Donald Trump has nominated Robert F Kennedy Jr to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, and chose government posts for members of his own legal team in the latest round of appointments given to his most loyal supporters, despite continued criticism.

Public health experts warned that the choice of RFK Jr could cost lives on Thursday because of his vaccine denialism and notorious support of conspiracy theories. His role must still be confirmed by the Senate, and some senators have already expressed doubt that some of Trump’s nominees will garner enough votes despite a Republican majority in the House.

Two members of Trump’s legal team, Todd Blanche And Dean John Sauer, have been nominated for deputy attorney general and attorney general, respectively. Trump put forward Jay Claytonwho served as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during Trump’s first term, before the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Trump’s nominee for attorney general Matt Gaetzcontinued to draw criticism from his Republican colleagues, along with a senior Republican senator Johannes Cornyn joining the Democratic senator Dick Durbin to call for a report on allegations of sexual misconduct by Gaetz – which he denies – to be shared with the Senate. Republican Kevin McCarthywho was ousted as speaker of the House of Representatives last year in a Gaetz-backed coup, said the ex-congressman “will not be confirmed” as attorney general.

The flurry of nominations this week has led some to wonder whether Trump’s 2024 picks are more extreme than 2016’s. Here’s a look at how they compare so far.

Here’s what else happened on Thursday:

Trump transition news and updates

• The FBI must investigate both Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard before confirming them for their Cabinet postsTrump’s former national security adviser John Bolton has said. Gabbard, whom Trump nominated as director of national intelligence, is known for her tolerant view of the Russian president Vladimir Putin and Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

• Elon Musk reportedly met the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations on Monday. and discussed how to defuse tensions between Iran and the US, two Iranian officials told the New York Times. As Trump prepares to tackle conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, Musk, the world’s richest man, has helped lead talks with foreign officials, establishing himself as the country’s most influential citizen in January.

• Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are looking for Americans who are “high-IQ small-government revolutionaries” and willing to work more than 80 hours per week to join their new department, at zero pay. Trump has appointed Musk to co-head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which sits outside the federal government.

• Advocates have urged state governments to find new ways to defend immigrants and block Trump’s mass deportation plan. California protected many noncitizens from removal during Trump’s first term, but immigrant rights groups warn an aggressive, multi-pronged response will be needed.

• A Democratic lawmaker will introduce a motion specifically stating that Trump can only serve two terms. after the president-elect joked that he would be willing to serve an unconstitutional third term as president during a meeting with House Republicans on Wednesday.

• Trump has appointed his former Georgia congressman Doug Collins as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Collins ran for Senate in 2020 and finished third in the primary. He also “provided Trump with advice in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, when Trump sought to challenge Georgia’s election results.”