In a flurry of nominations, US President-elect Donald Trump has unveiled several of his top cabinet picks, tapping close allies for key roles related to foreign policy, defense, and homeland security. The moves offer insight into the priorities and direction of the incoming Trump administration.
Huckabee Gets the Nod for Israel Envoy
Perhaps the most notable announcement was Trump’s selection of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee to serve as the next US ambassador to Israel. An ordained minister and father of Trump’s former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the elder Huckabee is known as an outspoken supporter of Israel.
Huckabee’s appointment is seen as a signal that the Trump administration will take an unapologetically pro-Israel stance, building on Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem during his first term. In Huckabee, Trump has found an envoy who shares his hardline views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to sources familiar with the decision, Trump praised Huckabee as someone who “loves Israel and the people of Israel.” The president-elect expressed confidence that Huckabee would “work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.”
Doubling Down on Controversial Stances
Huckabee’s appointment is likely to be welcomed by the Israeli right but will almost certainly draw condemnation from Palestinians and much of the international community. The former governor has been a vocal critic of the two-state solution and has made a number of inflammatory statements about Palestinians over the years.
The only people who have ever had Yerushalayim [Jerusalem] as a capital have been the Jews. Nobody else has ever made this city a capital, ever. So it shouldn’t even be controversial.
– Mike Huckabee, speaking to CNN in 2017
Huckabee has also refused to refer to the West Bank by that name, instead using the biblical terms “Judea and Samaria.” He has denied that the territory, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, is under military occupation.
Fox in the Pentagon Henhouse?
In another provocative pick, Trump has tapped Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as the next US secretary of defense. A former Army National Guard officer, Hegseth has been a regular fixture on Fox & Friends and other conservative media outlets.
While Hegseth’s military service has earned him some credibility on defense matters, his close ties to the president and his role as a media booster for Trump’s policies have raised concerns about his objectivity and fitness for the role. Trump, however, praised Hegseth as “tough, smart, and a true believer in America First.”
Noem Tapped for Homeland Security
Also joining the Trump cabinet will be South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who has been nominated to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Noem, who gained national attention for her hands-off approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to oversee an aggressive immigration enforcement agenda.
Trump hailed Noem as “very strong on border security,” pointing to her decision to deploy South Dakota National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border during her tenure as governor. Immigration and border security were central themes in Trump’s successful reelection campaign.
Loyalty and Ideology Reign Supreme
The latest slate of cabinet nominees reveals that personal loyalty and ideological alignment remain the top criteria for a spot on Trump’s team. Like their boss, Huckabee, Hegseth, and Noem are all fiery communicators and staunch conservatives who relish political combat.
While some critics have accused Trump of putting too much stock in cable news appearances and political theater, allies argue that the president-elect is building a team of true believers who will have his back and won’t hesitate to disrupt the status quo in pursuit of Trump’s “America First” agenda.
As the Trump transition kicks into high gear, all eyes will be on the president-elect’s remaining cabinet picks and the direction he plans to take the country in his second term. If the latest announcements are any indication, Trump appears poised to double down on the same policies and postures that defined his first four years in office.
