Donald Trump made his first moves as President-elect this past Thursday, naming campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff. Wiles’s nomination spearheaded a slew of further nominations, with 17 appointees named as of Wednesday evening, according to The Hill (Center Bias). The list includes several notable figures, such as Elon Musk, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), now a Republican.

Traditionally, a president’s cabinet consists of 16 officials—the vice president and the heads of 15 executive departments—but the president reserves the right to elevate other members of staff, such as the chief of staff, to the cabinet level. 

Sources on the left were apprehensive about many of Trump’s appointments, noting the nominees' often hard-lined stances on immigration yet dismissive opinions on the January 6 Capitol riot. Sources on the right met the appointments with mixed opinions, with some praising the president's choices, and others wary of the controversial figures.

A writer for the Washington Post (Lean Left bias) argued, “President-elect Donald Trump has made it no secret that loyalty will be his chief criterion in putting together his incoming administration. His early picks, however, suggest he has a specific standard of fealty — one that ensures that those around him will not check his worst and most dangerous impulses… It is already clear that Trump will demand subservience, especially in law enforcement, foreign policy and national security, where he often felt thwarted by his own appointees during his first term.”

The Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) published an article highlighting a potential roadblock for Trump’s cabinet—the Senate: “While Senate Republicans are willing to listen to Trump on any Cabinet choice, Kennedy’s prior stances on vaccines, his quizzical history with animals, and his unpopularity with Senate Democrats could prove to be significant roadblocks. It is unlikely that any Senate Democrat will vote for Kennedy’s confirmation, and while Republicans have a 53-seat majority, a trio of senators in Collins, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) are likely to be skeptical. If those three vote no, only one other GOP defection would be needed.”

An Atlantic (Left bias) writer claimed “if personnel is policy, as the Ronald Reagan–era maxim states, then the president-elect is deadly serious. Last night, he announced that Tom Homan will serve as a ‘border czar.’ And CNN reports that Stephen Miller, the leading immigration hawk in Trump’s circle, will be appointed White House deputy chief of staff for policy. These two moves, and the fact that they are among the first to emerge from the transition, are an indication of Trump’s intent to pursue a very aggressive policy and assign it a high priority.”

A writer for Breitbart (Right bias) said, “Gaetz is one of Trump’s most ardent defenders in Congress and traveled across the country campaigning for the president. His nomination sends the clear message Trump is serious about his commitment to ‘drain the Swamp’ of Washington... Gaetz may face a difficult confirmation battle, although Trump is almost certain to push any recalcitrant Senators hard to assure Gaetz’s confirmation.”