At the outset of a new administration in the Oval Office, many of the country’s top positions are getting a complete overhaul. While brand-new presidential cabinets can be jarring for American politics, no cabinet has been quite this unconventional in recent years.

While some selections, like Sen. Marco Rubio for the Department of State, seem like a no-brainer for President Trump, others, like former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education (yes, that WWE), seem out of left field, even for his standards.

While the new cabinet includes dozens of appointees, here are some of the most influential changes. 

Marco Rubio: Secretary of State 

Rubio, a mainstay in the modern GOP, has been nominated as the nation’s top diplomat. Rubio’s relationship with President Trump has historically been tumultuous.

As competitors in the 2016 presidential election, the two threw frequent vitriolic jabs at each other. Rubio was forced to end his campaign after polls showed Trump won Rubio’s home state of Florida in a landslide. However, during Trump’s first term in the White House, Rubio became heavily involved in foreign affairs in Latin America.

While Rubio has said he will work every day to execute Trump’s foreign policy, he previously co-sponsored legislation denying a president the ability to exit NATO without congressional approval. As for ongoing global affairs, Rubio wishes for a quick end to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, as well as an aggressive approach toward America’s relationship with China.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Secretary of Health and Human Services

Son of former Attorney General and politician Robert Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, “Bobby” Kennedy rose to the top of American alt-right politics within the last election cycle. His third-party 2024 campaign, built on the back of alternative medicine and government overhaul, was popular among nonpartisan voters. 

On Aug. 23, Kennedy ended his campaign and broke his familial norms by quickly backing Trump. Kennedy’s biggest national health concerns lie with ultra-processed food and vaccines. Kennedy would ban many ingredients in ultra-processed foods, as well as take these foods out of public school cafeterias, citing their connection with the obesity epidemic in the U.S.

Despite these widely approved measures, his questioning of vaccine safety differs heavily from the scientific consensus. While he says vaccines are not going to be taken from anybody, he has repeatedly questioned their effectiveness and safety and even claimed autism comes from vaccines in a 2023 Fox News Interview.

Kennedy’s nomination has received widespread criticism, with an open letter calling for the Senate to reject his nomination having widespread support amongst doctors.

Scott Bessent: Secretary of the Treasury

A close friend of Trump’s late brother Robert, Scott Bessent was poised to have a position in the cabinet. The Wall Street billionaire has been one of the biggest political donors of the century, having been Al Gore’s largest donor in the 2000 election.

As secretary of the treasury, Bessent is committed to Trump-style economics: raising tariffs, lowering taxes and increasing domestic output. 

Linda McMahon: Secretary of Education 

Former WWE Chief Executive and wife of its founder, Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon is a longtime friend and donor of Trump. Her main objective as Education secretary is to loosen control over public schools on a federal level. She has voiced her approval for educational vouchers that would subsidize private education in America.

Critics of McMahon worry the combination of giving educational guidelines back to the states, as well as encouraging private education, will worsen existing issues in the U.S. public school system.

Although not from a traditional background in politics or education, McMahon was elected to the Connecticut State Board of Education in 2009, where she served just one year. 

Pete Hegseth: Secretary of Defense 

The secretary of defense is often an inside hire compared to most presidential cabinet positions. Instead of being a high-ranking leader of a military branch, Hegseth’s last job was as a Fox News anchor.

Hegseth, a graduate of both Princeton and Harvard, served as a National Guardsman in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq. Since being nominated, allegations have surfaced from within his family, including all three of his ex-wives, as well as a letter from his own mother acquired by the New York Times that questioned his fitness for the job. Hegseth has also been under fire for his struggles with alcoholism.

Beyond his personal life, questions remain around Hegseth’s standpoints on key issues. 

Hegseth is an outspoken critic of women in combat roles in the military as well as a staunch opponent of transgender Americans serving. Hegseth has also taken hard anti-NATO stances and his nomination as secretary of defense could put America’s NATO membership in jeopardy.