washington – Donald Trump He spent much of his first term feeling stung and betrayed by the people he brought to power. He’s not taking any chances this time.

like that trying to fill the administration For the second time, Trump has turned to a dizzying mix of candidates. Most of his chosen people are his personal friends. Others are familiar faces on Fox News Channel or other conservative outlets. Some have extensive experience in the fields they have been elected to lead, while others have seemingly no experience. Some seem chosen to shock and awe, some to reassure, and some to unleash chaos.

Newcomers to his cause line up shoulder to shoulder with his longtime allies. China hawks can serve in positions of power alongside a peace activist. But no matter the differences in ideology or strength of résumé, they will be there to carry out Trump’s will above all else.

During his first term, Trump was pleased with the efforts of his aides and advisers to “manage” the Washington newcomer and was frustrated by leaks from rival groups engaged in ideological warfare and vying for his ear.

He now prioritizes loyalty above all else and aims to reduce infighting and maximize his ability to reshape Washington during his second tour in the Oval Office, aides and allies said.

“When he was first elected, Trump didn’t have this rich experience in D.C. or relationships with people in Washington,” said Marc Lotter, a former aide who now works at the America First Policy Institute. is closely linked to its transition. “A lot of the people he approached were trying to take advantage of that to get him to their own views, rather than accommodating his view and what he was elected to do.”

Lotter said of Trump: “If he makes a decision, he wants them to implement that decision.”

Presidents always appoint trusted aides and people who are likely to support their agenda. But critics fear Trump will install an administration designed to eliminate any domestic pressure on his policies and impulses.

With grievances, a desire for revenge, and a list of people he wants to target, Trump will enter office with far fewer guardrails and checks on his power than last time. He will return to Washington with a Republican-controlled Congress and a conservative Supreme Court that includes three justices he appointed and has ruled that he is largely immune from investigation.

Trump has long said that his biggest mistake in his first term was electing the wrong people. He came to Washington as an outsider who had never served in government, and he says he relied on others for staff recommendations.

“We did a very good job. But now we’re going to do a much better job because now I know the people. I know the good ones and the bad ones. I know the weak ones, the strong ones. I know the stupid ones. I know the smart ones. I know them all,” he said during the final stretch of the race. at the rally.

He accused his aides of thwarting his first-term efforts. attacks them by calling them “stupid” And weak. The extent to which Trump was pushed back by his own appointees was often a reflection of the extraordinary nature of his orders.

His first term was filled with examples of aides trying to outwit Trump by walking slowly or ignoring directives they viewed as wrong. Sometimes they tried to organize 11th hour campaigns to reverse them. Sometimes they dragged their feet, hoping that Trump would forget what he ordered and move on to something else.

One notable example occurred just a few weeks before leaving office: Trump signed informal documents prepared by some of his political aides ordering the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, but faced intense opposition from his national security team. He eventually reversed course.

When he tried to send active-duty U.S. troops to control mass protests in 2020 after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police, aides resisted, concerned about the military’s illegal use against the country’s own citizens.

In 2016, Trump filled most of his team with high-powered business leaders, many of whom had worked in the industries they were tasked with regulating. These included names such as Rex Tillerson, who led energy giant ExxonMobil before becoming secretary of state.

Trump has also sought to surround himself with a cadre of military brass he likes to call “my generals.” This time Trump went in a very different direction.

In most cases this means no expertise is required. Lee Zeldin, appointed administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has little background on climate or regulatory issues. Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman tapped to lead the nation’s intelligence community, has been embraced by Kremlin allies for her dovish views on the war in Ukraine. And Pete Hegseth, the weekend co-anchor of Fox News tapped to serve as secretary of defense, has no Pentagon experience.

Aides say Trump has chosen people he believes are committed to his America First agenda and best able to implement that agenda, and he is pleased that even his controversial picks are already shaking Washington.

“The American people re-elected President Trump by a landslide, giving him the authority to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail — and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority of putting America first,” said Trump-Vance Transition Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.

Some of his early announcements suggested a fairly conventional approach, including his selection of U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, a retired Army National Guard officer and combat veteran, as his national security adviser.

But some of Trump’s recent picks have gone down like lead balloons.

Nomination decision Florida Representative Matt Gaetz The attorney general’s statement drew clear shock and alarm from Democrats, who are concerned that Trump will retaliate against his opponents and shield his allies from prosecution. Even Gaetz’s House Republicans, who gathered at the Capitol when the announcement was made, initially thought the news was a joke.

Another choice that raised eyebrows was his choice Leading the Ministry of Defense. Hegseth is a veteran who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay and received two bronze stars. He served as executive director of Concerned Veterans for America and wrote several books on the subject. But he has no experience in the Pentagon or running an organization approaching the size and complexity of the Department of Defense.

Matthew Waxman, a former top Republican official at the state and defense departments and the National Security Council who chairs Columbia Law School’s National Security Law Program, said running the Pentagon is a monumental task and that Hegseth appears “totally unqualified.”

“I respect everyone who serves in uniform. But Hegseth is not a serious person to run the Pentagon,” Waxman said. “I look at Hegseth and say: If unfortunately we have to wage culture wars, it will be 100 times better than real wars.”

Overall, Waxman said of Trump’s personnel choices so far: “I think he puts a premium on loyalty over management. This is dangerous for the country. “This is dangerous for America’s leadership in the world.”

Trump’s choice Robert F. Kennedy Jr., The vaccine skeptic, who vowed to eliminate federal health research and oversight to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, was the latest example of Trump putting loyalty over expertise.

Kennedy was a staunch opponent of COVID-19 vaccines, which Trump rushed into production in 2020. But it provided a significant boost for Trump and helped broaden the Republican’s electoral appeal. Although even Trump’s aides have dismissed the chance of getting a Cabinet post given some of Kennedy’s extreme policy views, the president-elect has shown he will not bow to cautious voices by accepting it anyway. ___ Colvin reported from New York.