Trump 2.0 Cabinet Trivia Quiz

Answer: Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio represented Florida in the United States Senate from 2011 to 2025. Rubio ran against Trump in 2016, winning 3.5 million votes and 173 delegates.

Rubio started out as a critic of Trump, but came around to support him during his presidency.

Rubio has been a supporter of NATO as a senator, while Trump has been antagonistic of the military alliance. How to handle Ukraine could be another point of contention between the two.

Rubio was questioned by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 15. He became the first official member of the Trump cabinet on January 20, 2025. Rubio was approved by the Senate 99-0 and sworn into office later that day.

Answer: Scott Bessent

Bessent was a hedge fund manager on Wall Street, the founder of Key Square Group. He may raise hackles among critics because Bessent worked for George Soros at the start of his career in finance.

Bessent is a native of Charleston, SC, and returned there after several decades in New York. He is a graduate of Yale University (1984). Bessent and his husband John have two children. He became the highest ranking openly gay government official in US history upon his appointment.

Bessent testified in front of the Senate Finance Committee on January 16. He was moved forward on a 16-11 vote January 21. Bessent became the fourth member of the Cabinet on January 27 when the Senate confirmed him 68 to 29.

Answer: Pete Hegseth

Hegseth has been a contributor on Fox News since 2017. He has a military background, earning the bronze Star in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other than his military service, Hegseth had no Pentagon experience and little experience running a large organization.

One strange fact about Hegseth is that he was denied a security clearance at the 2021 inauguration because he has a cross tattoo on his chest.

Hegseth had a contentious hearing with the Senate Armed Services committee January 14. Democrats challenged his lack of experience and past issues of sexual violence and alcohol abuse.

Hegseth was narrowly approved on a 14-13 vote on January 20. He barely squeaked through the Senate on January 24, with J.D. Vance casting his first vote as vice president to get Hegseth to 51 votes.

Answer: Pam Bondi

Pam Bondi was Trump's second choice for attorney general. She served as Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019. She has been a close associate of Trump and served on the defense team at his first impeachment trial.

Bondi saved lives fighting opioid abuse as Florida AG, and got a good chunk of change out of BP after the Deep Horizon disaster. She also received a questionable campaign contribution while investigating Trump's fraudulent university, and was involved in a bizarre custody case concerning a Saint Bernard.

Bondi appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 15. She was approved by the Senate February 4 on a party line vote of 54 to 46, with only John Fetterman (D-PA) voting for Bondi.


Trump's first pick, Matt Gaetz, dropped out after only eight days. Matt Gaetz represented Florida in the House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023. Gaetz was one of the most conservative members of the House and was a fierce defender of Trump during the first administration.

Gaetz was facing a serious ethics probe when he resigned from the House on November 13. Charges included sex trafficking and drug use.

Gaetz was considered one of the more extreme members of the Republican Caucus. Gaetz's abrupt withdrawal suggests Trump may have given him a convenient exit from the House before the congressman was expelled.

Answer: Doug Burgum

Doug Burgum served as Governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2025. He ran for president in 2023 but did not get very far. He served as an energy advisor to the Trump campaign.

Burgum has an MBA from Stanford. He ran a software firm in the 1990s and made a fortune when Microsoft bought his company. As governor, Burgum signed eight anti-transgender bills -- in 2023, as he was gearing up to run for president.

North Dakota is one of the largest petroleum producing states, but Burgum has promoted environmental regulations to control greenhouse gases.

The Secretary of the Interior is in charge of public lands such as the National Parks System. It is quite common to pick an American from the West for the Interior Department.

Burgum testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources January 16. The governor glided through on an 18-2 vote on January 23. He was confirmed by the Senate January 30 on a vote of 79-18.

Answer: Brooke Rollins

Brooke Rollins, who worked for think tanks for 20 years, was tapped for Agriculture. She has a degree in Agriculture Management from Texas A&M and grew up on a farm.

Rollins is also an honors graduate of the University of Texas Law School.

In 2021, Rollins began leading the America First Policy Institute, a think tank of former Trump officials. She served in Trump's first administration as Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

Former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler was on the short list for Agriculture.

Rollins testified before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on January 23. She was unanimously approved by the committee on February 3. Rollins was approved by the Senate February 13, on a vote of 72 to 28.

Answer: Howard Lutnick

Lutnick became a well-known Wall Street insider as the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald. He ran Trump's transition team. Lutnick lost two thirds of his employees in the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center.

On the policy front, Lutnick is a major supporter of both tariffs and cryptocurrency. He was also proposed for Treasury Secretary.

Lutnick testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on January 29. He was approved on a mostly party line vote of 16 to 12 on February 5. Lutnick was confirmed by the full Senate on February 18 on a 51 to 45 vote.

Answer: Lori Chavez-DeRemer

Lori Chavez-Deremer represented Oregon in the House of Representatives for one term. The freshman lost in the 2024 election. She has a background in municipal government as mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon, from 2011 to 2019.

Chavez-DeRemer did serve on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. She was one of three House Republicans to support the Protect the Right to Organize Act (HR 20 in the 118th Congress). The AFL-CIO gave her a 10 percent rating in 2023, in line with many other Republicans.

Chavez-Deremer testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on February 19. In her testimony, Chavez-DeRemer stated she would carry out Trump's anti-union agenda and supported right to work laws. Union leaders became less optimistic about her candidacy.

Chavez-Deremer was voted out of committee on a vote of 14-9 February 27, and was confirmed by the full Senate on a vote of 67 to 32 March 10.

Answer: Robert F Kennedy Jr

RFK Jr is the son of the legendary senator from New York. He built his career as an environmental activist.

Kennedy is a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement, in which critics state that without vaccines, the COVID pandemic would have been far more deadly.

Kennedy ran a quixotic race for president in 2024. He ultimately suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump. There were several bizarre revelations about Kennedy during the campaign, including that he had suffered from brain worms. Much of the medical community opposed his confirmation.

Kennedy met with the Senate Finance Committee on January 29, where Democrats accused him of perjury. And he met with the HELP Committee on January 30.

Kennedy was sent through by the Senate Finance Committee on a party line vote of 14 to 13 on February 4. He was approved on a party line vote of 52 to 47 on February 13, with Mitch McConnell (R-KY) voting against RFK.

Answer: Scott Turner

This is Scott Turner's second go-around with Trump. In the first administration, he was the head of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. In that position, Turner promoted "opportunity zones."

Turner is a football player turned politician. He played for the Washington Commanders (formerly Redskins) and San Diego Chargers. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois. He has also been a minister and a motivational speaker.

Turner briefly represented the Dallas area in the Texas state legislature (2013-17).

Turner testified before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on January 16. He advanced on a vote of 13-11 on January 23. On February 5 the Senate approved Turner on a 56-44 vote.

Answer: Sean Duffy

Trump rewarded Wisconsin by picking Sean Duffy, who served in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019.

Since leaving Congress, Duffy has been a talking head on Fox News. His wife is also a host on the network. Duffy was also a reality TV star on "The Real World: Boston" in the 1990s.

Trump was highly critical of the infrastructure spending under Joe Biden, and will likely use the DOT to cut back on infrastructure spending.

Duffy is an attorney and was the District Attorney of Ashland County when he was elected to Congress in 2010.

Duffy appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on January 15. He breezed through committee on a vote of 28-0 on January 22. Duffy was confirmed by the Senate on a vote of 77-22 on January 28.

Answer: Chris Wright

Wright was the CEO of Liberty Energy, a fracking company based on Denver. This is in keeping with Trump liking corporate executives and his "drill baby drill" strategy at Energy.

Wright is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with degrees in mechanical engineering (BS) and electrical engineering (MS) and also attended UC Berkeley.

Wright began working in the shale fracking industry in 1992. In a 2019 Facebook video, Wright actually drank fracking fluid to demonstrate how safe it is. Like many energy executives, he has denied climate change.

Wright spoke to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on January 15. Wright's nomination moved on with a vote of 15-5 on January 23. He was confirmed by the full Senate on February 3 with a vote of 59 to 38.

Answer: Linda McMahon

McMahon is a return visitor to Trump World, having served at the Small Business Administration during his first term. She was active on the 2024 transition team.

McMahon is probably best known for her connections to the world of professional wrestling.

McMahon was briefly on the Connecticut State Board of Education, resigning when she ran for the US Senate in 2010. McMahon has a degree in French from East Carolina University, and she was certified as a teacher in North Carolina.

McMahon may have little work to do, as Trump has frequently stated he wishes to abolish the Education Department. Much of the educational establishment opposed McMahon's nomination based on her positions and lack of experience.

McMahon appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on February 13. The committee approved McMahon on a party line vote of 12 to 11 on February 20. She was confirmed by the full Senate on a vote of 51 to 45 March 3.

Answer: Doug Collins

Doug Collins represented Georgia in the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021. Collins was a strong ally of Trump during his first administration.

Collins is a veteran, having served in Iraq. He is a military chaplain, an ordained Baptist minister. Collins is also an attorney, and acted as counsel for Donald Trump during his impeachment.

Collins was a staunch defender of Trump during his first term, even writing a book criticizing the first impeachment. And Collins has supported Trump's claims on election fraud in Georgia in 2020.

Collins appeared in front of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee January 21. He was approved 18 to 1 on January 23. Collins was confirmed by the Senate on a vote of 77 to 23 on February 3.

Answer: Kristi Noem

Kristi Noem was elected governor of South Dakota in 2018. She was a strong supporter of Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric, sending National Guard troops to the Mexican border at least five times. Noem would be the Cabinet official most in charge of implementing Trump's crackdown on immigration.

Noem was considered as a serious vice presidential contender until the governor revealed in her autobiography that she shot her pet dog.

The Department of Homeland Security is the newest department, created after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. It includes the Coast Guard and Immigration.

Noem was questioned by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Overnight January 17. She managed to coast through the committee on a 13-2 vote January 20. Noem was approved by the Senate on a 59-34 vote with seven Democrats backing her.