Wives of Trump officials discuss supporting husbands behind scenes

Many Americans know who helps President Donald Trump advance his agenda, but fewer Americans know who supports those Cabinet members behind the scenes. Now, the wives of several top Trump administration officials are speaking candidly about their lives and roles.

“It’s interesting being on the inside looking out to see how decisions are made and how much can be done and achieved,” said Cheryl Hines, wife of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Hines was one of eight Cabinet spouses who sat down with “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy, who is married to Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, to discuss their experiences adjusting to life in the administration. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services, sits with his wife, Cheryl Hines, in the front row during his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Building on Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“It feels like we’re all one big team, led by this really incredible leader who has a lot of courage and makes very quick decisions,” said Kathryn Burgum, wife of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

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Burgum said the pace of the Trump administration has been faster than anything she has seen in government, including her time as first lady of North Dakota. She described the atmosphere as “entrepreneurial” and “patriotic.”

Jennifer Hegseth and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth meet with Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Paulina Kosiniak-Kamysz in Warsaw, Poland, on Feb. 14. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Several of the women said they were surprised by how quickly their families adapted to the new normal. Jennifer Hegseth, whose husband Pete Hegseth serves as secretary of war, said the public does not always see how deeply committed the Cabinet members are to serving the country.

“He does this only because he cares about the troops and our country,” said Hegseth.

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“He starts with God and goes from there to make sure he’s doing the right thing.”

That sense of dedication was a common theme among the spouses when describing their partners. For some, the transition itself came as a shock.

Doug Burgum, secretary of the interior, and his wife, Kathryn Burgum, arrive in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, ahead of a joint session of Congress. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Allison Lutnick, wife of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, said she learned her husband was being considered for a Cabinet position when she saw his face on television.

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“My biggest surprise initially was learning Howard was even going into the Cabinet,” she said.

“I learned about it in my kitchen when his picture came up on the TV screen.”

Others said the biggest changes have come through smaller, everyday adjustments. Marlo Greer, whose partner Jamieson Greer is the United States trade representative, said her husband can no longer help with school drop-offs.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his wife, Allison, attend the annual Days of Remembrance ceremony honoring Holocaust victims in the U.S. Capitol’s Emancipation Hall on April 23. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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“It’s just a little busier,” said Greer.

“But we love getting to participate in all these things and feel like what my husband is doing is making a difference and really helping Americans.”

Robin Turner, the wife of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, said their marriage and approach to public service have always been grounded in faith. The wives revealed that Turner has acted as a spiritual leader within the Cabinet, often leading the group in prayer.

“If God is first, and then each other, and then our family, then when all of that is strong, then everything else [kind of] falls in place,” she said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, arrive at Stansted Airport in Essex on Sept. 16, ahead of the state visit by the president of the United States (Nathan Howard-Pool/Getty Images)

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The women repeatedly emphasized how closely bonded the Cabinet has become as it works toward shared goals. Jeanette Rubio, the wife of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said she was already familiar with political life from her husband’s years in the Senate but still found it “surprising” how well the Cabinet gets along.

“That, to me, is great,” she said.