Critics initially set a low bar for President Donald Trump’s Cabinet secretaries and agency administrators. Despite this, several of his appointees have defied expectations in distinct ways. Post Opinions writers Robert Gebelhoff, Dominic Pino, Henry Olsen, James Hohmann, and Damir Marusic discuss which appointees have taken the most surprising turns.

U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum were photographed in Washington D.C. on August 7 by Elizabeth Frantz of Reuters, highlighting the ongoing scrutiny and discussion around these controversial appointments.

While some appointees exceeded expectations positively, others did so negatively. The clarity and unpredictability in their actions have added complexity to the evaluation of Trump’s administration by critics and supporters alike.