CNN
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A common thread threads through many of Donald Trump’s picks for his next administration, a quality the president-elect values as much as loyalty and perhaps even more than traditional qualifications: a commitment to television. It’s talent.
He poached two stars from the Fox News network, Sean Duffy as Treasury secretary and Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon. As the agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid, President Trump turned to Dr. Mehmet Oz, a famous doctor known for his health show that aired for 13 seasons. Meanwhile, his choice for the Department of Education is Linda McMahon, who co-founded and built a professional wrestling and entertainment empire with her husband.
Mike Huckabee, President Trump’s pick for ambassador to Israel, hosted the Fox News program for six years. His choice for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has continued to write for conservative networks since leaving Congress and once replaced prime-time host Tucker Carlson.
As a former reality TV star, Trump is deeply attuned to the power of the small screen. His selection process has centered on individuals who can not only clearly communicate his message, but who can defend him in the high-stakes, combative environment that characterizes modern media.
His transition team, operating in a Mar-a-Lago war room-style structure, has embraced this focus. On a large screen, his advisers played video clips of the nominee’s media performances, including footage defending him as well as past criticisms of him, and showing his intentions. It emphasizes the centrality of media strategy in decisions.
He believes the result will be a cabinet made for television, which will sell his policies to the American people and protect his administration from scrutiny by network media. Meanwhile, in some departments, lieutenants and top staff are expected to oversee day-to-day operations.
In announcing his choices, Trump highlighted the media context for many of his choices. In promoting Mr. Duffy, a four-term Wisconsin congressman turned Fox Business host, President Trump points out that he is just one example of his qualifications to oversee America’s highways, airports and railroads, and that he is a former four-term Wisconsin congressman turned Fox Business host. He cited his contribution to securing funding for roads and bridges.
But Trump made sure to point out that Duffy’s wife, Rachel Campos Duffy, is a “Fox News star.” The Duffys met as contestants on MTV’s “Road Rules: All Stars,” a spinoff of the cable station’s “Real World” series.
In announcing his selection to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, President Trump called Oz a “world-class communicator” and said the doctor’s syndicated TV show “reached millions of Americans.” , taught them how to make healthier lifestyle choices.”
Oz’s television career was previously factored into President Trump’s support for him as a 2022 Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate. President Trump said at a campaign event that Oz was “on screen” and “in every woman’s bedroom, teaching her what’s good and what’s bad.”
Even President Trump’s picks, who come from more traditional backgrounds, are showing off their cable news bona fides.
Few Republicans, for example, have made as much TV appearances in recent years as Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Walz. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, another regular Fox News guest, is set to lead the Department of Homeland Security despite having little experience with the agency’s broader mission to protect America. On the campaign trail, Sen. Marco Rubio stumbled into supporting Mr. Trump with his fluent Spanish, which may have helped secure the Florida Republican’s role in the new administration.
Over the summer, Wall Street executive Howard Rantic vigorously defended President Trump’s economic proposals, in such persuasive detail that CNBC “Squawk Box” host Rebecca Quick said: , clarified details of Republicans’ tough tariffs and trade war plans. That’s the best explanation I’ve heard. ”
The Trump campaign was so pleased with Lutnick’s performance that it posted a clip of the exchange on social media and disseminated it to supporters via email. This week, President Trump nominated Lutnick to be secretary of commerce.
The president-elect has said multiple times that both North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former acting ICE Director Tom Homan “come from the core.” Burgum was President Trump’s choice to head the Interior Department, and Homan will serve as the “border czar” who will lead the new administration’s efforts to crack down on immigration.
Mr. Trump initially sought to promote Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican who is a regular on conservative television, to become attorney general because of his oratorical talent and media savvy. However, Mr Gates, who resigned from Congress after being elected, withdrew his name from consideration amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which Mr Gates denies, and which he says is less likely than a traditional review. He emphasized the risks of prioritizing media sophistication.
President Trump on Thursday night nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to replace Gaetz. Mr. Bondi was a regular on Fox News during his two terms, even co-hosting the station’s afternoon talk show “The Five” while receiving taxpayer pay.
Hegseth, who has since left Fox, has faced backlash over his confirmation as details of an October 2017 sexual assault allegation, which he denies, have emerged.
The vetting process has faced harsh criticism from Democrats, who have taken advantage of the lack of high-profile resumes and policy experience of many of his candidates. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware told CNN’s Manu Raju that he likened the selection to a “reality TV casting call” rather than a “full-fledged” Cabinet lineup.
Several former and current Fox News contributors were among the flurry of names for non-Cabinet positions that President Trump announced Friday night. His choice for U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Janet Neshewat, became a contributor at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and remained on the air until earlier this week. Dr. Marty McCulley, the Food and Drug Administration nominee, appeared on “Fox News Sunday” over the weekend to promote President Trump’s choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
And Sebastian Gorka, whom President Trump appointed as senior counterterrorism director, was a Fox contributor in 2018 and 2019. His main media job now is as a radio host for the Salem Radio Network, but he also has a weekend show on Newsmax.
Trump’s reliance on television appearances and aesthetics to play a key role is not a new phenomenon. During his first term, he described Supreme Court nominees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh as “outliers” whose polished images helped persuade senators to confirm them. It suggested that it was a powerful reason. He selected then-CNBC personality Larry Kudlow to chair the National Economic Council. Even after leaving office, Trump continued to prioritize members of the media, hiring Christina Bobb as his lawyer after seeing her on One America News Network.
But Fox’s recent obsession with talent and regular contributors comes in the wake of a campaign that repeatedly clashed with Rupert Murdoch’s conservative news giant. He slammed Democratic broadcaster Fox, saying the network had “completely lost its way” after airing an interview between anchor Bret Baier and his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
In return, President Trump granted him significant access to an emerging field of emerging media stars, including extensive sit-down interviews with various podcasters, comedians, pranksters, and other online influencers.
Still, Mr. Trump closely monitored the cable television appearances of many of his surrogates and used the media to vet his running mate. An important criterion in choosing a vice presidential candidate was how well he performed on television. Similar to this process, Mr. Trump has watched a series of videos of Mr. Vance and other candidates, such as Mr. Rubio and Mr. Burgum, and his opinion often changes based on who he has seen on TV recently. Ta.
He settled on J.D. Vance, in part because the Ohio senator pugnaciously defended Republican candidates in interviews, and sent him on to promote Trump on television.
“He’s like the only guy I’ve ever seen, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Trump said of his misdeeds in his election night victory speech. “And he just comes in and obliterates them completely.”
CNN’s Kate Sullivan, Manu Raju, Alayna Treene and Brian Stelter contributed to this report.
