Johnson: Trump Cabinet Picks are Disruptive by Nature

Now that the election is over, Donald Trump has started to make waves with some of his cabinet choices.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is backing them, all of them, saying that Trump is naming “disruptors” by design.

The Good Picks

I think Trump has made some very good choices for his cabinet thus far.

I love Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) as the Secretary of State, and believe this could give Rubio a huge push for higher office if he delivers as I think he will.

I also think Rep. Elise Stefanik (D-NY)  will do an exceptional job as the U.N. Ambassador, and she has already received considerable support from her fellow Republicans.

Some of the other picks I like are Tom Homan as Border Czar, Doug Collins for the VA, Doug Burgum for the Interior, John Ratcliffe for the CIA, and Elon Musk for the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency.

The Bad Picks

Let’s start with Matt Gaetz as the Attorney General, a job for which I believe he is not qualified. When you add in the sexual misconduct allegations, this is just a baffling choice to me when Trump has so much talent from which he could choose. I do not believe he will be confirmed.

I think RFK Jr. being handed HHS will be a big challenge for Trump to clear the Senate process, as there is already resistance on both sides of the aisle.

I like Governor Kristi Noem and Tulsi Gabbard, but I think both will find resistance. Personally, I have no issues with Gabbard for DNI, but it is going to be an uphill battle for Noem to get approved for Homeland Security. The Democrats now despise Gabbard, so she will have to have every Republican on board for her to get through. And let's not forget, Dems have already adapted the narrative that Gabbard is a foreign operative that has penetrated our government, and, of course, they have no proof.

I also have to question if Pete Hegseth is ready to be the Defense Secretary. The Fox News host did serve, but this is a whole new ballgame. Again, I think he will be challenged to get through the Senate process.

Disruptors

Speaker Johnson appears to be backing all of these picks, calling them “disruptors” by nature.

While talking to CNN’s Jake Tapper, he stated, “What I’ll say about the nominees, that the president has put forward, is that they are persons who will shake up the status quo. And I think what the American people have have believed and what they’ve delivered with the mandate in this election is a demand that we shake up the status quo. It’s not working for the American people.

”So use the term in the opening about how these are disruptors. They are. I think that’s by design. Any president has the right to name their own cabinet to nominate persons that they think the people that that are on this list will do that. They will go into the agencies that they’re being asked to lead and they will reform them. these agencies need reform.”

One mistake I believe that Johnson is making is trying to block the Ethics Committee report on Gaetz. At the very least, the Senate Judiciary Committee should be able to view the report. If something in there will hurt Gaetz and Trump down the road, it is better to come out sooner than later. It is far better that it does now and blocks his nomination rather than to bury it and have everything surface a year or so into the administration when it could take down the entire party. If he has nothing to hide, let’s see the report.