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By Matthew Impelli
Life & Trends Reporter
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President-elect Donald Trump's least popular cabinet nominees among Americans have been revealed in a new poll released this week.
Few Americans overall approve of Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defense secretary, or Tulsi Gabbard, his pick to lead intelligence, though a significant portion of the public remains unfamiliar with both figures. Trump's other high-profile choices—Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary and Marco Rubio for secretary of state—are more widely recognized but not substantially more popular, according a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The poll of 1,251 adults was conducted Dec. 5-9, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
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Who Is Trump Nominee Pete Hegseth?
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Hegseth, an Army veteran and former Fox News commentator, has been working to defend his nomination amid allegations of excessive drinking and reports that he settled a sexual assault accusation, which he denies. Despite initial skepticism, Hegseth appears to have swayed some senators who were previously critical of his selection, while Trump has continued to back him publicly.
Hegseth remains largely unfamiliar to many Americans, with only 20 percent approving of his nomination to Trump's Cabinet, while 36 percent disapprove, and roughly 10 percent remain undecided.
About 40 percent say they don't know enough about him to form an opinion, according to the poll.
Hegseth enjoys more support among Republicans, though the increase in popularity remains tepid. Nearly 40 percent of Republicans say they don't know enough about him to offer an opinion, while about one-third approve of his nomination. Sixteen percent disapprove, and roughly 10 percent remain neutral, saying they neither approve nor disapprove.
Is Tulsi Gabbard More Popular Than Pete Hegseth?
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Gabbard, a former four-term Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who ran for president in 2020 before leaving her party, emerged as one of Donald Trump's key surrogates in the 2024 campaign.
Gabbard remains as unfamiliar to most Americans as Hegseth, though her nomination generates slightly less disapproval. According to the poll, about 20 percent of Americans approve of Trump's choice of Gabbard, while roughly 30 percent disapprove. The remaining respondents are either undecided—about 40 percent—or hold a neutral view.
Roughly 40 percent of Republicans approve of Gabbard's nomination, while very few disapprove, and 16 percent take a neutral stance. Similar to the broader public, about 40 percent of Republicans say they don't know enough about her to form an opinion.
Do Most People Know Robert F. Kennedy Jr?
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Kennedy, a member of the storied Democratic Kennedy dynasty, built his reputation as an environmental attorney who took on major corporations. Trump has promised Kennedy broad authority over health policy, including oversight of drug and vaccine safety, medical research, food regulation and social safety net programs including Medicare and Medicaid.
Kennedy's higher name recognition hasn't translated into greater public support. Just 14 percent of Americans say they don't know enough to form an opinion on his nomination, yet around 40 percent disapprove of Trump's choice. Roughly 30 percent approve, while 14 percent remain neutral.
Does Marco Rubio Have the Support of the American People?
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Now in his third Senate term representing Florida, Rubio has evolved from a fierce rival of Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primary to one of his most loyal allies in Congress. Rubio is widely regarded as a key adviser to Trump on foreign policy, especially on matters concerning Latin America.
Americans are split on Rubio's nomination to a prominent Cabinet position. Around 30 percent approve, while a similar share disapprove. About 20 percent say they don't know enough to form an opinion, and 15 percent remain neutral.
Rubio's nomination has strong support among Republicans, with nearly 60 percent approving, putting his popularity in line with Kennedy's among the GOP. Only about 10 percent disapprove, while 14 percent remain neutral, and roughly 20 percent say they don't know enough to offer an opinion.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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