Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency, many underqualified individuals have taken high positions within his administration. Despite their lack of qualifications, they are still trusted to make decisions that will impact hundreds of millions of people across the country.
In February 2025, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Despite having no medical degrees or background in medicine, RFK was nominated by President Trump to take on the position. Since being in office, RFK has cut the number of required childhood vaccines from 17 to 11. Especially in early childhood, it is important to build tolerance to certain diseases through the use of vaccines, as forgoing these vaccinations can make one’s immune system more susceptible to diseases.
RFK’s anti-vaccine sentiments have contributed to the idea that vaccines cause harm. Whereas In reality, they help to reduce the symptoms that a person experiences and slow the spread of harmful diseases. Vaccines allow the immune system to learn to defend itself against germs, and are thoroughly tested before they are released to the general public. Their development in medicine has contributed to many notable victories, and the implementation of vaccines has contributed to health benefits globally. Additionally, immunization efforts have saved the lives of more than 150 million people globally over the past half-century. Refraining from getting a vaccine is a complete step in the wrong direction, as it eliminates the advances that have already occurred. If RFK were to keep the former vaccine requirements, it could help to prevent the spread of current diseases that are prominent across the U.S. or have recently resurfaced. By eliminating these requirements, people will no longer be up to the same health standards as they once were, which has the potential to cause widespread harm.
Additionally, as of late March, Senator Markwayne Mullin was appointed as the Secretary of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem. Noem, who was reassigned to the position of Special Envoy for the Shield of Americans, was removed from her original position because of leadership issues, in addition to Trump’s frustration caused by her involvement in a $220 million tax-payer funded advertisement. Despite being nominated by the president for this role, Mullin still lacks a Bachelor’s degree. He dropped out of college after attending on a wrestling scholarship, and pursued his family business. Mullin did eventually receive an Associates Degree in Applied Science for Construction Technology, but this major does not qualify him to run the Security Department, as the two have virtually nothing to do with each other.
The Secretary of Homeland Security leads the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for cybersecurity and maritime security, among other tasks. This makes having a background rooted in areas of public safety and security necessary, the same cannot be said for a background in construction.
In a time where the United States is already facing so much controversy, the officials in the government need to be properly educated on the tasks that they are responsible for completing. As a representative democracy, the people appointed to high level positions are meant to represent the needs of Americans. Instead, the current officials are being appointed based on loyalty rather than merit, which is contributing to many problems that the United States is experiencing, including but not limited to measles outbreaks, which have been spurred on by RFK’s vaccine policy.
Though many government positions do not explicitly have minimum requirements to take office, it is still important that elected and chosen officials have knowledge of the area they are stepping into. Currently, a large number of officials within the Trump Administration lack the necessary qualifications to complete their jobs effectively. In many cases, these individuals do not have the background knowledge needed to make informed decisions, leading to impractical and damaging outcomes.
Having a basis of information, especially in leadership roles, ensures that any decisions made are well-informed and logical. However, lacking qualifications leads to uninformed decisions, which can complicate current circumstances in the U.S. That said, when making decisions on behalf of the general population, it is vital that these individuals have an idea of the implications of their decisions.
People elected into office and placed into positions of authority need to have a relevant background. Currently, the administration has chosen RFK, who has a background in law, to manage the United States’ system of health, and Mullin, who has a background in construction, to manage national security. Though these backgrounds may apply to other careers, they do not qualify these individuals for the specific positions they currently hold.
These individuals have a large influence on the population of the U.S., and their lack of qualifications have enabled them to make irrational decisions that could cause harm to the greater population. Because of that, more parameters need to be placed around high ranking officials within the government, including having a relevant background to apply for specific positions. The current administration’s lack of success serves as an indicator that the professionals occupying these positions are making decisions that negatively impact the larger part of the United States population.
