Trump Completes Top Cabinet Picks: Why Some Are Calling It a 'Liberal Cabinet'
Special Counsel Jack Smith has moved to dismiss two federal cases against President-elect Donald Trump: his January 6th election interference case, and the classified documents case.
Trump's legal victories come as he moves full steam ahead with his transition back to the White House. As his cabinet takes shape, some Republicans as well as Democrats are disappointed with some of his picks, and those nominees could face a rough welcome in the Senate.
The website Axios calls it Trump's "Liberal cabinet," saying it might be the most ideologically diverse cabinet in modern times.
Critics on the right are going after Trump's choice for Health and Human Services, RFK Jr, for being pro-abortion.
His choice for the Labor Department, Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, was blasted by the Wall Street Journal editorial board for being too pro-union.
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Trump's pick for Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, is a former chief investment officer for George Soros. Despite that background, many conservatives support him, saying he believes in tax cuts and other Trump policies.
Tulsi Gabbard
Another controversial pick is a former elected Democrat as Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard. Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth told CNN she's concerned that Gabbard might be "compromised" because of her 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
Duckworth said, "Russian-controlled media called her 'a Russian asset.' So, I do think that we have a real deep concern whether or not she's a compromised person."
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin called Duckworth's allegation "ridiculous" and "dangerous."
"I got a lot of respect for Tammy, and I have known her for years," Mullin told CNN. "We served together in the House. But for {Duckworth} to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong. You got to keep in mind, Tulsi Gabbard is still a colonel in the United States Army. If {Gabbard} was compromised, if she wasn't able to pass a background check, if she wasn't able to do her job, she still wouldn't be in the Army."
Pete Hegseth
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, a rape survivor, told Politico that past sexual allegations against Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee to lead the Defense Department, are worthy of "discussion."
Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty told ABC Hegseth is needed to fix the military.
"Don't let these allegations distract us," Hagerty said. "What we need is real, significant change. The Pentagon has been more focused on pronouns than they have lethality the past four years. We need to get back to business, and I think Pete is just the person to do it."
Meanwhile, The London Sunday Times reports Trump will issue an executive order on his first day in office for the removal of all transgender members of the U.S. military.
One study 10 years ago estimated that as many as 15,000 active service personnel were transgender. Defense sources told the Times they will be medically discharged as unfit to serve.
While the Trump team is taking some criticism for individual choices, a recent CBS News poll shows overwhelming support for the transition among young voters, with 65 percent approving the way the former president has handled the early choices for his administration. One analyst called it a "seismic shift."
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