“But Yes, They’re All White”: Reporter Defends Trump’s All-White Cabinet Picks

Jeff Mordock of The Washington Times defended President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to appoint an all-white Cabinet during a Monday appearance on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal. Mordock addressed criticism from a Democratic caller, Jared from California, who questioned the lack of diversity and the inclusion of nominees with sexual assault allegations.

“Why is he only selecting white people to be in his Cabinet?” Jared asked. “Why do we have to have all these sexual assault people being heads of cabinets, you know? It’s just wrong to have those people with those types of records running the country.”

Murdock responded by downplaying traditional notions of diversity, emphasizing Trump’s focus on varied professional backgrounds rather than racial or gender representation. “It’s true, but the president’s argument is that these people have diverse experience,” Murdock explained. “That he’s bringing people from outside, business executives, a talk show host, governors, and he’s trying to argue that the diversity is not under race or gender, but under experience, is what the president is arguing.”

He acknowledged, however, the lack of racial diversity. “But yes, they’re all white. There’s not, in terms of what we traditionally think of diversity, there’s not a lot.” The discussion also touched on the sexual misconduct allegations against some of Trump’s Cabinet nominees. Mordock highlighted three high-profile figures: Pete Hegseth, nominated for Secretary of Defense; Rep. Matt Gaetz, considered for Attorney General; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominated for a Cabinet-level position.

“We’ve got three nominees, and I don’t recall any period in this town where we’ve ever had three nominees for level positions with very serious sexual misconduct allegations lodged against them,” Mordock said.

He speculated about Trump’s motives in choosing such controversial nominees. “I think some of this is, is he trying to test the loyalty and how compliant his Senate is going to be before he moves forward with other things?” Mordock suggested. “He’s built a lot of political capital. I’m somewhat surprised he’s going to try to use up a lot of that on Matt Gaetz.”

The interview underscores ongoing debates about diversity and accountability in Trump’s Cabinet selections, with critics questioning whether the administration is prioritizing loyalty and personal connections over qualifications and broader representation.