[News Terms] Media Representing American Conservatism

Fox News Figures Fill Key Posts in Trump's Second-Term Cabinet
Concerns Grow Over Lack of Expertise Among Appointees
'MAGA Warriors' Chosen for Loyalty Over Experience

Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, is consecutively appointing former Fox News affiliates to key positions in his second-term cabinet. This is based on the judgment that he needs 'MAGA (Make America Great Again) warriors' who will absolutely obey his policy direction. As a result, controversies over the expertise of Trump's second-term cabinet are expected to follow like a 'tag.'

In the upcoming second-term cabinet, notable former Fox News affiliates include ▲Pete Hegseth, nominee for Secretary of Defense ▲Sean Duffy, nominee for Secretary of Transportation ▲Tulsi Gabbard, nominee for Director of National Intelligence (DNI) ▲Mike Huckabee, nominee for Ambassador to Israel ▲Billy Long, nominee for Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. All of them have worked as Fox News hosts or contributors. On the 3rd, Trump also announced the appointment of Tammy Bruce, a regular Fox News contributor, as State Department spokesperson. It is reported that more than 10 former Fox News affiliates have been appointed to positions in Trump’s second administration.

Fox News, a media outlet representing American conservatism, is famously the most favorable to Trump. Fox News is credited with leading the political rise of Trump, who was a real estate tycoon. During his first term, Trump used Fox News as a channel to convey policies and messages.

Fox News also focused on reporting the possibility of ballot manipulation to support Trump’s claims of 'election fraud' after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Later, Fox News limited Trump’s appearances on their broadcasts, which strained their relationship, but under pressure from news viewers, they reversed their stance and restored a friendly relationship with Trump during this election. Fox News attracted attention by being the first to declare 'Trump victory' during the vote count of this presidential election.

The core of Trump’s second-term cabinet is to appoint loyal figures armed with America First ideology. It is said that former Fox News affiliates are perfect for achieving early policy shifts in areas such as the economy, foreign affairs, and immigration. There is also an analysis that this is based on the experience Trump gained while running his first administration. At that time, as an outsider within the Republican Party, Trump had no 'his own people' around him and frequently clashed with senior government officials appointed from outside.

However, as Trump fills his second-term cabinet with a large number of former Fox News affiliates, controversies are expected to persist throughout his term. This is because policies could be influenced by ideology or political interests rather than experience or expertise. For example, Pete Hegseth, the nominee for Secretary of Defense in his 40s, only has experience as a reserve officer at the field grade level. Typically, the Secretary of Defense is a person in their 60s or older with a general officer background. This is why U.S. media voices sarcastically say, "Candidates from Fox News have thin resumes."