Mattis enjoys bipartisan support, is viewed favourably in Europe and widely expected to be a moderating force on the Trump administration.
It has become almost hackneyed to describe the Trump presidency as unprecedented or irregular. Whilst Trump has continued to be unconventional in many of his cabinet appointments, he has also tempered this with more traditional appointments from within the Republican Party. His choices for security-related positions mirror this, including established military and government officials, as well as individuals with no government experience. Their policy positions are similarly varied with divergent positions on interrogation methods, the US relationship with Russia and the importance of NATO. Whilst it is not uncommon to have disparate views in a cabinet, the importance of these issues will mean that the relative influence of different cabinet members on Trump’s decision-making is likely to have a significant impact on global relations in the next four years.
As Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson will head up the State Department, a crucial pillar in the post-World War II US policy of alliance building and globalism, a legacy that Trump has promised to dismantle. Whilst he has limited foreign policy experience, Tillerson, former Chief Executive at ExxonMobil, has close ties with Russia and President Vladimir Putin, and is seen as a hard-line negotiator. He is likely to encourage domestic, and foreign, oil and gas projects, including the construction of the controversial Keystone pipeline. Whilst Tillerson’s commercial involvement in multiple foreign countries is likely to be an asset to the Trump administration, opponents are expected to focus on conflicts of interest and his lack of government or military experience as major negatives of his tenure.
As Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Mike Pompeo will decide whether to continue with CIA modernisation plans that seek to remove the bureaucratic boundaries between operational agents and intelligence analysts. He will also be in charge of deciding whether to reemploy controversial interrogation tactics, including torture, previously limited under the Obama administration. Pompeo has indicated his support for torture tactics and is opposed to the Iran nuclear deal. Perhaps his most difficult task will be maintaining the confidence of CIA agents, especially given an already strained relationship with the Trump administration over claims of Russian hacking.
James N. Mattis has been named candidate for Defence Secretary and will oversee the fight against IS, among other security issues in this role. A former Marine Division General who led US Central Command, Mattis is hard-line on Iran, but supportive of the nuclear deal, concerned about Russian expansion, and believes that torture is an ineffective interrogation tactic. Mattis enjoys bipartisan support, is viewed favourably in Europe and widely expected to be a moderating force on the Trump administration.
The Department of Homeland Security is tasked with domestic security and controlling US borders. As such, retired Marine General John F. Kelly is in charge of implementing Trump’s promises of building a wall on the border with Mexico and limiting immigration. Widely respected in military circles, Kelly has extensive experience in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially with respect to drug smuggling and other transnational issues.
Although not a formal cabinet position, the National Security Advisor is a crucial gatekeeper for policy proposals from other key security organs, such as the State Department and the Pentagon. Trump has appointed retired Army Lieutenant General, and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Michael T. Flynn, to this position. Flynn sees Islamist militancy as the primary threat to the US and believes, like Trump, that the country needs to work more closely with Russia to counter it.