CHARLOTTE, N.C. — President-elect Donald Trump is starting to select his U.S. Cabinet department positions ahead of his inauguration in January 2025.
In the midst of this, Trump announced he will create the Department of Government Efficiency, which tech billionaire Elon Musk will lead, but there is some confusion on if this is a Cabinet position or not.
On social media, you will see posts claiming Musk is now a part of Trump's official Cabinet, however, that is not the case.
Let's explain why.
OUR SOURCES:
WHAT WE FOUND:
On Tuesday, Trump announced Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new Department of Government Efficiency. In a statement, Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy would work from outside the government to offer the White House advice and guidance, meaning they would not be federal workers.
So, we can verify this will not be a Cabinet position.
But let's look at how a president could appoint their cabinet.
The Constitution allows a president to nominate Cabinet members, other public ministers and consuls, Supreme Court judges and other officers of the United States. However, the Senate controls the process, including the rules that allow a nomination vote to proceed to the full Senate floor.
It is rare to have Cabinet officers have their nomination rejected in a full Senate vote.
Senate records show only nine Cabinet nominees have been rejected once their nomination made it to a full floor vote.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
