The Best People — Operation 8647

Rogues' gallery

The Hall of Shame

These are the people he chose to run the government. Allegations are attributed to the reporting that made them, and denials are noted.

Pete Hegseth

Secretary of Defense

In office

The Pentagon's inspector general found his use of Signal to share strike plans risked the safety of U.S. troops and broke Pentagon rules. He refused to be interviewed or hand over his phone. — NPR · CNN
A follow-up strike on an alleged drug boat killed two survivors of the first strike. The Washington Post reported he gave a spoken order to "kill everybody," which he denies. Sen. Rand Paul said he was either lying or incompetent. — CNN
He has pushed out at least 20 generals, admirals, and senior leaders, including the Army's top officer. NPR reported he intervened to block promotions of Black and female officers. — NBC · NPR
Before his confirmation: a 2017 sexual assault allegation (no charges filed) that he settled with a payment and a confidentiality agreement. — NPR · CNN

Kristi Noem

Former Homeland Security Secretary

Fired

She spent $220 million on an ad campaign starring herself, through no-bid contracts. Trump said he "didn't know anything about it." — NBC
The Justice Department is investigating alleged contract misconduct at DHS involving her top adviser, Corey Lewandowski, who denies wrongdoing. — CNN · NBC
She called two U.S. citizens killed by federal agents in Minneapolis "domestic terrorists" and refused to apologize. GOP Sen. Thom Tillis called her leadership a "disaster." — NPR · PBS
In her own memoir, she described shooting her 14-month-old dog, Cricket, as a leadership lesson. — CNN
After he fired her, she landed a job as a senior adviser at the State Department. — CNN

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Health & Human Services Secretary

In office

He fired the CDC's entire vaccine advisory committee and replaced it with vaccine skeptics. A federal judge ruled the new panel was not lawfully constituted. — PBS · PBS
He personally directed the CDC to change its website to contradict the science that vaccines don't cause autism. — CNN
He stood beside Trump as Trump linked Tylenol in pregnancy to autism without evidence. A thorough analysis has since found no link. — NBC
During the deadliest U.S. measles outbreak in more than 30 years, he called Pennsylvania's reported deaths "premature." The governor said Kennedy directed the CDC not to report them, which Kennedy denies. — PBS · CNN

Kash Patel

FBI Director

In office

He has used the FBI's jet for trips including a hunting trip and a flight to watch his girlfriend perform. He had criticized his predecessor for using the jet. — NPR
His girlfriend gets a security detail of FBI SWAT agents. — NBC
Fired senior officials are suing. They say Patel told the acting director he had to fire agents who worked on Trump cases to keep his own job. — CNN
His leadership was questioned after he partied with the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team. — NPR

Pam Bondi

Former Attorney General

Fired

She said the Epstein "client list" was "sitting on my desk." Months later, her Justice Department said no such list exists. — PBS · NPR
She was fired in April 2026, after Trump grew "more and more frustrated" with her. — NBC · CNN

Lindsey Halligan

Prosecutor of Trump's critics

Ruled unlawful

A former Trump lawyer who was installed as a U.S. attorney to indict James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. A judge ruled her appointment unlawful and threw out both cases. — NPR · NBC
Two separate grand juries then refused to re-indict Letitia James. — CNN

Elon Musk

Ran DOGE

Left

The Government Accountability Office found DOGE's claimed $110 billion in savings was incorrect or lacked supporting evidence. — CNN
Reporters found DOGE's own "receipts" riddled with errors, including an $8 billion entry for a contract actually worth $8 million. — NPR · PBS
He was cutting agencies while his companies faced more than 30 investigations by 11 of them. — NPR · NBC

Tulsi Gabbard

Former Director of National Intelligence

Resigned

She revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former officials for "politicization" without citing evidence. — CNN
She was accused of trying to "bury" a whistleblower complaint about her. It took eight months to reach Congress. — NBC
She misrepresented what U.S. intelligence concluded about Russia's 2016 election interference. — CNN

Howard Lutnick

Commerce Secretary

In office

He said he cut ties with Jeffrey Epstein in 2005. The Epstein files show he took his family to lunch on Epstein's island in 2012 and was in business with him as late as 2014. — NBC
The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee said Lutnick "wasn't 100% truthful." — CNN · NPR

Steve Witkoff

Special Envoy (Middle East, Russia)

In office

His sons co-founded World Liberty Financial with the Trump family. A UAE-linked stake purchase sent at least $31 million to Witkoff family entities, while he negotiates for the U.S. in the region. — CNN · NPR

Linda McMahon

Education Secretary

In office

The former wrestling executive was put in charge of dismantling the Education Department. — NPR
She is named in a lawsuit alleging WWE leadership knew about the sexual abuse of underage "ring boys" in the 1980s. She isn't accused of abuse and denies the claims. — NBC · CNN

Emil Bove

Trump's lawyer, now a federal appeals judge

Lifetime seat

Three whistleblowers came forward. One, a fired Justice Department lawyer, said Bove suggested defying court orders. Senate Republicans confirmed him to a lifetime judgeship anyway, 50–49. — NPR

Dan Bongino

Former FBI Deputy Director

Quit

A podcaster who had called the FBI "fully now corrupt," called the Jan. 6 pipe bombs an "inside job," and called for imprisoning Democrats. He quit after less than a year and went back to podcasting. — NPR · CNN · PBS

Ed Martin

Former "Weaponization" chief & pardon attorney

Left DOJ

A defender of Jan. 6 rioters, he was put in charge of investigating Trump's opponents. A Justice Department review found he improperly leaked grand jury material. — ProPublica · CNN
D.C.'s attorney discipline office filed ethics charges against him over a threatening letter to Georgetown Law. — NBC

Mike Waltz

Ex-National Security Adviser, now U.N. Ambassador

Moved to U.N.

He added a journalist to the Signal chat where strike plans were discussed. He was pushed out as national security adviser, then rewarded with a nomination as U.N. ambassador. — CNN · PBS

Matt Gaetz

First pick for Attorney General

Withdrew

Trump's first choice for the nation's top law enforcement officer. A House Ethics report found evidence he paid for sex, including with a 17-year-old, and used illegal drugs. He denies wrongdoing and was never charged. — PBS · CNN

Paul Ingrassia

Pick for whistleblower watchdog

Withdrew

His nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel collapsed after reported texts in which he said he has "a Nazi streak." His lawyer disputed the texts. The administration then gave him another job. — NPR · CNN

"Only the best people"

He hires the best, then fires them

He promised to hire "the best people." His second term is setting turnover records, with top officials fired, forced out, or resigning under investigation.

Record turnoverSenate-confirmed officials gone in 18 months

By late July 2026, 27 Senate-confirmed officials in Cabinet departments had left. At the same point in his first term, the count was 11.

Sources: NBC News · CNN · Brookings tracker

Fired: Attorney General Pam Bondi

She was ousted in April 2026. A source said he'd grown "more and more frustrated" that she hadn't "executed on his vision."

Sources: NBC News · CNN

Fired: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem

She was removed in March 2026 after bipartisan criticism of the immigration crackdown, slow emergency response, and a nine-figure ad campaign.

Source: PBS NewsHour

Out: National Security Adviser Mike Waltz

Waltz added a journalist to a Signal group chat where officials discussed strike plans against Yemen. He was out of the job within weeks, then nominated as ambassador to the U.N.

Sources: CNN · NPR

Resigned under investigation: Labor Secretary

Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned while the Labor Department's inspector general investigated potential misconduct. It was the third Cabinet exit in under two months.

Source: NPR

Fired the watchdogs, too

Less than a week into his term, he fired 16 inspectors general, the independent officials who investigate waste and fraud in federal agencies.

Source: Brookings