James Carville, a seasoned political strategist, and Ronna McDaniel, former chair of the RNC, both agree that former President Trump’s controversial picks for his administration should come as no surprise.
Carville, who served as a senior adviser to President Bill Clinton, pointed out during a Thursday appearance on NewsNation’s “CUOMO” that Trump made it clear from the beginning that his approach would be disruptive. “He said he was going to do this,” Carville remarked, adding that his actions should not surprise anyone.
James Carville and Ronna McDaniel weigh in on Trump’s predictable controversial administration picks
McDaniel, on the other hand, emphasized that the focus for voters is on tangible outcomes, particularly in areas like the economy. She explained that people are concerned with the practical results of governance, particularly issues like border control and cost reduction.
“This was an election about the economy,” McDaniel said. “If they get the job done—if they fix the border, bring costs down, and are effective—nobody’s going to remember what happened during this nomination process.”
Trump has been making swift moves to populate his administration with high-profile appointments. Among the most notable are billionaire Elon Musk and former rival Vivek Ramaswamy, both tapped to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being named head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) recently withdrew his nomination for attorney general after facing controversy. Gaetz shared his decision on X, explaining that after receiving feedback from senators, he felt his nomination was becoming a distraction to the Trump/Vance Transition. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction,” Gaetz wrote.
“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.” He emphasized the urgency of getting Trump’s Department of Justice in place quickly.
Carville commented that he wasn’t surprised by Gaetz’s withdrawal, speculating that more revelations were likely to surface. He added, “I have a firm belief that human nature of this type is repetitive.”
