A New Cabinet

Written By Thann Bennett

The faces of Washington are already beginning to change, as President-elect Donald Trump has announced his first several selections for cabinet positions, as well as other key posts:

  • Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff

  • Sen. Marco Rubio as Secretary of State

  • Rep. Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor

  • Rep. Elise Stefanik as U.N. Ambassador

  • Rep. Lee Zeldin as EPA Administrator

  • Stephen Miller as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

  • Tom Homan as ‘Border Czar’

  • Mike Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel

  • Gov. Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security

  • Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense

  • John Ratcliffe as CIA Director

There will be a flurry of additional personnel announcements in the days ahead. Several prominent figures are playing an advisory role in this process, including Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will co-lead a new unofficial Department of Government Efficiency, which will focus on eliminating waste spending and regulation. On Capitol Hill, there is still a lame duck session to complete for the 118th Congress, but the 119th Congress is already beginning to take shape, and both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House will hold leadership elections today.

Analysis and eternal perspective: There is a familiar saying in Washington: “People are policy.” In other words, to impact policy, you need people in charge who are aligned with that policy. This rhythm is familiar to those in Washington, D.C., but more important, it is essential to the democratic process. You may favor or disfavor the personnel changes that occur after each election, but what a blessing of liberty it is to live in a place so immediately responsive to the will of the electorate. It is easy to take this phenomenon for granted, but it is quite frankly the exception rather than the rule across the sweep of human civilization.

It should both humble and exhilarate us to be afforded such freedom. No administration or Congress warrants your complete allegiance or opposition—your fidelity is only to the one true God (1 Cor. 8:6, Ex. 34:14, Lk. 4:8). But as Proverbs 29:2 reminds us, “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” Wherever you find yourself on the political spectrum, root yourself only in God, and aim your efforts at ensuring that those who lead do so righteously.

The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.

Thann Bennett

Thann Bennett is the Founder and President of Every Good Work, which exists to equip Jesus followers for a life of impact. His weekly newsletter, The Equipped, helps Jesus followers engage current events through a lens of the True and the beautiful. Thann and his wife, Brooke, are co-Founders of A Fearless Life, which works to find and fund a family for every adoption-eligible foster child in America. Thann has more than two decades of high-level public policy experience, with a particular focus on the U.S. Congress and the United Nations. He is the author of In Search of the King and My Fame His Fame. Thann and Brooke live in southern Maryland with their three children: Jude, Gambrell, and Hope, as well as a host of farm animals. The Bennetts are longtime members of the National Community Church family in Washington, D.C.

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