--- title: Donald Trump Says It’s Fine That Nominees Disagree With Him description: "I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine!" Trump tweeted of his nominees who have been disagreeing with him. canonical: https://time.com/4634242/donald-trump-cabinet-nominees-disagree-congress/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-13T12:19:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:13:31.914Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Says It’s Just Fine That His Nominees Are Disagreeing With Him og:description: "I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine!" og:url: https://time.com/4634242/donald-trump-cabinet-nominees-disagree-congress/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt578338bbf3523312/6988b565524fc043d5dfab77/trump-inauguration.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: US-POLITICS-TRUMP-PRESSER og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Says It’s Just Fine That His Nominees Are Disagreeing With Him twitter:description: "I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine!" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt578338bbf3523312/6988b565524fc043d5dfab77/trump-inauguration.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Says It’s Just Fine That His Nominees Are Disagreeing With Him > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=222e3976-3b6a-4973-853e-2d4250990fef&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Donald Trump's First News Conference Since Presidential Election [Watch (HLS stream): Donald Trump's First News Conference Since Presidential Election](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/SPuibc6H.m3u8) (2:17)  _Published 2017-01-11. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday denied and denounced an unsubstantiated report that said Russia had compromising information about him, calling it an “absolute disgrace” during the first news conference he has hosted in about six months._  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jan 13, 2017 12:19 PM UTC  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jan 13, 2017 12:19 PM UTC Many of [Donald Trump](http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2016-donald-trump/)‘s Cabinet nominees have been [publicly parting ways with him](http://time.com/4632952/donald-trump-cabinet-confirmation-hearings-splits/) on major issues at their confirmation hearings this week. But [the President-elect](http://time.com/white-house-interviews/?xid=homepage) says that’s just fine. “All of my Cabinet nominee are looking good and doing a great job,” [Trump said Friday morning on Twitter](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/819858926455967744). “I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine!” This week of hearings on Capitol Hill has certainly shown that many of the picks aren’t just expressing Trump’s views. [Nominees have distanced themselves from Trump’s remarks](http://time.com/4632952/donald-trump-cabinet-confirmation-hearings-splits/) on such hot-button topics as foreign policy, immigration and the military. His Secretary of State pick disagrees with him on a key trade deal, his Defense Secretary pick wants to take a harsher stance on Russia, and his Attorney General nominee [says the U.S. shouldn’t ban](http://time.com/4630738/jeff-sessions-donald-trump-attorney-general-hearing/?iid=sr-link3) Muslim immigration to the United States. > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/819858926455967744) **Read More:** [How Donald Trump’s Cabinet Nominees Contradicted Him](http://time.com/4632952/donald-trump-cabinet-confirmation-hearings-splits/) ## Transcript As far as hacking, I think it was Russia. But I think we also get hacked by other countries, and other people. Hacking's bad, and it shouldn't be done. But look at the things that were hacked, look at what was learned from that hacking. I saw the information, I read the information outside of that meeting. It's all fake news, it's phony stuff. It didn't happen, and it was gotten by opponents of ours. I have no dealings with Russia. I have no deals in Russia. I have no deals that could have been in Russia because we've stayed away. And I have no loans with Russia. Does anyone really believe that story? I'm also very much of a germaphobe, by the way. My two sons who are right here, Don and Eric, are going to be running the company. They are going to be running it in a very professional manner. They're not gonna discuss it with me. I'll be making the decision on who we will put up for Justice of the United States Supreme Court. A replacement for the great great Justice Scalia. That will be probably within two weeks of the 20th. I don't feel like waiting a year or a year and a half. We're gonna start building. Mexico in some form, and there are many different forms, will reimburse us. And they will reimburse us for the cost of the wall. That will happen. Whether it's a tax, or whether it's a payment, probably less likely that it's a payment. Well I'm not really seeing the tax returns, cuz as you know they're under audit. [ INAUDIBLE ] G I have never heard that. Ooh the G I have never heard that. I have never heard that. You know the only one who cares about my tax returns are the reporters okay. They are the only ones. No I dont think so. I won. I mean I became president. Go ahead. No not you. Not you your organisation is terrible. Your organization's terrible, let's go. Sir, sir. Go ahead. Quiet, quiet. Go ahead, she's asking a question, don't be rude. Can you give us a question? Don't be rude. Can you give us a question? Don't be rude, no I'm not going to give you a question. You are fake news. 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