Within a week of being elected the next U.S. President, Donald Trump has wasted no time in choosing his team. What do his top ten cabinet picks say about the next four years in the U.S., and what will they mean for India?
The big messages
Trump is breaking from the past in every way. He is not in Washington for now but at his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago—with his son Don Jr. believed to be vetting the candidates for the next administration.
He will only take over on January 20, 2025, but wants to begin the process early given the long delays in appointments he faced in Trump 1.0- Republicans now control both Houses of Congress. The choices make it clear that loyalty to Mr. Trump comes first, over any concerns of record, past positions, controversy, or diversity.
Trump’s top ten cabinet picks:
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy – Department of Government Efficiency: This is a new department, and it is unclear how far-reaching its powers are. As the world’s richest man, worth more than $260 billion, Musk is no stranger to Indians, he is the owner of X, Tesla, and Starlink, and has been negotiating his entry to manufacturing in India, although his overseas operations are largely China-based. Vivek Ramaswamy, born to Indian immigrant parents, set up a biotech company before joining politics and is unabashedly proud of his Indian origins.
Pete Hegseth – Defense Secretary: A former war veteran, Peter Hegseth is a Fox News anchor—virulently anti-China, he is likely to be a big proponent of arming the Indo-Pacific. He has no government experience and is believed to have been brought from outside the system to make tough decisions on firing generals within the U.S. government.
Marco Rubio – Secretary of State: Rubio, from Florida, is from a Cuban immigrant family and has long bet on ties with India and the U.S. In 2012, he met then Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao, asserting his belief that India was an “important ally and friend,” and was tough on Pakistan’s support for terror. In July this year, Rubio introduced a bill to give India NATO ally status for technology transfers, exempt it from CAATSA sanctions, and support it militarily against China.
Mike Waltz – NSA: He was the co-chair of the U.S.-India caucus and has advocated for better ties with India, is tough on China, and calls for “maximum pressure on Iran.”
John Ratcliffe – CIA Director: He was formerly Director of National Intelligence in Trump 1.0 and will have tough views on Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
Published – November 15, 2024 10:34 pm IST
