As President-elect Donald Trump faces mounting resistance to some of his Cabinet nominees, financial expert and Ramsey Solutions founder Dave Ramsey has a clear message: Strong leadership means decisive action.
"There’ll be a time where you have to fish or cut bait," Ramsey said about the Cabinet nominees during an appearance Wednesday on "Cavuto: Coast to Coast."
"A leader that won’t stand beside their team and cover their back the first time something gets rough, sends a signal to the rest of the team that he’s not going [to] stand there."
Ramsey’s advice comes as several nominees, including Secretary of Defense pick Pete Hegseth, Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi, and Treasury Secretary candidate Scott Bessent, work to secure Senate support amid intense scrutiny.
Ramsey emphasized the importance of maintaining a unified front:
"If I were in this situation, I’m going [to] back this until I make a decision not to," he added. "I’m not going [to] waffle in the public eye. I’m going [to] do all this directly with the leader and decide whether we’re going [to] move forward or not together."
The challenges are already evident. Two nominees – former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, initially tapped for attorney general, and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, considered for the Drug Enforcement Administration – have withdrawn. Despite this, Ramsey suggests Trump’s choices aren’t just about passing Senate scrutiny.
"I don’t think he picked them for Senate confirmation," Ramsey said. "He picked them because their values align with where he wants to go."
Loyalty, Ramsey believes, is a cornerstone of Trump’s selection process for this second Cabinet.
"He’s looking for people who, if they disagree with him, they’re going [to] disagree, they’re going [to] have a good healthy disagreement. But not someone who’s going [to] slit his throat from behind."
Ramsey offered three critical questions for the president-elect as he evaluates his nominees:
"Are our values lined up? Is there an alignment on loyalty? Are they smart enough, skilled enough to do the job in front of them?"
These questions, Ramsey argues, should guide Trump’s decision-making as he navigates the political and media pressures surrounding his Cabinet picks.
Ramsey urged Trump to avoid letting external noise influence his decision.
"You can’t let the masses dictate your leadership. Because if you do, you’ll soon figure out that the ‘m’ is silent," he said.
With a 53-seat Republican majority in the Senate, the Trump team can afford to lose only four votes per nominee. The stakes are high, and confirmation battles loom, but Ramsey’s advice underscores the need for clarity and resolve.
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Ultimately, Trump’s ability to lead decisively and stay loyal to his team will set the tone for his administration’s success.
"Let the Senate deal with it," said Ramsey.
