Political draft season is in full swing!
By Renae Cowley, Frank Pignanelli
Republican Renae Cowley is a political consultant, lobbyist, social media influencer and professional rodeo athlete. Frank Pignanelli is a Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser who served as a Democrat in the Utah State Legislature.
Cowley: For perhaps the first time ever, TMZ and MSNBC headlines are identical on Trump’s unconventional cabinet appointments. I’m not sure if you can call them the Avengers or the X-Men, but what is apparent is this cabinet is intended to upset the Washington, D.C., apple cart, also known as the “deep state.” Donald Trump said throughout his campaign that he mistakenly appointed too many “experts” from inside the Beltway. This dramatic, celebrity-centered course correction is intended to majorly reform the federal government. Here is who I will be keeping my eye on:
FBI director: Kash Patel said he would empty the Hoover Building. Will he or won’t he?
Defense secretary: Pete Hegseth. Looks like central casting for the hero of an action movie.
Department of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. This will have the most sweeping impact on the federal government — whether good or bad, only time will tell.
Health and Human Services Director: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I’m all about MAHA, so bring it on.
Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard. Do I know exactly what this role is? No. Am I eager to see what she does? Absolutely.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator: Dr. Mehmet Oz. Oh boy.
Secretary of Transportation: Sean Duffy. Fox celebrity No. 1.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee. Fox celebrity No. 2.
U.S. Ambassador to France: Charles Kushner. Terrible idea. Surely there are other qualified individuals without a familial connection to the commander in chief.
White House press secretary: Karoline Leavitt. What was I doing at age 27? Nothing even remotely this cool. Get it, girl!
And finally, shoutout to the BYU graduate and Latter-day Saint Jamieson Greer, Chief Trade representative.
Pignanelli: “The necessity of (Senate) concurrence would have a powerful, though, in general, a silent operation … and would tend greatly to prevent the appointment of unfit characters.” – Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Papers No. 76
The only other president elected to nonconsecutive terms was Grover Cleveland, who did not seek the reappointment of his former cabinet members. Trump is following this narrow precedent.
More importantly, Trump utilizes his previous experience to work fast with a flurry of nominations. While this is causing a flummox in traditional D.C. circles, it does play into his persona as a disruptor.
Further, Trump’s announcements force business and foreign leaders to negotiate with him six weeks before the inauguration. We now have two presidents formulating and implementing policy.
Utah leaders will work well with the proposed Interior secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. Also, it should be no surprise that Musk and Ramaswamy will look to Utah’s governance as a guide to efficient government.
Senators are doing their best to refrain from offering declarations of how they will vote and make statements of deference to the president’s constitutional authority to appoint. So far, they have been discreetly exercising Hamilton’s predictions.
Will there be changes in Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s administration?
Cowley: It is common to see minor changes in cabinet positions after the election. Gov. Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson have assembled a strong cast to support their policy priorities. If any leave, it will likely be to pursue new opportunities, not due to political pressure.
Pignanelli: In the past, some governors required all cabinet members and other major appointments to submit a resignation letter, and only a few would ultimately be accepted. Presidents elected in a different political party from the immediate past incumbent often want a clean sweep to ensure their agenda is followed.
But Utah is different.
The last time there was a political power change was 40 years ago. Also, Utah chief executives have a strong track record of appointing competent administrators. While natural attrition occurs, there is little justification for significant changes, as the state has been well governed.
Cox will likely hold over many of his first-term appointments, but they will eventually move on to seek different endeavors. Cox assembled a good team, and there is little need for significant change.
The state Legislature announced new committee assignments. What changed and what does it mean for the upcoming legislative session?
Cowley & Pignanelli: The shakeup in Senate leadership altered their committee landscape, while many chairs held their important positions. The most significant change in the House is rural Rep. Bridger Bolinder’s, R-Grantsville, new chairmanship of Health and Human Services and Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, as Rules Chair.
Renae is excited to see members of a younger generation (Gen X), Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Draper, and Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, taking the reins in two leadership positions in the Senate, normally reserved for more patinaed lawmakers. Like Sen. Mitt Romney said, “it is time for a new generation of leaders.”
Frank is gleeful that many “more seasoned” lawmakers have maintained or been awarded key positions. These include a powerful committee, Business and Labor, that is in the steady hands of the well-respected and experienced Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City. Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden, (former Weber State president) will now co-chair Higher Education Appropriations.