Trump's early second-term appointments fuel fears of push for extremist agenda

Donald Trump may have won a second term as president just last week, but his recent administration appointments have already heightened fears among some who believe his return to the White House will lead to an extremist agenda.

- Anna Betts

On immigration, Trump has chosen loyalists and hardliners Stephen Miller to serve as deputy chief of staff for policy and Department of Homeland Security adviser; Tom Homan as "border czar", and Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor, to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Miller, previously a Trump adviser, played a significant role in crafting Trump's immigration policies in his first administration, including the Muslim ban. Homan was the former acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Trump's first administration and a supporter of the family separation policy. Noem has been a vocal and strong Trump ally for the better part of a decade.

This trio is likely to help bring to fruition Trump's campaign promise of the mass deportation of millions of undocumented migrants living in the US.

On Tuesday, Trump shocked the Pentagon and the wider defense world by appointing Pete Hegseth, the army veteran and Fox News host, as the new defense secretary.

A staunch conservative, Hegseth opposes what he calls "woke" military programmes aimed at promoting equity and inclusion and has questioned the role of women in combat. He has also advocated for pardoning service members accused of war crimes. He reportedly formed a friendship with Trump during his appearances on Fox & Friends.

Speaking with Politico, Eric Edelman, who served as the Pentagon's top policy official during the Bush administration, said that Trump's choices so far reveal that he "puts his highest value on loyalty", adding that one of the main criteria appears to be "how well do people defend Donald Trump on television".