The Cabinet: What is Trump’s Agenda?

Jill Stein, a majority of the Democratic voters, and possibly some electoral college members have continued the fight. However, as the recounts and rhetoric continue, the transition team for the president-elect has continued to operate. Thus far, he has nominated several positions in his Cabinet, which has given the anxious political establishment some information on the direction of the administration. His recent appointments have signaled a significant departure from the outgoing administration. Instead of relying on individuals that have previous political experience, he is appointing individuals that have experience running a business related to their cabinet position.

Thus far, Trump has focused on appointing wealthy individuals that usually seems to clash with the direct mission of their agency. Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma Attorney General has been appointed the role of heading the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Currently, he is involved in lawsuits against the organization for their excessive regulatory practices. Pruitt is indeed a denier of the climate change threat, which is very disconcerting for most liberal politicians and environmental activists. In his role, Pruitt has the opportunity to either wreak havoc on the regulatory policies of the EPA or perhaps comply with the reasonable demands of his opposition.

The trend has continued. Trump has selected Ben Carson to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Dr. Carson notoriously wants to reverse many longstanding policies and reduce government efforts to intervene in this sector. Former Texas Governor, Rick Perry, is set to lead the Department of Energy, an agency he planned to eliminate back in his 2012 presidential campaign. Fast food CEO, Andrew Pudzer, head of the Labor Department, will clash with the outgoing administration’s policies on minimum wage standards.

The president-elect seems determined to send the message that the era of normal Washington politics is over. Perhaps these nominations are strategically placed to send a confrontational message to the political establishment and the media. For those unsure of the Trump administration’s direction, it can be assured that the old order of government practices is quickly being eroded. Now, we wait and see if the president-elect will actually follow through on his campaign trail promises.