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Donald Trump’s recent cabinet selections offer a vivid tableau of the president-elect’s enduring political philosophy: loyalty above qualification. In Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Pete Hegseth, Matt Gaetz and Elon Musk, Trump has assembled a team that feels less like a governing body and more like the cast of a high-stakes reality TV show. Yet, behind the theatrics lies a deeper commentary on the state of American politics — and the man shaping it.

Take Kennedy Jr., now tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy Jr.’s crusade against vaccines has made him a darling of the disillusioned and a scourge of public health officials. His appointment is a paradox wrapped in provocation: a man who undermines the very tools of modern medicine tasked with safeguarding public health.

It’s as if Trump has elevated skepticism itself to a form of governance, offering a posture of defiance rather than solutions. For a nation still grappling with the scars of a global pandemic, his selections are not just controversial; they depict an era where expertise is disregarded and misinformation is used to gain and keep power.

Then there’s Hegseth, whose appointment as Secretary of Defense sends its own incendiary message. Hegseth’s record bores a tapestry of divisive rhetoric, from his opposition to women in combat roles and his dismissal of gender integration as “social engineering,” to his frequent Islamophobic remarks. His disdain for elite institutions is particularly ironic for a role that demands collaboration with the nation’s brightest minds.

Under his watch, the Pentagon risks becoming less a bastion of strategic brilliance and more a soapbox for ideological warfare. Hegseth is not merely controversial; he embodies the antithesis of the inclusive, innovative military that the U.S. aspires to maintain.

Gaetz’s appointment as Attorney General is another stark example of Trump’s keen ability to turn political responsibility into a spectacle. Gaetz, mired in allegations of sex trafficking and misconduct, is hardly the face of integrity one might expect for the nation’s top law enforcement officer. But integrity, it seems, is not the currency of Trump’s America. Gaetz’s selection is a dare aimed at those who cling to the “quaint” notion that public office should reflect public trust. In Gaetz, Trump has found not a guardian of justice, but a battering ram against it.

The pièce de résistance is Musk, now appointed to the newly created position of co-chair for the Department of Government Efficiency — a role that didn’t exist until Trump invented it for him. Musk’s intellect is undeniable, but so is his volatility. The man who dreams of colonizing Mars and revolutionizing transportation has also embraced conspiracy theories and engaged in Twitter spats with elected officials.

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Musk’s appointment is Trumpian in its purest form: dazzling in its ambition but unmoored from the realities of governance. By carving out this role specifically for Musk, Trump signals his intention to prioritize spectacle over substance, underscoring a broader trend in American politics where celebrity and provocation often eclipse competence and service.
These appointments, taken together, are a reflection of Trump’s political ethos. He doesn’t govern so much as disrupt, appointing figures who embody his disdain for convention and relish in polarization.

But these appointments also tell a story about America. They reflect a nation where distrust of institutions runs deep, where the lines between governance and entertainment blur and where controversy is not a disqualifier, but a calling card. Trump’s cabinet selections are not only an aberration; they’re a mirror, reflecting the cultural and political fissures that define our time.

For young people and students — many of whom are grappling with a sense of disillusionment about the future — Trump’s cabinet choices serve as a grim syllabus in political nihilism. At Syracuse University, where aspiring leaders debate governance and justice, these appointments undermine foundational lessons about accountability, merit and public service.
The spectacle of these selections signals to students that institutions built to safeguard democracy can be repurposed as tools of disruption and polarization. This breeds a dangerous apathy among a generation that should be energized to repair and improve these systems, and instead leaves them disheartened and disengaged from the roles they’re meant to inherit.

As the nation grapples with what these appointments mean, it’s worth asking not just what kind of president makes these choices, but what kind of country accepts them. Trump’s cabinet will not just be a commentary on him as a leader — it’s a commentary on us as members of this democracy.

Max Lancer is a junior majoring in chemistry, biochemistry and mathematics. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at mlancer@syr.edu.

Published on November 21, 2024 at 1:11 am