In a significant departure from his 2016 transition, which allies believe will set the stage for a powerful MAGA-driven first 100 days, President-elect Donald Trump has overhauled the White House hiring strategy to build a team dedicated to his agenda rather than the traditional Washington establishment. By assigning his closest advisers the responsibility of filling hundreds of key positions, Trump is moving away from the conventional practice of allowing Washington insiders to select his team—a strategy that led to disastrous outcomes in 2016 and even resulted in the firing of his transition chief, the Washington Examiner reported.
Consequently, a key adviser stated that Trump had assembled a “MAGA Dream Team” of Cabinet nominees and staff much earlier than during his first term, all fully supporting his change agenda. “We appointed the best and most diverse Cabinet ever, and in record time!” he bragged this week on his Truth Social platform. “We will soon have the most AMERICA FIRST administration in history. The best is yet to come!”
Under the leadership of incoming White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Sergio Gor, Director of the Trump Presidential Personnel Office, the transition team has promptly appointed Trump loyalists and individuals from his first administration to Cabinet roles. These selections fulfill his objective of transforming Washington. For instance, his nominee for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, is a steadfast Trump supporter who aims to dismantle the military’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies that the president-elect opposes. Similarly, Kari Lake, a former Arizona TV anchor turned political candidate, is prepared to eliminate political correctness from Voice of America.
Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who helped deliver a sizable youth vote for Trump, praised the selections. “It could honestly be called the most MAGA Cabinet ever,” Kirk said. “They are all amazing MAGA picks and show the president is fulfilling his agenda and doing what he was elected to do.” He stated that the personnel team based at Trump’s Florida headquarters is also working diligently to keep the Trojan horse candidates away.“It’s just as important to keep bad people out as it is to get good people in.”
Donald Trump Jr. said the difference between the 2024 and 2016 transitions is stunning. “We didn’t know anyone from Adam” in 2016, he said. This time, the team knows everyone it wants because Trump was president for four years. He went on to give credit to Gor and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance for going to great lengths to make the staff selections, adding that “you have the opportunity to have a truly transitional government” with such a MAGA-focused team. Pointing to individuals like Elon Musk, who will co-chair the Department of Government Efficiency, Trump Jr. stated that his father has drawn a notable list of people eager to transform Washington, many of whom never thought they would have the opportunity to do so.
“These are people who wouldn’t touch government with a 10-foot pole years ago. They all want to be involved because they understand the opportunity this time and with my father at the helm. The possibilities are, candidly, endless,” said Trump Jr., who co-founded Winning Team Publishing with Gor, which has put out three Trump coffee table books and others from MAGA leaders, including Lake and Kirk.
Republican pollster John McLaughlin agreed that four years of experience by Trump has changed the transition equation. “President Trump is picking smart, loyal, and effective leaders who share his vision and focus to make America great again. It’s really simple. President Trump is more experienced and wiser. He was a good president. Now, President Trump will be a great president. He’s picking a team to accomplish that mission,” McLaughlin said.
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