Donald Trump apparently puts looks above résumé in choosing his Cabinet
When Donald Trump introduced his running mate, Mike Pence, in July, he explained that Pence's record as governor of Indiana was "the primary reason I wanted Mike — other than that he looks very good." He was apparently serious. If Trump's parading of potential Cabinet picks in front of the cameras at the Trump Tower elevator banks "has the feel of a casting call," say Philip Rucker and Karen Tumulty at The Washington Post, that's probably not a coincidence: Trump wants the visible members of his government to look the part.
"That's the language he speaks. He's very aesthetic," one person "familiar with the transition team's internal deliberations" told The Washington Post. "You can come with somebody who is very much qualified for the job, but if they don't look the part, they're not going anywhere." Trump advisers spoke on the record, too. "Don't forget, he's a showbiz guy," said Newsmax Media CEO Chris Ruddy, a longtime Trump friend. Trump, he explained, wants people "who present themselves very well," especially on TV.
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