President Trump's first cabinet meeting: Marco Rubio, Pam Bondi's seats and what it means
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Do Trump supporters want a third term? We asked CPAC attendees.
President Donald Trump and members of his inner-circles have talked about getting a third term.
- Donald Trump held his first cabinet meeting of his second term as U.S. President on Wednesday.
- Rubio sat to Trump's right, as dictated by tradition and precedent.
- The seating arrangement for cabinet meetings is determined by the date each department was established.
Donald Trump held his first cabinet meeting of his second term as U.S. President on Wednesday at the White House.
A portion of it was carried live by cable news networks.
Former U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida sat directly to Trump's right. The seats at a cabinet meeting aren't filled randomly. There's tradition and precedent for where cabinet members like Rubio, now the Secretary of State, are positioned at the table.
According to the White House website:
- When the Cabinet meets around the table, each Cabinet member is assigned a chair positioned at the table according to the date the department was established.
- The President occupies the taller chair at the center of the east side of the table.
- The Vice President sits opposite the President.
- The Secretary of State, Rubio, ranking first among the department heads, sits on the President's right.
- The Secretary of the Treasury (Scott Bessent), ranking second, sits to the Vice President's (JD Vance) right.
- The Secretary of Defense (third), Pete Hegseth, sits to the President's left.
- The Attorney General (fourth), Pam Bondi, formerly Florida's attorney general, sits to the Vice President's left.
Where did Elon Musk, the head of DOGE sit?
About the head of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) Elon Musk? He is not a cabinet member. He sat off to the side. But Musk, the richest man in the world, was the first to speak after Trump and he stood during that time.
Did you know? White House Cabinet
- When Cabinet members conclude their terms of service, they are permitted to purchase their cabinet chairs, which bear brass plates indicating their cabinet position or positions and dates of service.
- Overlooking the Rose Garden, the Cabinet Room contains likenesses of former Presidents and statesmen, the choice reflecting the preferences of the current President.
- An oval mahogany conference table, a gift from President Nixon in 1970, fills the room.