The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Archive: President-elect Trump's National Security Appointments
Dec 13, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Scott R. Anderson, a national security analyst; Mary McCord, a former DOJ official; Quinta Jurecic, an intelligence policy expert; and Alan Rozenshtein, a legal analyst, dissect Trump’s controversial Cabinet appointments. They categorize nominees into 'normies,' loyalists, and alarming wild cards. The panel expresses concern over figures like Pete Hegseth and Matt Gaetz, examining their potential impact on military accountability and DOJ integrity. They also explore the constitutional implications of recess appointments, raising alarms about politicization and risks to national security.
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Three Buckets Of Cabinet Picks
- The Trump transition's nominees fell into three buckets: conventional picks, loyalists elevated by association, and wild cards.
- The third bucket grew dominant and alarmed many observers about qualifications and risks.
First Wave Looked Conventional
- Early foreign-policy nominations (e.g., Marco Rubio) suggested a pre-cleared, consensus-driven first wave.
- A later, more disruptive wave then undercut that early signal and raised alarm.
Defense Pick Sparks Competence Alarm
- Pete Hegseth's nomination for Defense raised concerns about competence and judgment.
- His public interventions (e.g., defending accused war criminals) signaled a troubling view of military norms.