After winning the U.S. election in November, former President Donald Trump has begun announcing his administration appointments. From TV show host Dr. Oz to Space-X Founder Elon Musk, Trump's nominees began to make headlines, with the Atlantic calling his announcements a "nomination circus" due to the "sheer quantity of individually unqualified selections."
Leading up to inauguration day, as Trump continues to announce more nominees, we would do well to examine his intentions behind specific nominations through the lens of foreign policy. Positions such as Secretary of State, U.N. and NATO ambassador, and Director of National Intelligence are more than mere international relations positions. They shape diplomatic policy, relationships, foreign audiences' perceptions, and the reputation for trustfulness and cooperation of the United States, all of which have been cultivated for more than 2 centuries. Alongside Trump's "America First" policy and continued call for strength and loyalty in his administration, these cabinet-level picks have the power and the President's trust to transform U.S. foreign relations.
Here are the individuals Trump has selected for these key foreign policy roles:
The Secretary of State, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Trump's nomination for America's top diplomat comes as no shock ideologically. Despite having no diplomatic experience, Senator Rubio's nomination is the foundation of Trump's foreign policy plan. He is a harsh critic of several key target countries for the administration: China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, and a staunch supporter of "...America above all else."
Sen. Rubio has vehemently criticized anti-US partnerships, such as those of BRICS, as the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations. "They all share one goal, and that is, they want to weaken America, weaken our alliances, weaken our standing and our capability and our will," he said in a speech.
The U.N. Ambassador, Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY 21st District)
Given the continued and ongoing conversations about the Israel-Gaza conflict at the United Nations, Trump's pick for U.N. Ambassador is a reaffirmation of his support for the Israeli cause. Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY 21st District) is a long-time ally and one of the highest-ranking Republicans in the House of Representatives.
Despite having no substantial international relations career experience, Rep. Stefanik has been an outspoken supporter of Israel and has called the United Nations response into question. Rep. Stefanik has accused the United Nations of anti-semitism, called for a re-evaluation of U.S. funding for the inter-governmental organization, and helped block humanitarian aid to the region, all points of Trump's platform.
The U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker
Campaigning on NATO skepticism, Trump nominated former acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO. While lacking any foreign policy experience, Whitaker's background is an interesting choice by Trump as it reflects the one facet of his "America First" policy: order.
While Whitaker has a U.S. legal and criminal justice background and no foreign policy or national security experience, Trump believes he will effectively corral member countries into reaching their defense spending commitments. This promotion of worldwide militarization echoes Trump's "law and order" talking point on an international scale.
The Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard
Former Representative Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to Director of National Intelligence is a pivotal pick for Trump's proposed overhauls of intelligence agencies. Her experience is entirely unrelated to the job itself. This coupled with her loyalty to Trump and continued parroting of disinformation from foreign actors is a cause of great concern but also a core reason Trump chose her to command a budget of more than $70bn and 18 intelligence agencies.
Gabbard has a deeply rooted mistrust of U.S. intelligence, information, and its policies. CNN calls her "the most markedly anti-surveillance official to lead the intelligence community in the post-9/11 era." Having traveled to Syria on a "fact-finding" mission and supported the pardoning of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, Gabbard represents something that the Trump party has campaigned on: a promise to purge the "deep state" and build a government based on American and Trump loyalty.
All these contrasting picks tessellate into a mosaic defined by loyalty to the President and apologism for nationalism and violence. Guided by an "America First" approach from appointment on, these nominees plan to abandon the foundational U.S. principles of multilateralism, globalism, and anti-authoritarianism, emphasizing "the right of all nations to put their own interests first." These policy and ideological priorities will have potentially devastating impacts on the U.S.' ability to continue diplomatic relations to solve the world's most critical issues, like climate change, preserve a longstanding reputation as a global power in international conversations, and broker peace in the case of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Often quoted as exemplifying "peace through strength," Trump's picks reflect his stance on how he will assume and execute power internationally. Trump and the members of his administration will abandon diplomacy precedents, ignore global demilitarisation calls, and prioritise neoconservative values, showcasing a flawed notion of military might for world peace on a worldwide stage.
Image: Flickr/The White House (Shealah Craighead)
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