The new names of the new Trump administration and the first debates

2024-11-14 19:57:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

President-elect Donald Trump has this week nominated a number of names to lead agencies dealing with national security issues, from the secretary of defense to the ambassador to Israel. But the range of selections has raised questions among experts. They say some of the names—like Senator Marco Rubio, who is expected to hold the position of Secretary of State in the new administration—are seasoned experts, while others, they say, seem to lack the expertise, or support, that they would need. needed to perform the task.

Analysts praise President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Senator Marco Rubio for the post of Secretary of State. They say that Mr. Rubio knows foreign policy well and will know how to reflect the agenda of the new administration.

"I think Senator Rubio largely reflects broad Republican views on the importance of the United States' role in the world. A somewhat bipartisan sentiment among many members of Congress on the importance of supporting partners and allies. He is a strong supporter of Israel and very tough in dealing with Iran. I think it will reflect the agenda of this administration and convey that message very well. But how involved will he be in decision-making interagency that's another issue because I don't see much closeness between him and President Trump," says Jonathan Lord of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New Approach to Security in America.

But President-elect Trump's appointment of Pete Hegseth, Fox News TV journalist and war veteran, to the position of Secretary of Defense is viewed with skepticism by experts.

They say he has little management experience as he heads the agency that has 1.3 million active-duty service members and about 1 million civilians who work for the military.

"The appointment of Hegseth to the position of Secretary of Defense was very unexpected and unusual. He has excellent military qualifications and education, but he has no high-level experience in national security matters and has never led a big organization. President Trump likely sees it as disrupting the status quo in an organization he views as irresponsible," says Mark Cancias, a retired U.S. Marine colonel and senior adviser to Center for International and Strategic Studies.

Mr Trump has offered few details on his foreign policy, but supporters say the force of his personality and his "peace through strength" approach will make foreign leaders bend to his will and appease what Republicans they call it a "world on fire".

Mr Trump's first administration was often marked on the world stage by his protectionist, "America first" trade policy, as well as isolationist rhetoric, including threats to withdraw from NATO.

How Mr Trump responds to Russia's war in Ukraine could set the tone for his agenda and signal his approach to NATO and key US allies as Mr Biden works to rebuild relations keys that were broken under the leadership of his predecessor.

Mr. Trump has been critical of Mr. Biden's support for Ukraine and has said that under his presidency, Washington will rethink the role of NATO. Last year he told Reuters that Ukraine might have to cede territory to reach a peace deal, something Ukrainians oppose and outgoing President Biden has never suggested.

Asked about the reasons behind each name selected by Mr. Trump, expert John Simon says.

"Obviously loyalty, dealing with China, those are things I think influenced the choices that were made. If you talk about someone like Marco Rubio or Mike Waltz, these are people who have been in Congress for a long time in positions related to the politics of externally, they are people that world leaders know," says John Simon, former ambassador to the African Union, an intergovernmental organization established to promote unity and solidarity among African states.

Experts also expressed concern over the selection of former Democratic lawmaker Tulsi Gabbard for the position of Director of National Intelligence.

Ms Gabbard is known for her continued opposition to US intervention in Syria and for secretly meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in January 2017, who has been accused of gross human rights abuses. The meeting drew criticism from both sides of Congress.

"The appointment of Tulsi Gabbard casts a very negative light on everything else. How can you appoint someone who has proven to be irresponsible from a national security standpoint, who will sit in a meeting of the National Security Council, and think that the result will be positive?! This is extremely worrying", says Mr Simon.

Mr Trump, who nominated former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, will also face a volatile situation in the Middle East that threatens to spiral into a wider regional conflict. Israel is fighting in Gaza and Lebanon while confronting its archenemy, Iran. Mr Trump has expressed support for Israel to destroy Hamas in Gaza, but said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an ally of his, must get the job done quickly.

Mr Trump is expected to continue to support Israel with arms, whose existence he has said would be in jeopardy if Ms Harris is elected president, a claim the Biden administration has rejected, stressing its strong support for Israel. ./ Voa