“Well, I didn’t see that coming” has been a somewhat common refrain on Capitol Hill this week as president-elect. Donald Trump announces his choices to lead his next administration.

Trump has built his brand on breaking the mold of politics and continues the trend with his cabinet appointments.

Not every choice was a surprise. Susie Wiles has long been on Trump’s short list to be his chief of staff, given her years of loyalty to the president and her success managing Trump’s re-election campaign. Wiles will make history as the first female chief of staff to a president.

And of Tom Homan background in Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with his positive relationship with Trump, made him an obvious choice for “border czar.”

But some of Trump’s choices have been unexpected, though not necessarily in a bad way.

Pete Hegseth

Amid a flurry of cabinet announcements on Tuesday, Trump nominated Pete Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense.

“Pete spent his entire life as a warrior for the troops and the country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice.”

Hegseth is a veteran and served in the Army National Guard in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and had tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has a combat infantryman badge and two bronze stars for service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On his website, Hegseth describes himself as a “husband, father, patriot and Christian.” He became co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend” in 2017.

The veteran is a vocal opponent of the revival agenda that has infiltrated the US military and called for an overhaul of the leadership of the Defense Department.

“No one has been as well-informed and on-target as Pete Hegseth,” Jim Hanson, a former Special Forces warrior and editor-in-chief of the Middle East Forum, wrote on X. “He will bring the warrior mentality back to where it is desperate. necessary.”

Matt Gaetz

In a surprise to the political left and right alike, Trump nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to serve as attorney general in his administration.

“Matt is a profoundly talented and tenacious lawyer trained at William & Mary College of Law who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on bringing about much-needed reform at the Department of Justice,” Trump wrote on social media. of socializing on Wednesday afternoon.

In 2023, Gaetz led the effort to unseat Rep. Kevin McCarthyR-Calif., as speaker of the House.

Gaetz was investigated by the House Ethics Committee for possible sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. He denied the allegations and announced in September that he would no longer voluntarily cooperate with the investigation.

Marco Rubio

After rumors began to swirl on Monday, Trump officially announced Wednesday that Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, is his pick for State Department secretary.

“He will be a strong advocate for our nation, a true friend to our allies, and a fearless warrior who will not back down from our adversaries,” Trump wrote in the announcement.

Rubio was born in Miami to parents who immigrated to America from Cuba. He has been in the Senate since 2010.

Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, and Trump announced Wednesday that she will serve as director of national intelligence in his administration.

A former member of Congress, she left the Democratic Party in 2022 to become an independent and more recently became a Republican.

“I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community, upholding our constitutional rights and securing peace through force,” Trump wrote on social media.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy

It’s no surprise that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will play a critical role in the incoming Trump administration, but few thought the two entrepreneurs would work side by side.

Trump named Musk and Ramaswamy to lead his new Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE.

The department’s mission is to reduce wasteful government spending and “ensure that tax dollars are spent wisely,” according to the department’s X account.

Musk promised a “ranking of the worst waste of your tax dollars. It will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining.”

Kristi Noem

Governor of South Dakota. Kristi Noem has built its brand on promoting economic freedom and traditional values ​​and fighting the threat China and other adversaries pose to America.

Trump has nominated Noem to be the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. In his announcement, Trump praised Noem for her support of securing America’s borders.

“She was the first governor to send National Guard troops to help Texas fight the Biden border crisis, and they’ve been sent eight times in total,” Trump said, adding that Noem will work closely with Homan to secure the border.

In this week’s edition of Troubled Women, we discuss Trump’s cabinet picks and why some are so surprising.