Russian TV Hosts Fawn Over Donald Trump's Cabinet Picks: 'Totally Wonderful'

Russian TV hosts have announced their approval regarding President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks and described all of them as "totally wonderful," according to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Olga Skabeyeva, the Russian host of the show 60 Minutes, and others reviewed some of Trump's cabinet choices announced this week and assessed their stances on the war in Ukraine.

Julia Davis, founder of the Russia Media Monitor watchdog group, posted video of the broadcast on X alongside the caption: "Meanwhile in Russia: state TV propagandists and government officials expressed their delight with Trump's selections: 'All of them are totally wonderful!'"

Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for comment via email outside of business hours.

During the broadcast, Dmitry Yegorchenkov, the director of the Institute of Strategic Studies and Forecasts, spoke about the global narratives about the war in Ukraine and the Trump team's contributions to them.

He said: "If we are to believe what Trump is saying, as well as some future members of his administration [about American foreign policy under Trump], of course, all of them are totally wonderful. Perhaps I'll agree with that American analyst who said that Trump decided not to bother and picked his team out of his fanbase. They certainly won't say 'Donald, don't do this or that.' Everyone will say, 'That's right, this is the way to go!'"

Laughing, Yegorchenkov continued: "What do we want? Several retired military guys, note that two of them are from Florida. A congressman and a senator from Florida, how did this happen? By chance, does Trump have property in Florida? I'm not sure, maybe he doesn't. How did this happen? With no exceptions, they all say Ukraine doesn't matter, but China does."

New president elect Donald Trump ready to speak at a meeting of the House GOP conference on November 13, 2024. Russian TV hosts voiced their approval of Trump's cabinet picks in a recent broadcast. Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Earlier in the broadcast, Skabeyeva discussed Trump's "affinity towards Putin" and "deep disdain for Zelensky," his plans to end the war in Ukraine, his cabinet picks, and the U.S.' current support of Ukraine.

Trump's recently announced cabinet picks include Florida Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state, Florida Representative Matt Gaetz as attorney general, former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard as director of National Intelligence, Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Newsweek reached out to Gabbard for comment via a form on her website and Hegseth for comment via email outside of business hours.

The newly reelected president has also chosen campaign senior adviser Susie Wiles to be his chief of staff, Florida Representative Mike Waltz as national security adviser, Tom Homan as "Border Czar," New York Representative Elise Stefanik as the U.N. Ambassador, former senior adviser Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy, and former Representative Lee Zeldin as leader of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Trump has also made Tesla CEO Elon Musk the head of the newly created Department of Efficiency alongside fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.

The reelected president's cabinet choices have received some backlash on social media following their announcements, and not everyone is in agreement with the Russian TV host that they are "all totally wonderful."

Virginia Representative Abigail Spanberger criticized Gabbard's appointment in Trump's cabinet and wrote on X: "As a former CIA case officer, I saw the men and women of the U.S. intelligence community put their lives on the line every day for this country—and I am appalled at the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to lead DNI. Not only is she ill-prepared and unqualified, but she traffics in conspiracy theories and cozies up to dictators like Bashar-al Assad and Vladimir Putin. As a Member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am deeply concerned about what this nomination portends for our national security. My Republican colleagues with a backbone should speak out."

Condemning Hegseth's nomination, Colorado Representative Jason Crow said: "Pete Hegseth is not remotely qualified to be Secretary of Defense. The SecDef makes life-and-death decisions daily that impact our 2 million troops around the globe. This is not an entry-level job for a TV commentator. The Senate should do its job and deny this nomination."