Black Republicans who fiercely supported Donald Trump’s reelection now find themselves sidelined as his new administration takes shape, with his cabinet dominated by a sea of white appointees, not one of them Black.
Notably, some of Trump’s most vocal Black campaign advocates, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, and ex-NFL star Herschel Walker, have been glaringly excluded from Trump’s circle of trust in the lead-up to his second term.
None of them have publicly addressed their exclusion from the cabinet, despite helping Trump win over Black voters who backed his economic platform in 2024.
So far, the only person of color among Trump’s 24 cabinet nominees is Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, a 39-year-old entrepreneur and son of Indian immigrants, who is being considered alongside billionaire Elon Musk as co-commissioners for Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency. Trump’s other handpicked nominees are all white.
The fact has not gone unnoticed on social media, where sharp-tongued critics have ridiculed Black lawmakers for their undying loyalty to Trump while highlighting their exclusion from the cabinet despite their extraordinary efforts to promote Trump.
One of the common refrains on X was, “Where are the blacks for Trump in his cabinet? You f—king idiots sold your souls. You’re f—king morons,” one user remarked, echoing the harsh rhetoric on the platform this past week.
Hey @ByronDonalds @SenatorTimScott
— Grawlix (@BriefsIn) November 16, 2024
Where are the blacks for Trump in his cabinet?
You fucking idiots sold your souls. You’re fucking morons. pic.twitter.com/bz6d6hPGKG
This particular post led to an argument in the comments section, where an angry Trump supporter defended the president-elect, saying, “So let me make sure I’m getting this straight. Your argument is not that we are not hiring the best-qualified people, That they are not the very best of their field, that they cannot succeed for the American people. Your argument is they’re not black enough. Go f—k yourself.”
But the other commenter clapped back: “Oh. And Trump’s administration is quickly shaping up to be the absolute worst qualified in each post. Elect a clown, you get a circus. Trump is a f—king joke.”
Many of Trump’s appointments have been controversial, reflecting his prioritization of loyalty over selecting individuals who might challenge his decisions while in office.
Trump’s picks for defense secretary, Fox News host Pete Hegseth, and attorney general, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, are facing serious sexual misconduct allegations ahead of their Senate confirmation hearings. Anticipating the controversy, Trump has stated he will pursue recess appointments to bypass Senate approval and ensure his choices take office without delay.
Another social media post about the issue shows a photo lineup of seven well-known Black Republicans who helped lift Trump to victory in 2016 and 2024, including political commentator Candace Owens, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Daniel Cameron, the former attorney general of Kentucky.
The comments section was dripping with effigies and insults, with terms like “Uncle Tom” and “sellout” being thrown around. Someone also posted a gif from the film Django Unchained, showing the loyal house enslaved character played by Samuel L. Jackson, highlighting the brutal mockery faced online by Black Republicans for their perceived subservience to Trump.
Some users made the point by simply posting clown emojis to represent the political figures who were on the outside looking in at Trump’s next cabinet.
“They tap danced, picked cotton, shined Trump’s shoes with a spit shine, turned on other Blacks, appeared in Black Churches,” one person wrote. “… And they still didn’t make it to the big house.”
They tap danced, picked cotton, shined Trump's shoes with a spit shine, turned on other Blacks, appeared in Black Churches, one obtained a fake fiance who he married to be that fake all American White Republican, another had to sit next to the man who Trump chose as his VP at the…
— L J (@LJNewsOpinions) November 19, 2024
During the final week of his campaign, Trump mentioned that he wanted to put former pro-running back Herschel Walker in charge of the country’s missile defense if he became president again, even though Walker has no prior experience with military strategy or defense systems.
“We will build a missile defense shield, all made in the USA, wrapped around our country to defend ourselves and our country,” Trump declared to his cheering supporters. Trump then added, “We’ll put Herschel Walker in charge of that little sucker.”
However, Trump has not mentioned Walker at all since his resounding victory over Vice President Kamala Harris two weeks ago.
Over the weekend, rumors circulated online that Trump might nominate Ben Carson for surgeon general, but on Sunday, Carson put all speculation to rest.
“I am excited to speak with President Trump about how I will continue to advance the America First agenda, and I am meeting with him in the near future,” the retired neurosurgeon wrote, according to reports. “However, contrary to reports, I will not be serving as the Surgeon General.”
Carson, who served in Trump’s first cabinet, was one of the first Black Republicans to congratulate Trump online after his Nov. 5 victory, calling the president-elect “my good friend.”
“Congratulations to my good friend and the next President of the United States, @realdonaldtrump!!” Carson wrote. “As I said earlier today, God is not done with our country. Let’s get to work.”
However, despite his staunch support, Carson’s name has not been put forward for any cabinet position in Trump’s second term, further highlighting the disconnect between the Blacks who supported Trump and their lack of representation in the upcoming administration.
Carson’s exclusion comes after Trump lavishly praised him at the annual Black Conservative Federation gala in South Carolina this past summer when Trump boasted about Carson’s “scandal-free” tenure as HUD secretary.
In the rare show of grace, Trump spoke glowingly of Carson, calling the retired neurosurgeon a “special man,” “competitive guy,” and “a great friend of mine,” while also caroling Carson’s tenure as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in his first administration.
Carson was seated in the audience as Trump addressed the crowd of Black Republican conservatives, with whom he sought to boost his appeal as President Joe Biden faced criticism for his perceived lack of actions to support the Black community.
“He did a great job,” Trump recounted while falsely claiming that Carson’s record was free from scandal. Months later, critics are questioning why Carson, who was so pivotal to Trump’s courting of Black voters, hasn’t been offered a seat at the table—raising suspicions that Trump was simply pandering to the Black community during his stump speech.
Sen. Tim Scott, meanwhile, was appointed last week as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, overseeing the 2026 campaign cycle. He took the position uncontested, succeeding Senator Steve Daines, who helped lead the party to a potential 53-seat majority and four flipped seats in 2024.
Scott tried to frame his new role as more significant than a cabinet position, emphasizing its national impact.
“I am honored and humbled by the confidence placed in me to protect and grow our Republican majority,” Scott said, according to The Hill. “With President Trump in the White House and Republican leadership in Congress, help is on the way for the American people. Donald J. Trump proved that when we fight everywhere with the TRUTH, we win. That is why we must secure a Republican Senate for all four years of the Trump administration, and that work starts today!”
Scott, who withdrew from the presidential race back in January and immediately endorsed Trump, explained at the time why he threw his support to Trump over Nikki Haley, who had appointed him to the U.S. Senate during her time as governor of South Carolina.
“It came down to a simple question: who guarantees us the best future for the average American who starts where I started?” Scott told Fox News at the time. “I started as a poor kid living in really devastated neighborhoods. I asked myself, the Reagan revolution that transformed my opportunities, who’s best suited for the kids today, living in similar situations, to have that kind of Reagan revolution?”
But so far, Trump’s so-called “revolution” does not include Scott.
Another Republican who finds himself shut out from the administration is Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, one of Trump’s most vocal surrogates on the campaign trail who was given a special shout-out in September at one of Trump’s MAGA rallies in western Pennsylvania.
When Trump spotted Donalds in the audience, he asked him to stand up and praised him as a “superstar of the future,” but then sparked controversy by putting Donalds’ character above that of other Black Americans.
“He’s great. He knows exactly what I’m talking about,” Trump said to the cheering audience. “That one is smart. You have smart ones, and you have some that aren’t quite so good.”
At the time, numerous voices on social media blasted Trump for making the bigoted remark, given the fact that most Black people are critical of Trump while Donalds has been a consistent champion of the MAGA agenda.
