Loyalty above all: Trump surrounds himself with loyalists for his government

And now, who to lead Finance? Which spokesperson? Donald Trump continues to train his &eacute ;team, with sometimes sensational nominations which most often reward loyalty absolute à his person.

There is no question for the 78-year-old tribune of repeating what he described as the “biggest mistake” of his first term (2017-2021), in a podcast recorded at the end of October with the very influential Joe Rogan.

“I chose some people that I shouldn't have chosen,” namely “people who were not loyal,” he said.

“Trump's choices meet two criteria: loyalty and rupture,” Todd Belt, professor of political science at George Washington University, analyses for AFP. He wants to surround himself with loyalists who “aren't going to spend their time telling him what he can't do.”

Still to be filled are the positions of Treasury secretary, trade secretary and White House spokesman, among others.

The president-elect, who takes office on January 20, sent shockwaves Wednesday with his picks for the intelligence directorate and the Justice Department.

It remains to be seen whether they will be confirmed by the Senate, a process that begins when the new president returns in January and is completed after the new president is sworn in.

Republican senators are certainly in the majority, but some seem unenthusiastic about the personalities designated.

Thus Tulsi Gabbard, a defector from the Democratic Party known for her pro-Russia positions, as director of intelligence.

She had joined the conservative camp during a Donald Trump rally in October, describing the Republican, standing next to her with an approving smile, as a “president who has the courage and strength to fight for peace.”

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The announcement that by far made the most waves was that of Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. This thunderous Trumpist, who was suspected of having relations with an underage girl, led the overthrow of the Republican leader of the House of Representatives in the fall of 2022, sowing a monstrous political chaos.

This Florida elected official representing the radical right “has to be the worst cabinet appointment in American history,” asserted John Bolton, Donald Trump's former national security adviser, now a critic of the billionaire.

– Telegenic –

Donald Trump, with the exception of a quick visit to Washington on Wednesday, has been holed up in his Florida residence since his victory. According to the press, he chose his lieutenants by watching the candidates' televised appearances.

His first term had been a succession of spectacular dismissals. Several former advisers or ministers, like John Bolton, turned against him subsequently.

This time, the 45th and soon to be 47th President of the United States is favouring personalities who sometimes have no experience of the state apparatus, but who support him unreservedly.

Like Elon Musk, who will lead a commission to reduce public spending and deregulate, the legal contours of which remain unclear. On his social network X, the richest man in the world invited people with a “high IQ” and “willing to work more than 80 hours a week on thankless tasks of reducing public spending” to send him their CVs.

Several future ministers or advisers are regular guests on the conservatives' favorite channel, Fox News.

Donald Trump, himself a former reality TV host and big television consumer, “likes people who come across well on screen. That's very important to him,” Todd Belt emphasizes.

The Republican had complimented the future Secretary of Homeland Security, the controversial Kristi Noem, on her appearance during a meeting.

To lead the Pentagon, Donald Trump has chosen a Fox News host Pete Hegseth. The appointment of this former military man who has no experience in high-level command came as a huge surprise.

The future president has, however, made a choice that contrasts with this quest for absolute loyalty: Florida Senator Marco Rubio, with whom he has had conflicting relations in the past, is to lead diplomacy.

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