US's oldest President-elect Trump fills Cabinet with young blood

Trump Cabinet: The Trump 2.0 appointees are significantly younger than the team assembled by his predecessor, Biden, as well as the members of his former Cabinet.

In Short

• T​​rump 2.0 appointees are significantly younger than Joe Biden's team
• Trump's Cabinet picks are mostly between 40–45 years of age
• At 40, JD Vance is one of the youngest vice presidents in US history

At 78, Donald Trump became the oldest US president ever to be elected, beating incumbent Joe Biden by five months. However, that has not stopped the firebrand Republican from infusing young blood in his administration. The Trump 2.0 appointees are significantly younger than the team assembled by his predecessor, Biden, as well as the members of his former Cabinet.

Traditionally, established leaders have been chosen for key posts overseeing defence, intelligence, diplomacy, immigration and law. However, the Trump 2.0 team appears to include rising politicians who are mostly between 40–45 years of age. In fact, Vivek Ramaswamy, who was chosen by Trump along with tech titan Elon Musk (53) to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is only 39.

While the Cabinet during Trump's first term included relatively mainstream Republicans, his administration's picks for the second term suggest a shift in priorities. While loyalty to the President is a top consideration, the new picks show that private sector insight and technological expertise are being valued over traditional governmental experience.

At 40, JD Vance, a one-term Senator from Ohio, is one of the youngest Vice Presidents in US history and a rising star in the Republican Party. Tulsi Gabbard, who served in the US military, tapped by Trump to be the next intelligence director, is just 43. In fact, she is 12 years younger than the outgoing intelligence director -- Avril Haines (55).

Similarly, Trump's picks like Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth (Defence Secretary), Lee Zeldin (Environmental Protection Agency administrator), Elise Stefanik (United Nations ambassador), and Matt Gaetz (Attorney General and Justice Department head) are all between 40-45.

A CNN article mentioned that Gabbard, Hegseth and Gaetz share several things in common. "They are unfailingly loyal to the President-elect. They are all avid proponents of the stunt politics that he pioneered as a social media provocateur," the article says.

The other significant appointments, like US Senator Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), Mike Waltz (National Security Agency chief), Kristi Noem (Homeland Security director) are in their early 50s. John Ratcliffe, who has been picked to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), is 59.

Comparatively, President Biden's administration was one of the oldest, with several senior Cabinet members in their 60s and 70s. The incumbent Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, is 71, while his United Nations envoy, Linda Thomas, is 72.

As per the table shown above, the median age of the members of Biden's Cabinet is 61.7. In contrast, the median age of Trump's 2.0 team is 50.8.

Trump's picks have led to widespread debate and also raised eyebrows among experts. "Most presidents understand that they need competent, experienced staff across the government to carry out their programs effectively. I don't think Trump has that view," Daniel Farber, a law professor at the University of California, told CNN.

On November 6, as poll trends showed that Trump was hurtling towards victory, the former President promised his supporters to bring a "golden age for America" and bring fresh perspectives to governance. While it remains to be seen if Trump fulfils his promise, the President-elect is no doubt paving the way for a new generation of Republican leadership.