OPINION: When you build a Cabinet on loyalty tests instead of qualifications, you don’t get a government — you get a rogues’ gallery.
Dan Bongino has the top spot as far as who will leave this year on prediction market Kalshi at 26%. But there are plenty others to consider.
From public health sabotage to outright corruption, these are the names that turned their offices into weapons, stage props, or personal piggy banks.
Pete Hegseth (Defense)
Narrowly confirmed, then slammed the throttle on culture-war policy: reinstated the trans troop ban, moved to strip Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship, and ordered a 20% cut to 4‑star billets — morale and readiness be damned.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (HHS)
Pulled roughly $500M from federal mRNA vaccine projects — including late‑stage bird‑flu work — over expert objections, gutting preparedness to score ideology points.
Pam Bondi (Attorney General)
Confirmed 54–46; quickly green‑lit grand‑jury moves re‑litigating the Russia probe, fueling fears DOJ is being repurposed for political payback.
Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence)
Confirmed 52–48, then purged senior analysts and launched splashy “weaponization” crusades; critics say she’s politicizing intelligence from the top.
Kristi Noem (Homeland Security)
Confirmed, then turned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement into a spectacle — waiving age caps to juice recruiting and defending masked raids that triggered backlash in major cities.
Russell Vought (OMB)
Project 2025 architect back in the budget chair; Senate confirmed him despite alarms he’d supercharge executive power and slash the social state.
Lee Zeldin (EPA Administrator)
Confirmed, then moved to kill a $7B solar program and tee up repeal of EPA’s greenhouse‑gas “endangerment finding” — a cornerstone of climate rules.
Sean Duffy (Transportation)
After a deadly DCA crash put FAA oversight under a microscope, Duffy’s answer has swung between scolding and scrambling — flight caps at Newark, staffing crises unresolved.
Chris Wright (Energy)
Fossil‑fuel exec confirmed; accelerated LNG approvals and aligned DOE with a drill‑baby‑drill agenda at home and abroad.
The Almost: Matt Gaetz (AG, withdrawn)
A preview of the hiring philosophy: Gaetz was tapped, then bailed under the cloud of a sex‑trafficking probe — before Bondi took the job.
Bottom line
This isn’t governance — it’s a stress test on institutions. The through‑line: ideology first, durability last.
