Oklahoma Delegation Reacts To Trump's Anti-Establishment Picks

President-elect Donald Trump successfully campaigned on a pledge to radically overhaul the federal government.

Based on many of the men and women he’s nominated to fill his Cabinet, it’s clear he intends to follow through on that promise.

So far, two of Trump’s nominees have withdrawn their names from consideration, and there could be more to come. However, it’s clear that those who are ultimately confirmed will generally be anti-status quo, something the Oklahoma delegation generally supports.

"He's nominating people that he knows will be a disruption to the status quo," Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK2) said in an interview Wednesday. "Absolutely that excites me."

Brecheen and others in the delegation say they understand there are limits to the 'disruption' that can be accomplished under the Constitution’s restrictions. However, both the most conservative and the most moderate members of the delegation agree that change is needed and that Trump is the one who can bring it.

"He really has one opportunity to fundamentally change the way government operates," Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK5) said in an interview Thursday. "So he’s putting people in places that he feels can make a significant impact."

Some of Trump’s nominees, like former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, have raised eyebrows, but the delegation is generally inclined to support most of his choices because they support Trump.

"I think when the president wins, by and large, he deserves the benefit of the doubt, whoever it is," Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK4) said. "They need to have their people unless we find some really obviously disqualifying information about them."

What is considered disqualifying, however, is often up for debate, as it is with Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, the veteran and former Fox News host, whose past drinking and alleged womanizing are raising concerns among some Senators about his fitness to lead the Pentagon. Oklahoma’s Markwayne Mullin is not one of them.

"You know, we've all made mistakes in our lives," Sen. Mullin (R-OK) said in an interview Wednesday. "Who I am today is quite different than I was five years ago, 10 years ago, and 15 years ago. The question is, can you do the job? And I believe Pete could do the job that we need."

Hegseth was at the Capitol Thursday, as were Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, whom Trump has tapped to lead his initiative to reduce spending by making government more efficient.

Rep. Brecheen, a constitutionalist and fiscal hawk focused on reducing the national debt, is fully supportive.

"It excites me to know that (Trump) is going to bring people in," Brecheen said. "And they’re going to turn the snow globe upside down and hopefully right-size our government back to its original intent."