Women will play a major role in the administration of President-elect Trump, since he has nominated and appointed a number to high-level positions.

Trump has appointed eight women to cabinet-level positions, which is double the number of women he initially nominated for his first term. Susie Wiles, who was appointed as Trump’s chief of staff in 2017, is the first woman to ever hold this position in U.S. History. He has also chosen women to fill high-level positions, including press secretary and surgeon.

Allies of the president-elect say that Trump’s appointments are emblematic in his push to elevate women, amid criticisms about past remarks and alleged treatment towards women. They come after a historic presidential election, in which women were the key factor behind Trump’s victory.

Former Trump administration officials said, “You are not seeing a sort of old boys’ club.”

Micki McElya is a history professor from the University of Connecticut. She said that although the president-elect has not yet confirmed his picks, his decision to appoint more women in his inner circle seems to be part of his “quest” to create a new alliance.

McElya stated that “he’s definitely promoting more females to top positions than he did for the first time.”

Trump has nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY, to be the U.S. ambassador at the United Nations. Linda McMahon was in Trump’s Small Business Administration during his first administration and has now been nominated as his Education Secretary. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, is Trump’s choice for Homeland Security Secretary. Lori Chavez DeRemer (R), a Republican from Oregon is Trump’s pick for Labor Secretary.

Brooke Rollins, an attorney and adviser on policy matters, is Trump’s Agriculture Secretary nominee. Kelly Loeffler, a former Georgia senator (R), has been chosen to head Trump’s Small Business Administration. Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, was chosen as Trump’s nominee for Attorney General after Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) withdrew.

Tulsi Gabrield, former Hawaii congresswoman and Trump’s nominee to the position of director of national Intelligence, will be the first woman with Pacific heritage in history to hold this role.

Roma Daravi is a former deputy director for strategic communications at Trump’s White House. She said, “This country remains the best and most diverse in the world. You can see it in his cabinet picks. But, organically, this is happening.”

She added, “When you stop looking at color and gender, you can see that all of these people are extremely diverse around him.”

Trump’s top female choices, besides Gabbard and Chavez-DeRemer (a Latina), are mostly white women. This demographic helped him win against Vice President Harris.

McElya said that his picks “appear to be a continuation of Trump’s appeal to white women voters, who have been important and really strong to Trump’s new coalition.”

“I think that coming out of the gates with the first female to be in a role of chief of staff as we come off what would have been an historic first for the presidency, I think there was a very… pointed thing about saying right after this victory, ‘I’m promoting this lady to this position’.”

Samantha Dravis is a former official from the first Trump administration. She believes that Trump surrounds himself with smart choices.

She said, “He has women around him that provide him with good and sound advice and who do things.”

She said that “all of these women are qualified to fill these roles on their own merits.” “I wouldn’t say that this president is picking women just because they are women.”

Seven women were in Trump’s Cabinet from 2017 until the start of 2021. Trump also had a few prominent women represent his administration to the media, such as his former press secretary Sarah Sanders, Kayleigh MacEnany, and Stephanie Grisham. Grisham was also White House Communications Director for a time. Mercedes Schlapp was the White House director for strategic communications and Kellyanne Conway who led Trump’s campaign in 2016 worked as a senior advisor.

Ashley Davis, a Republican strategist who worked in George W. Bush’s administration, said that Trump had women in his previous administration. “He rewards women who are strong and encourages them to work hard.” “It doesn’t really surprise me.”

According to the Center for American Women and Politics’ data, President Biden appointed the most women in U.S. government history to cabinet or cabinet-level positions.

Daravi, a former McMahon employee in Trump’s Small Business Administration who noted that many women Trump appointed in his first administration remain in his orbit,

Daravi stated, “All these people are still around him.” “Some are taking on roles in the administration.” “Some are taking roles in public positions,” she said referring to Sanders’ election as Arkansas governor.

Karoline leavitt has been selected by Trump as the White House Press Secretary. Leavitt, who is 27 years old will be the youngest person in history to hold this position.

The experts say that there are some characteristics shared by the candidates for the second administration.

Lilly Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University. She noted that a number of Trump’s nominees “appear younger than it usually is with these nominations.”

I think the most commonality among disruptors is that they are good at generating controversy, and good in front of cameras. McElya added that “large donors like McMahon” were also common.

Goren said that Trump’s picks are more a reflection of who he is comfortable with – people he has worked with before or those whose loyalty he is assured – than a strategy to bring in more women.

Goren said that the constant churn of Trump’s administration is another factor that complicates any analysis of Trump appointees. Cabinet turnover in Trump’s first term was unprecedented — and some of Trump’s second-term nominees are already withdrawing.

Goren stated that “he had so many people in various roles during his first administration.” She said that she was not sure of the length of time each person would be in his position if confirmed by Senate.

Trump’s critics claim that the president-elect is not good with women. They point to allegations of sexual misconduct against him, as well as past remarks about his female opponents and political rivals.

McElya stated that this is evident in his selections of males to fill his top administrative roles.

Gaetz is one of several Trump’s cabinet picks who are facing allegations of sexual misconduct.