Trump The Producer Is Casting The Cabinet Like It's "The Apprentice"— Ratings Over Results

Lights, Camera, Loyalty

Trump sees himself as a TV producer and he picks his cabinet the same way he would pick his cast. I understand it. When I left Reprise and started Blue America, I looked at candidates the same way I had looked at— and dealt with— artists in the music business, right down, in some cases, to their fragile egos… and the never-ending search for the “big hits,” even if long term artist development was always the ultimate goal.

As for Señor T, he never really stopped being a reality TV host— and his approach to staffing his administration sure proves it. For Trump, his cabinet isn’t a team of experts carefully chosen to serve the American people— it’s a supporting cast designed to serve him.

In Trump’s mind, his administration isn’t the executive branch of the federal government; it’s a reality show where loyalty, flashiness, and media appeal take precedence over qualifications or competence. Expertise? That’s boring. Loyalty? Now we’re talking. Charisma on Fox News? That’s the golden ticket.

Take some of his past "picks." Steve Mnuchin, the former Goldman Sachs executive turned Hollywood financier, was plucked straight from central casting to play the part of a stereotypical swamp-dweller in charge of Treasury. Or Rick Perry, who once called for abolishing the Department of Energy but later accepted the role of running it— without even knowing what the department does. It’s less about what they know and more about the roles they can play in Trump’s ongoing production: The Donald Trump Show.

Trump’s affinity for media personalities over policy experts is no accident. He handpicked figures like Larry Kudlow, a CNBC commentator, to head the National Economic Council—not because of his economic acumen, but because of his on-screen polish. Kudlow’s job wasn’t to craft sound economic policy; it was to tell the story Trump wanted told.

The consequences of this "casting couch" governance are staggering. Ben Carson, a competent neurosurgeon but completely out of his depth in housing policy, was made Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Betsy DeVos, who seemed to know less about public education than most parents of elementary school kids, was tasked with dismantling public schools as Secretary of Education. These weren’t appointments meant to solve the nation’s pressing issues— they were auditions for Trump’s approval.

Yesterday, Michael Grynbaum reported that 19 of Trump’s executive department picks come right from Fox News! Trump’s obsession with optics isn’t just a quirk; it’s a dangerous abdication of leadership. For him, the country’s crises are just ratings opportunities. The pandemic was a perfect example. He treated COVID-19 press briefings like a performance, bantering with reporters and hyping ineffective solutions like hydroxychloroquine, while competent public health officials like Dr. Fauci were sidelined. Tens of thousands of lives could have been saved by leadership rooted in science and expertise rather than self-promotion.

What’s worse, this isn’t just incompetence— it’s deliberate. Trump chooses people who will look good on TV while deferring to him rather than challenging him. He doesn’t want a Secretary of Defense; he wants someone who will parrot his talking points. He doesn’t want an Attorney General; he wants a fixer to protect him from the law. This is the same man who once asked, “Where’s my Roy Cohn?” He’s looking for enablers, not leaders.

The implications for democracy are profound. By prioritizing loyalty and spectacle over expertise, Trump undermines the very idea of a well-functioning government. His administration has treated the rule of law as an inconvenience, science as a punchline, and public service as a means to an end— his end.

Trump’s cabinet-as-cast strategy isn’t just bad governance; it’s a reflection of his broader authoritarian tendencies. Strongmen don’t surround themselves with experts; they surround themselves with sycophants. From his bromance with Kim Jong-Un to his praise for Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orbán, Trump has made it clear that he admires leaders who demand absolute loyalty— and expects the same in return.

This is why Trump’s re-election— or re-installation, as his rhetoric suggests— poses such a grave danger. A second Trump term won't just be a rerun; it’s likely to be a darker, more dystopian sequel. He’s learned from his first term, and this time, the “cast” will be even more extreme: ideologues, conspiracy theorists, and loyalists whose sole qualification is their willingness to serve his agenda.

History is filled with examples of leaders who prioritized personal power over the common good, often with catastrophic results. Trump’s cabinet choices reflect not only his contempt for democracy but also his willingness to hollow out government institutions to suit his needs. The question isn’t whether Trump sees himself as a producer— it’s whether the American people are ready to cancel the show before it goes into syndication.