblance of independence, and purge it of elements who are not willing to comply with Trump’s will. Thereafter, the DOJ will be free for Trump’s use as a weapon for retribution against his political opponents and dissidents.
Tulsi Gabbard
Former Bernie backer and vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, Gabbard left the Democrats in 2022 and joined the Republicans in 2024.
Now Gabbard has been appointed by Trump to oversee the United States’ sprawling intelligence community, including the CIA and the NSA.
If Project 2025’s proposals on the intelligence community are anything to go on, Gabbard will be responsible for ramping up intelligence to counter China.
Pete Hegseth
In military terms, Fox News host Hegseth was a lowly Major in the Army National Guard before being nominated this week to the lead role overseeing the armed forces of the United States.
Hegseth has campaigned for US war criminals, served in Guatanamo Bay, and led counter-insurgency training in Afghanistan.
Hegseth was no doubt appointed to be a yes-man for Trump’s wishes in the military, helped to overcome any internal resistance from military brass.
Tom Homan
Homan was the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will now serve as Trump’s key advisor on border policy and Trump’s planned deportations.
It is an open question to what extent Trump will actually follow through on deporting 10 million undocumented workers. Deporting that many workers would drive wages up for corporate America and curb demand – however the public deportation of 500,000 or 1,000,000 undocumented peoples would arguably help the ruling class by keeping immigrant workers in fear without actually decreasing the workforce.
Stephen Miller
Trump speechwriter and architect of policies including the Muslim ban and the family separation policy, Stephen Miller will continue to serve at Trump’s side orchestrating hardline policies which thread the overlap of corporate interests, right-wing populist politics, and administrative enforcement mechanisms.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Alongside Musk, Ramaswamy will co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency.
Vivek made a name for himself running a friendly presidential campaign alongside Trump, making headlines as an ardent cultural warrior.
Considering Musk is already busy running a business empire, it might be Vivek’s job to actually lead the day to day of the newly-proposed department.
As a large part of Project 2025’s vision for war on the civil service involves taking on DEI principles, Vivek’s culture war skills will certainly be drawn on.
Henry De Groot
Henry De Groot, he/him, is involved with the Boston DSA Labor Working Group, an editor of Working Mass, and author of the book Student Radicals and the Rise of Russian Marxism.
