President-elect Donald Trump has made his selections and nominees  to fill his cabinet for his second-term of presidency. Trump has chosen names for the positions in the cabinet, and Saint Anselm students are weighing in on Trump’s picks. 

Remaining anonymous, a student remarked on the decision of selecting Elon Musk to lead the new “Department of Government Efficiency.”

The student said, “if Elon Musk is really going to take the role in this position, he will create a monopoly.”

“I think Elon Musk will have to step down from his role, because what he does might benefit his previous company,” the student said. 

The student went on to explain Musk’s role as CEO of Tesla, and remarked that it will be interesting to see how the company is impacted by Trump’s economic plans, particularly on tariffs. 

Other students gave more general sentiments of their thoughts on Trump’s cabinet selections. Zachary Rouse ’25 shared his thoughts on Trump’s picks and simply shared that “it’s embarrassing.” Though there were no mentions of specific chosen members, Rouse seemingly disapproves of the selections as a whole. 

Another student, though not naming specific chosen members, did not share great confidence in the picks. Anna Milne ’25 said that “it feels fake,” and that it all “feels like reality TV.”

Other students have looked into some specific cabinet nominees, their backgrounds, and the policies that they support. 

When researching Trump’s pick of RFK Jr. as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Nicole Minnich ’25 questioned, “how can you say you’re big on health while being anti-vaccine?” 

Concerns over healthcare and stances on healthcare by those in political positions are not a new topic and are not void of controversies. 

Remarking on Matt Gaetz, Trump’s original selection as Attorney General, Minnich was in general shock when learning about his previous criminal charges, including sex trafficking of a minor, stalking, wire fraud, and identity theft. 

“I think it’s really stupid, [that he was selected,]”Minnich said, discussing the nomination prior to Gaetz’s resignation. 

Remarks were shared about Saint Anselm alum Karoline Leavitt’s selection as White House Press Secretary by Minnich and Elizabeth Moran ’25. “It is really cool to see,” Moran said.

“I think it’s really cool to see Saint Anselm represented in the White House,” Minnich said, and “I think it gives hope to other Politics majors [at Saint Anselm] that this could really take them somewhere.” 

Looking into the Department of Education and Trump’s pick, Moran remarked on the importance of maintaining constitutional rights within education.

“Teaching religion in schools violates the First Amendment, and seems more like indoctrination than anything else,” Moran said. 

“I think people higher up think they’re above the Consitution, and abusing it will lead to the demise of it,” Moran said.

Overall, Moran said “it will be interesting to see what happens,” with Trump’s picks for cabinet members. 

As the country enters into another Trump presidency with new Cabinet selections, it is important to acknowledge the impact that these selections have on the functioning and efficacy of the government.