Trump's Cabinet selections need more work

Selecting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services is a foolish, dangerous decision [“Thwart unwise Cabinet picks,” Editorial, Nov. 17].

He is not a doctor, has no medical training, and is a major purveyor of misinformation about childhood vaccines. He continuously claims that vaccines are a cause of autism in children, a theory that has been debunked countless times by science.

The development of vaccines has been one of the greatest achievements of all time, saving millions of lives. Without them, we would live in a world filled with great suffering, deformity, and death. He should not be confirmed for this important job.

— Janet Farber, Jericho

President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leaves many, even some Republican elected officials, shaking their heads. This nominee, along with his other highly questionable choices for Cabinet positions, should come as no shock since Trump outlined exactly what he was going to do at his rallies.

— Michael J. Vicchiarelli, Eastport

Is Donald Trump going to wave a magic wand and — presto! — all the food prices are down? What does Robert F. Kennedy Jr. know about health and disease? And choosing former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general? Is he kidding? Gaetz was being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. And South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who shot her dog, for Homeland Security secretary? This is going to be some Cabinet if they get confirmed.

— Camille Morselli, Islip Terrace

It’s strange how much interest and energy were spent on investigating Hunter Biden, who held no political office, and so much energy has been spent on hiding Matt Gaetz’s ethics report. I wonder if the discrepancy might be due to political affiliation.

— Jim Brennan, Rocky Point

The editorial says, “Trump certainly has a mandate to shake up the status quo.” Depends how you define “shake up.”

There is never one cause for a presidential victory although most attribute Donald Trump’s victory principally to the economy and border. Few would cite his propensity for weird actions — like picking his Cabinet nominees — as reason for voting for him.

Trump won the Electoral College and popular vote, but so did George W. Bush in 2004. Bush then got hit with a blue wave in the 2006 off-year elections and left office in 2008 with the lowest approval rating ever. If Trump keeps taking these strange actions, he will be overwhelmed by a bigger wave in the 2026 off-year elections than Bush was in 2006.

Things can change fast in a democracy, and we may see a blue tidal wave in the coming off-year elections. That is, of course, if we still have a democracy in 2026.

— Jim Morgo, Bayport

No one can ever accuse Donald Trump of being subtle. His lineup of some inexperienced, inept Cabinet choices broadcasts his intentions loud and clear. Put into action are the whims of an unstable and vindictive president. This was not the salvation of an already tamed inflation that his supporters pressed for.

By sowing confusion and having no regard for expertise, Trump has conveyed weakness to our predatory Chinese and Russian adversaries. The risk of a war with unimaginable casualties has been dramatically enhanced. Americans are justified in their anxiety.

— David G. O’Brien, Mount Sinai

Pete Hegseth, the proposed secretary of defense, wants women out of military combat. Apparently, he wants to get the women back in the kitchen taking care of babies.

— Gus Franza, Setauket

Senate Republicans will soon have to decide if they still have an important role in “advice and consent,” or if they’re just going to let Donald Trump run roughshod over all three branches of government.

— Lennard Axinn, Huntington Bay

Trust Dan Janison to think that anything Donald Trump does is questionable — despite the fact that Trump’s predecessors did the same thing [“Loyalty is Donald Trump’s litmus test,” Opinion, Nov. 14].

His argument would be stronger had he noted the consistency with which previous presidents selected cabinet members they believed would be disloyal. None would be found. According to his critics, Trump should populate his cabinet with potential Brutuses.

Consider how members of the government bureaucracy and heads of agencies behaved during Trump’s first administration. They proved themselves more loyal to the opposition — maintaining the status quo — from the moment he won the election.

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in 2021 he would reach out to his counterpart in China to let him know that Milley would warn China before the United States launched an attack. That was egregious in its failure to follow the chain of command.

— Barbara A. Clerkin, Glen Head