President Trump Chooses a Cabinet

One of a new president’s first jobs is selecting people for his or her Cabinet–a group of the president’s closest advisers and the heads of fifteen key executive departments. Leading up to the inauguration and during his first week in office, President Trump has submitted nominations for Cabinet secretaries and other advisers. Some of these are positions that the president can directly appoint. Others, however, must be approved by the Senate.  

The Confirmation Process Explained 

Because Cabinet members lead important federal agencies, it is not left solely to the president to fill these positions. The Senate must confirm, or approve, many of these leadership positions. The process is outlined in Article II of the U.S. Constitution. 

The process begins when the president nominates someone for a Cabinet position. That person is then screened by the Office of Government Ethics, as well as the FBI. This information goes to the Senate for review. Then, the nominee must testify in front of a Senate committee. During this hearing, the nominee is asked to answer questions from the committee members about their experience and views). This stage of the process is made public for the American people to watch. The Senate committee then decides whether to recommend the nominee to the full Senate for approval.  

Once the Senate committee has made its recommendation, it’s up to the full Senate to debate whether to confirm this nominee. Debate can be short, or it might go on for quite a while. Finally, a full Senate vote is held. If the majority votes in favor of the nominee, that person is considered “confirmed” and can officially take on their new role. If the nominee is not confirmed, then the president must nominate someone else and begin the process over again. (In the event of a tie vote, the vice president’s vote breaks the tie.) 

Trump Cabinet Nominees 

Trump immediately appointed Susie Wiles, his former campaign director, as his Chief of Staff. This is the president’s closest adviser and does not require the Senate’s approval. The Chief of Staff does not lead a government agency but coordinates the many daily demands on the president’s time and schedule. Trump also appointed Mike Waltz as National Security Adviser, and Elon Musk as the head of the new Department of Government Efficiency. All other positions must acquire Senate approval. Below is a table listing the status of Cabinet appointees at this time. 

The Process in Action 

Rarely do all senators agree about who would make a good Cabinet choice. Therefore, votes to confirm a nominee are often split along political party lines, especially in the very tense political environment of Washington, D.C. at this time and in recent White House administrations.  

So how is this playing out for the Trump administration? Right now, there are 53 Republican senators, 45 Democratic senators, and two who are labeled independent. This means that there is a pretty good chance that all of Trump’s nominees will be confirmed. But it is not a guarantee. For example, three Republicans joined all of the Democrats in voting against Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. That led to a 50-50 tie. Vice President JD Vance broke the tie by voting yes on Hegseth’s confirmation.  

Election Central will update information on President Trump’s nominees at the confirmation process continues in the U.S. Senate. 

Dig Deeper Imagine that you are a U.S. senator Choose one of Trump’s Cabinet nominees and use Internet resources to find out more about that person. Based on what you’ve found, would you vote to confirm that nominee? Why or why not?