Whenever government starts appointing unelected, unvetted people to positions they have created for them, beware.
JARED KUSHNER
First we have Jared Kushner, who barely while out of college, is negotiating a major war in the Middle East. The problem here is he is a Zionist so he’s certainly not looking out for the welfare of the thousands of innocents that have been murdered in Gaza. It is clear, as the president has mentioned, they would love to turn Gaza into some sort of coastal resort.
His deep personal and political alignment with Israeli leadership and Gulf rivals of Iran, are seen as undercutting perceptions of neutral U.S. mediation.
Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, received billions from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and has sought additional Gulf capital while he conducts diplomacy.
Lawmakers and policy analysts have questioned the qualifications and preparedness of a non-traditional negotiation team—including Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff—handling complex nuclear diplomacy.
PROJECT MERIDIAN
ELON MUSK and NEWT GINGRICH
Project Meridian: 120 Days to Map the Weapons of Future Wars, Musk Named as Co-Lead
“War Secretary” Pete Hegseth tapped Elon Musk and Newt Gingrich—alongside defense tech executive Palmer Luckey—to co-lead Project Meridian because they are viewed by the administration as leading minds suited to envision future warfare.
Musk’s company, SpaceX (alongside co-leader Palmer Luckey’s firm, Anduril), already holds major, multi-billion-dollar military contracts. Critics point out the ethical issue of having industry executives draft recommendations on future warfare domains that their own companies are actively competing to supply.
Neither Musk nor Gingrich has ever served in the U.S. armed forces. Critics argue that mapping the future of war requires a fundamental understanding of military life and frontline tactics, which both lack.
Skeptics point to Musk’s lack of specialized military knowledge, citing past controversial statements—such as him publicly dismissing the highly capable F-35 fighter jet design—as evidence that his tech optimism does not align with the realities of modern warfare.
Musk’s return follows a highly chaotic tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and a public feud with President Trump. This leads critics to view the appointment as more of a political reward than a strategic meritocracy.
PALMER LUCKEY
Public objections to Palmer Luckey—the billionaire co-founder of Oculus VR and the defense tech startup Anduril Industries—generally center on his controversial political activities, his work in defense manufacturing, and early legal battles over intellectual property.
During the 2016 U.S. presidential election a media report revealed that Luckey had secretly contributed $10,000 to Nimble America, a pro-Donald Trump, anti-Hillary Clinton group dedicated to internet “shitposting,” digital trolling, and creating provocative billboards.
Some in the community were angry that a major tech leader was financing online harassment and groups associated with alt-right or extreme right-wing rhetoric. Several virtual reality game developers threatened to boycott Oculus and pull support for the headset unless Luckey stepped down.
OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
Hegseth creates a Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs that reports directly to him
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s newly announced Office of Religious Affairs at the Pentagon has drawn sharp criticism from First Amendment advocates, secular organizations, and watchdog groups who argue the move unconstitutionally elevates Christianity within military policy.
Critics point to Hegseth’s rhetoric—including framing military conflicts through a spiritual lens and describing the U.S. military’s mission in explicitly religious terms—as advancing a Christian nationalist agenda inside the Department of Defense.
Many feel he will use religion to justify war and more killing.
As of today, no person has been appointed to lead this group.