DEI Hires Fail to Keep Office

James Bialota | Opinion | Oct, 16, 2026

President Trump’s Cabinet and Secretary picks continue to disappoint, as vetting seems to be a major issue. This time, White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia was ousted after only 5 days, and her actual legal expertise was called into question. This is after the continued fall of Kristi Noem, who was already fired/removed as DHS Secretary, and has now been removed as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas coalition, per CNN. Much like Noem’s political career, it looks like the job expired.

I have personally heard a rumor that someone else from South Dakota is making an effort to be the next Press Secretary; Amanda Radke.

Radke has allegedly been stealing other's thunder to market herself, much like others in South Dakota. Radke has been accused of taking much of the credit for organizing the anti-CO2 pipeline & property rights movement, as others in that movement reported that they did the work and Radke was paid for public speaking for at least some events. That doesn't sound like a noble freedom fighter; it sounds like a political profiteer.

It’s clear that whoever in President Trump's team is in charge of vetting individuals needs to be on the chopping block, and soon, for endorsing bad mid-term candidates and appointing lackluster cabinet members.

Three core cabinet secretaries have left or been removed during Donald Trump's second term: Attorney General Pam Bondi (fired April 2, 2026), Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (departed/removed Spring 2026), and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer (resigned April 20, 2026). Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt have also stepped down or left their roles, and Elon Musk's DOGE initiative/department is gone.

A total of 27 Senate-confirmed officials across high-ranking cabinet departments and agency roles have departed the administration through firings, resignations, or reassignments, including many household names;

1. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who was moved to the UN to represent the USA there.

2. Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who left to live a civilian life.

3. Special Government Employee Corey Lewandowski, who's real job was never very clear. His rumored/alleged job was Fornicating Under Carnal Knowledge Kristi Noem (Noem disputes allegations).

4. The Secretary of the Army and Secretary of the Navy are both gone, as is at least one general.

Is President Trump fixing mistakes, or are rats scrambling to leave a sinking ship?

We see a combination of both.

For years, Republicans complained about DEI hires by Democrats during the Biden Administration, like trans cross-dressers Sam Brinton who was caught stealing women's clothing and luggage at the airport.

Did President Trump fall into the same trap by appointing famous faces who had no real experience, or had serious questions about their past? Did President Trump pick cabinet pics on physical looks alone?

The people of the United States, not Washington, appeared happy with the work Trump did in the 1st administration. Since then, it appears President Trump is trying to make Washington happy, rather than his voters.

Trump polled great when he campaigned on "draining the swamp," but it doesn't appear that the swamp got drained. Now, President Trump's approval rating is dropping as fast as gas prices have gone up.

The question still remains; did Noem, Bondi, and Zacharia prove to be DEI hires, who lacked the credibility for their positions?

Noem appeared more interested in photo ops and starring in her ads than running Homeland Security or providing training and body cameras to ICE.

Zacharia may have actually fudged her resume.

Bondi had experience, but broke prosecution promises on the Epstein files. Additionally, she was confirmed to have visited South Dakota in 2017, as the keynote speaker at the South Dakota Law Enforcement Charitable Game Feed, held in Sioux Falls. See the South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley’s press release here: https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=2702#gsc.tab=0

In the photo, Jackley and Bondi appear quite happy together.

In 2018, Jackley's wife Angela filed for divorce, case number 32DIV18-66. Are the two events related? We have attempted to interview Jackley, and we've sent requests to his campaign and the Attorney General's Office. We have had ZERO response to every request on every issue. Sounds like his refusal to debate his opponent in the primary, when his opponent had the goods on him.

Noem, Bondi, and Zacharia are gone, and for good reason. Now, it's time to ask who vetted these people. Who in the Trump team is giving bad advice, or is the Commander in Chief himself making bad picks? We will inquire with the White House.

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