United by loyalty, but Trump's new team has conflicting agendas

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Trump with Gabbard at public meeting

If personnel truly constitutes policy, then we learned a lot this week about how Donald Trump plans to govern in his second term.

More than a dozen major nominations, some of which will require Senate approval, offer a clearer picture of the team charged with driving his agenda upon his return to the White House.

From the outside, they seem united by one thing: loyalty to the ruler.

But beneath the surface lie competing goals.

Here are four factions that reveal both Trump's ambition and the potential tricky tests that lie ahead for his leadership.

Deep State Disruptors

By Mike Wendling, BBC News, Chicago

Who: Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr

Their agenda: This trio are among the most vocal politicians who actively oppose American policy, particularly under President Biden. Choosing Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general is probably Trump's most controversial choice.

Gaetz has represented Florida's 1st Congressional District since 2017. A graduate of William and Mary Law School, he led the impeachment of California Congressman Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House in October 2023.

He was investigated by a House Ethics Committee for allegedly paying for sex with a minor, using illegal drugs and misusing campaign funds. He denies any wrongdoing and no criminal charges have been filed.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick to become director of national intelligence, is a military veteran who served in a medical unit in Iraq. She is a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who switched parties to support Trump.

Gabbard has regularly opposed U.S. foreign policy, blaming NATO for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, casting doubt on the services' assessments American intelligence accusing Assad of using chemical weapons.

Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump's nominee to oversee health care, is a longtime lawyer and environmentalist. He also spread fringe theories about vaccines and the effects of 5G phone signals.

An overview of Trump's cabinet and its key roles… in 74 seconds

What this tells us: Like Trump, Gaetz, Gabbard and Kennedy are aggressive challengers of the status quo. All three frequently fall into conspiracy.

They are perhaps among the most determined supporters of Trump's plan to dismantle the bureaucratic deep state. The president-elect chose particular battles in each of the areas he would oversee: law enforcement, intelligence and health.

But bomb throwers can also be undisciplined subordinates. Kennedy wants tighter regulations in the food and agriculture sectors, which could conflict with the Trump administration's cutback agenda.

Gaetz's views on some issues — he favors legalizing marijuana — are outside the Republican mainstream.

And Gabbard, a fierce critic of American power, will work for a president who is not afraid to use it – for example against Iran.

Border extremists

By Bernd Debusmann, BBC News, Washington

Who: Tom Homan, Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem

Their agenda: The three hard-liners tasked with implementing Trump's border and immigration policies have pledged to step up security and crack down on undocumented immigrants crossing the U.S. border. Mexico.

Domestically, they – and the new Trump administration as a whole – have called for a drastic increase in deportations, starting with those considered threats to national security or public safety, and a return to enforcement operations in the workplace that were suspended by the Biden administration.

What this tells us: Besides the economy, polls have repeatedly suggested that immigration and the border with Mexico are top concerns for many voters.

The possibility of increased evictions and workplace searches, however, could put Trump on a collision course with Democratic-leaning states and jurisdictions that may decide to respond or not cooperate. Some Republican states – whose economies rely partly on immigrant labor – could also oppose it.

Tech libertarians

By Natalie Sherman, BBC business reporter, New York

Who: Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy

Their agenda: Trump appointed the world's richest person, Elon Musk, to lead a cost-cutting effort called the Department of Government Efficiency.

He will share the role with Vivek Ramaswamy, a 39-year-old investor-turned-politician who became an ardent supporter of Trump after withdrawing from his candidacy in the Republican primary.

The two men are among the loudest and flashiest tech brothers, a group that has turned to Trump this year, looking for a champion to disavow woke political correctness and embrace a libertarian view of a small government, low taxes and light regulation.

Musk has hinted at a possible $2 trillion spending cut, promising to send shockwaves through the government.

Ramaswamy, who supported abolishing the tax collection agency, the IRS and the Department of Education, among others, wrote after the announcement: Shut up.

What this tells us: These appointments are an acknowledgment of the help Trump received during his election campaign from Ramaswamy and Musk, the latter of whom personally invested more than $100 million in the campaign.

But time will tell how much power this faction will have.

Despite its name, the department is not an official agency. The commission will stand outside of government to advise on spending, which is partly controlled by Congress.

Trump, who racked up budget deficits during his first term, has shown little commitment to cutting spending.

He has promised not to touch Social Security and Medicare – two of the government's biggest spending areas – which could make it difficult to cut costs.

RFK Jr's pledge to strengthen regulation of food additives and ultra-processed foods could also conflict with Musk and Ramaswamy's mandate to cut red tape.

Chinese falcons

By Tom Bateman, BBC State Department Correspondent

Who: Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz, John Ratcliffe.

Their agenda: these men will lead Trump's America First foreign policy. They are all hawks on China.

Rubio, a candidate for secretary of state, is among Beijing's harshest critics, having advocated a travel ban on some Chinese officials and the closure of U.S. trade offices in Hong Kong.

All three are likely to enforce Trump's pledge for much higher tariffs on Chinese imports. They view Beijing as the main economic and security threat to the United States. Waltz – chosen as national security adviser – said the United States was engaged in a Cold War with the ruling Communist Party.

Ratcliffe, Trump's nominee for CIA director and who served as intelligence chief during his first term, compared the fight against the rise of China to the defeat of fascism or the fall of the Iron Curtain.

What this tells us: Although Trump often states his own hawkish economic views toward China, he has also vacillated — which could spark tensions with his top foreign policy team.

During his first term, Trump started a trade war with Beijing (attempts at de-escalation failed due to the pandemic) and relations deteriorated further when he referred to Covid as the Chinese virus.

But he also praised President Xi Jinping, calling him a brilliant leader ruling with an iron fist.

This unpredictability could make managing the Americas’ most important strategic relationships even more difficult. Rubio could also clash with Gabbard, Trump's pick for intelligence director, who has previously criticized him on foreign policy, saying he “represents the neoconservative, hawkish establishment.”

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