Trump posted the following message on Nov. 9 on his own social media platform, Truth Social, “I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump administration, which is currently in formation.”

Not all cabinet appointments require Senate confirmation. For example, Trump and his staff have created a few new positions that don’t need it. He is also trying to use a mechanism known as “recess appointments” to get nominees through without review.

Trump justified this tactic, stating: “Any Republican senator seeking the coveted leadership position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner. We need positions filled immediately.” (The Guardian, Nov. 15)

One of the first cabinet selections was Republican Party consultant Susie Wiles as Trump’s chief of staff. Wiles worked as Ronald Reagan’s campaign scheduler in 1980, and she has been involved in far-right politics since then.

Wiles has commented, “The clown car can’t come into the White House at will,” and claims Trump “agrees” with her regarding that statement. (The Independent, Nov. 9) Despite Wiles’ message, most Trump appointments so far have been Christian nationalists, “anarcho-capitalists,” warmongers, one accused sex trafficker and several accused sexual harassers. This article will examine some of his earliest picks.