Fox News Personalities Become Trump's Favorite Choices for Cabinet Positions
Television personalities are gaining significant positions in the upcoming second Trump administration.
TroibNews 
### Want a job in the second Trump administration? Get booked on a cable news show.
As President-elect Donald Trump works to swiftly assemble his Cabinet, he has selected several television personalities for significant administration positions — including four individuals with previous ties to Fox News. Notable TV figures joining his administration include Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth and border "czar" Thomas Homan, both of whom were directly employed by Fox, as well as Representative Michael Waltz, a Florida Republican who frequently appears on cable networks and is set to become Trump's national security adviser.
Other candidates appear to be adopting similar strategies to bolster their chances. The CNBC morning show "Squawk Box" has turned into a popular venue for Wall Street executives and alumni from Trump’s first term who are vying for the role of Treasury secretary and other vital economic roles. This platform allows them to demonstrate their media prowess to a significant audience, including Trump himself. Recently, he commended the show's co-anchor, Joe Kernen, on Truth Social.
“A lot of people that he picks have had media experience, media exposure — that’s obviously very important to him," remarked John Bolton, who served as national security adviser during Trump’s first term after over a decade as a contributor to Fox News. “But it’s no guarantee of smooth sailing.”
The rise of cable news personalities to prominent positions underscores the potential influence the medium may exert in the second Trump administration. Although TV networks are facing increasing competition from media startups favored by younger demographics, cable seems to retain its dominance with Trump. His recent surge of personnel choices — including unexpected figures like Hegseth — indicates that media coverage might once again play a crucial role in shaping the actions of the Trump administration and serve as a direct communication channel to the president-elect.
Trump and his transition team are evaluating candidates from a room at Mar-a-Lago that features televisions where media clips and bios of candidates can be shown, as revealed by a source who requested anonymity to discuss the details.
Fox News, the conservative cable powerhouse that Trump has occasionally clashed with, is poised to have substantial influence, as it remains the home to many of his key media allies. His administration already includes several former employees: Hegseth, Homan, Israel ambassador candidate Mike Huckabee, and director of national intelligence contender Tulsi Gabbard.
During his first term, Trump frequently watched and commented on Fox News programming, which granted the network significant weight within the White House. Bolton noted that Trump "watched Fox incessantly" in the dining room adjacent to the Oval Office.
The appointment of Hegseth surprised many within defense policy circles, where concerns were raised about his qualifications to oversee the largest federal agency. Hegseth joined Fox as a contributor in 2014 and has hosted its weekend morning program in recent years.
Waltz, a prominent Trump supporter and defense advocate in the House, was a more predictable choice for national security adviser. However, like others, he has capitalized on Fox to advance his career. Data from Media Matters, a left-leaning media watchdog, indicates that Waltz made at least 176 weekday appearances on Fox News from the beginning of 2023 until Election Day — more than any other member of Congress during that timeframe.
Other Trump 2.0 candidates have also been frequent guests on Fox News, as per Media Matters data. Trump's attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz, has made over 300 appearances on the network since 2017, although his appearances have lessened recently.
“Donald Trump is using Fox News as a staffing agency,” stated Matthew Gertz, a senior fellow at Media Matters who has explored the relationship between conservative media and Trump.
Loyalty is another critical aspect of a candidate's qualifications, and Trump has publicly recognized allies who have defended him on television. In his victory speech last week, Trump commended Vice President-elect JD Vance for his engagements with hosts on CNN and other networks throughout the campaign.
"He is a feisty guy, isn't he?" Trump remarked. "He's like the only guy I've ever seen — he really looks forward to it. And then he just goes and absolutely obliterates them."
Meridith McGraw and Natalie Allison contributed to this report.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
As President-elect Donald Trump works to swiftly assemble his Cabinet, he has selected several television personalities for significant administration positions — including four individuals with previous ties to Fox News. Notable TV figures joining his administration include Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth and border "czar" Thomas Homan, both of whom were directly employed by Fox, as well as Representative Michael Waltz, a Florida Republican who frequently appears on cable networks and is set to become Trump's national security adviser.
Other candidates appear to be adopting similar strategies to bolster their chances. The CNBC morning show "Squawk Box" has turned into a popular venue for Wall Street executives and alumni from Trump’s first term who are vying for the role of Treasury secretary and other vital economic roles. This platform allows them to demonstrate their media prowess to a significant audience, including Trump himself. Recently, he commended the show's co-anchor, Joe Kernen, on Truth Social.
“A lot of people that he picks have had media experience, media exposure — that’s obviously very important to him," remarked John Bolton, who served as national security adviser during Trump’s first term after over a decade as a contributor to Fox News. “But it’s no guarantee of smooth sailing.”
The rise of cable news personalities to prominent positions underscores the potential influence the medium may exert in the second Trump administration. Although TV networks are facing increasing competition from media startups favored by younger demographics, cable seems to retain its dominance with Trump. His recent surge of personnel choices — including unexpected figures like Hegseth — indicates that media coverage might once again play a crucial role in shaping the actions of the Trump administration and serve as a direct communication channel to the president-elect.
Trump and his transition team are evaluating candidates from a room at Mar-a-Lago that features televisions where media clips and bios of candidates can be shown, as revealed by a source who requested anonymity to discuss the details.
Fox News, the conservative cable powerhouse that Trump has occasionally clashed with, is poised to have substantial influence, as it remains the home to many of his key media allies. His administration already includes several former employees: Hegseth, Homan, Israel ambassador candidate Mike Huckabee, and director of national intelligence contender Tulsi Gabbard.
During his first term, Trump frequently watched and commented on Fox News programming, which granted the network significant weight within the White House. Bolton noted that Trump "watched Fox incessantly" in the dining room adjacent to the Oval Office.
The appointment of Hegseth surprised many within defense policy circles, where concerns were raised about his qualifications to oversee the largest federal agency. Hegseth joined Fox as a contributor in 2014 and has hosted its weekend morning program in recent years.
Waltz, a prominent Trump supporter and defense advocate in the House, was a more predictable choice for national security adviser. However, like others, he has capitalized on Fox to advance his career. Data from Media Matters, a left-leaning media watchdog, indicates that Waltz made at least 176 weekday appearances on Fox News from the beginning of 2023 until Election Day — more than any other member of Congress during that timeframe.
Other Trump 2.0 candidates have also been frequent guests on Fox News, as per Media Matters data. Trump's attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz, has made over 300 appearances on the network since 2017, although his appearances have lessened recently.
“Donald Trump is using Fox News as a staffing agency,” stated Matthew Gertz, a senior fellow at Media Matters who has explored the relationship between conservative media and Trump.
Loyalty is another critical aspect of a candidate's qualifications, and Trump has publicly recognized allies who have defended him on television. In his victory speech last week, Trump commended Vice President-elect JD Vance for his engagements with hosts on CNN and other networks throughout the campaign.
"He is a feisty guy, isn't he?" Trump remarked. "He's like the only guy I've ever seen — he really looks forward to it. And then he just goes and absolutely obliterates them."
Meridith McGraw and Natalie Allison contributed to this report.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
