Although his cabinet is not yet replete, President Trump has already faced a good amount of backlash and opposition for some of his cabinet member choices. I, myself, had never heard of several of these people—here is a closer look at some of our incoming leaders in major governmental positions.
1.Education Secretary: Betty DeVos
Mrs. DeVos’s nomination to education secretary has been, in a word, tumultuous. She was confirmed in a tight vote which didn’t provide much confidence for Americans. She is a billionaire and philanthropist and formerly served as the Michigan Republican Party chairwoman. She has been found to support voucher programs, believes public school is “dead end,” and has argued against banning guns from school in order to defend against “potential grizzlies.” [1] The chance of getting attacked by a grizzly in the wild at Yellowstone National Park is about 1 in 2.7 million… but I suppose safety always comes first!
2. Management and Budget Director: Mick Mulvaney
Congressman Mulvaney, a conservative representative from South Carolina, has had actual experience in an elected position, fighting over deficits and spending. He is not the first nominee, from either party, to have been found (ironically enough) to have a large amount of unpaid taxes with regards to a household employee. [2]
3. Environmental Protection Agency: Scott Pruitt
This choice for the former Oklahoma Attorney General is a real head-scratcher. This is because, in fact, the future leader of the E.P.A has openly denied climate change and has attempted to sue the E.P.A in the past. President Trump did warn us on the campaign trail that he would work to dismantle the agency, and expressed his dislike for the amount of regulations given out by the E.P.A.. Luckily for him, it appears that Mr. Pruitt is the man for the job of writing a new and more industry-friendly climate policy for this country. [3]
4.Treasury Secretary: Steve Mnuchin
On the plus side, the billionaire and former Goldman Sachs banker has had a lot of experience with finances. On the minus side, he failed to disclose $100 million dollars worth of his personal assets, and may have diverted client’s assets to the Cayman Islands to avoid taxes. [4]
5. Attorney General: Jess Sessions
This former Senator served the state of Alabama for two decades, and is extremely popular in his home state. He has had a history of working across party lines. He has also been called “amnesty’s worst enemy,” and has openly opposed even legal immigration to the U.S. [5]
When choosing their future cabinet member’s, each president has faced a host of criticism and opposition for certain picks, and President Trump is no exception!
[1] https://www.limacharlienews.com/politics-society/trump-nominee-betsy-devos-faces-steep-opposition/
[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/us/politics/steven-mnuchin-treasury-s…