Several of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks to fill his cabinet boast résumés about the kinds of issues the agencies would oversee.
But this does not necessarily mean that they are politically unqualified.
The ongoing battle on Capitol Hill over Trump’s picks underscores how the good faith and shaky attitudes of outsiders lend credibility to would-be secretaries. That’s in contrast to the strong mantra and resume that voters believe has failed them in a government bureaucracy, Republican operatives told ABC News.
The changing vocabulary is just another example of Trump’s ability to transform the rules of Washington, but also of voter frustration and a changing electorate. And now, Democrats warn, focusing on candidates’ resumes risks making the party less sympathetic to mainstream Americans’ beliefs about what’s wrong with the country.
Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth leaves after a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 21, 2024.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
“I’m not endorsing anybody, but the argument that that person isn’t capable of doing X because they don’t have the resume or the kiss of approval from the establishment reinforces that they’re not getting it,” Chris Kofinis said. Democratic strategist and former aide to Sen. Joe Manchin, IW.Va. “The debate resumes when most people distrust the government and support Trump.”
“If you asked most Americans, guess what they’d say, ‘What’s the difference? It’s not like they’ve been doing a great job before, so now you’re worried about this guy?'” Kofinis added of what would happen. qualifications of the candidates. “The argument is, ‘You have to have people who have certain kinds of management and policies to run these agencies.'” Based on whose opinion, based on the opinion of experts, or based on the opinion of the American people?
Trump has moved apace to flesh out his next administration, handpicking establishment and unconventional individuals to top positions.
Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mike Waltz, both Floridians, were installed as secretary of state and national security adviser, respectively.
The president-elect has named Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth as his Pentagon chief, Linda McMahon to head the Department of Education, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary and Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic representative from Hawaii. Director of National Intelligence. Former Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz was also nominated for attorney general, though his name was not considered Thursday.
Linda McMahon, former administrator of the Small Business Administration, speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis., on July 18, 2024.
Mike Segar/Reuters
No one has a strong curriculum on the subject of these departments, as the Democrats have repeatedly stated.
Actually, resumes aren’t the only issue at stake. Gaetz and Hegseth face allegations of sexual misconduct as Trump considers options for top positions in an administration that still prioritizes loyalty. But Democrats have also worked to paint some of the picks as “unqualified” based on their relative lack of experience, as well as past personal issues and Trump’s various policy thrusts.
The question, however, is what exactly the word “qualify” means after an election in which voters expressed their dissatisfaction with business as usual through their ballots.
“I guess you could call some of these people outsiders, sure. Some of them have experience, maybe not the experience that the DC establishment is looking for. It’s not someone who’s come up in this department and now it’s people. Make it someone who’s going to take on a new look,” said GOP strategist and former Trump administration official Nick Trainer.
“Americans who don’t tune in to their government every day are moving toward the Republican Party because those elites in the D.C. establishment and the Democratic Party don’t get it,” Trainer added. “They don’t understand that the average American in a middle state or whatever doesn’t care that XYZ’s secretary went to Harvard. That’s not what they want.”
The new standard is being set with the help of Trump’s unique influence among his base, allowing him to gain credibility only through his prints. And now, Democrats are forced to consider exactly how to respond.
The party is taking a post-election reckoning to understand how its brand became so unsavory after Vice President Kamala Harris suffered a comprehensive defeat for a twice-impeached convicted felon. He cited tactical decisions on advertising, spending, media appearances and more for Harris.
But beyond the tactics, Democrats bemoaned the reputation of elitist and constituency pundits who have little knowledge or interest in what is important to the country for average Americans. And going after cabinet candidates who lack academic elite or bureaucratic government credentials risks exacerbating the problem.
“When the whistle-blower is how Democrats describe the experience, it means the situation,” said Sean Spicer, Trump’s first White House press secretary.
Some Democrats said candidates’ past policy positions are open to criticism, but going after resumes can be dangerous.
“Anytime we’re showing elitism or being preachy, it’s not good for our brand. But if we’re calling out people who have turned their backs on workers or done things that aren’t good for America or other things, then I think those are different questions that help the party ” said Chuck Rocha, a Democratic strategist considering a run for chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
“It’s not being with America, it’s not being with the workers,” Rocha added Wednesday. “I would argue against Matt Gaetz, sure, the sex parties and stuff are crazy, but he’s also had a long record of voting against insulin and other things that have been really bad for working Americans.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 12, 2024.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images, FILES
Others, however, advocated a more wait-and-see approach.
“If your angle of attack is, ‘X person is totally unqualified,’ let them prove they’re not qualified,” Kofinis said. “If you want to start gaining trust from the American people, stop being so quick to answer and jump to conclusions, and wait.”
While Democrats are figuring out how to respond to Trump’s choices and resurrect their brand more broadly, Republicans are happy to watch it twist in the wind.
“Democrats are the party of resistance. They’ll find any excuse they can to resist,” said one former Trump campaign official. “So I’m not surprised by that, but they’re going to keep hurting themselves, that’s for sure. They’re losing.”
