Donald Trump continues to unveil the faces of his prospective administration. On Wednesday the former president announced that Marco Rubio would serve as the nation’s top diplomat, that Representative Matt Gaetz would hold the post of United States Attorney General, and that Tulsi Gabbard, the former congresswoman who changed parties, would become the next Director of National Intelligence.
He described Rubio as a “very powerful voice for freedom” and “a fearless warrior who will never back down against our adversaries.” Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, would become the first Latino to hold the position. He is widely viewed as a hawk, favoring a hard line with China, Venezuela, and Iran. He is also known for his unwavering support of Israel. It is not surprising that pro‑Israel lobbying groups are among his principal donors, according to OpenSecrets.
In terms of Latin America, Rubio has been a sharp critic of the Cuban regime, the Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, and the Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega. In a written statement, the senator asserted that under Trump’s leadership the United States would pursue peace through strength and place American interests above all else. When outlets reported that Rubio was being considered for the role of secretary of state, some Republican lawmakers urged Trump to reconsider because of what they described as hawkish instincts that had marked Rubio’s career.
An Extreme-Right Populist at the Helm of the Justice Department
Even more controversy is anticipated with the nomination of Matt Gaetz to head the Department of Justice. The Florida congressman sits firmly on the far right and has emerged in Washington as one of the most theatrical voices within the Trump faction. His loyalty to the president is beyond doubt, and his appointment signals that Trump may pursue political and legal actions against perceived internal enemies of the United States — a central pledge of his campaign.
“It is a great honor to announce that the Florida congressman Matt Gaetz is nominated to be the attorney general of the United States. Matt is a tenacious and exceptionally capable attorney,” Trump said in a statement. “Few issues in the country are more important than ending the instrumentalization of the judiciary that, in his view, has been advanced by the Biden Administration.”
Lastly Trump named Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, an assignment that surprised many observers. Although she had no direct experience within the intelligence community, she had served in the National Guard. The former Democratic representative turned Trump ally would oversee the entire U.S. intelligence apparatus, including the CIA, the NSA, and the intelligence divisions of the FBI.
Isolated and unorthodox, Gabbard has been openly critical of NATO and has echoed some of the disinformation rhetoric associated with Russia, such as claims that the United States finances biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine. In 2017 she met with Syrian President Bashar al‑Assad, a strong Kremlin ally whose actions have led to immense civilian suffering. Trump stated that Gabbard would bring to the intelligence community the fearless spirit that has defined her career, defending constitutional rights and promoting security through strength.