There is Senate confirmation. But there is talk of Trump pressuring the Senate to adjourn so his nominations can be rammed through as "recess appointments". Then we'd really be in rubber stamp legislature autocracy territory

The President and Legislature are elected at the federal level. All the various major executive branch figures below that are appointed by the President, and at best require the Senate to approve them. Most aren't as ridiculous in their picks as Trump, but he's a narcissistic megalomaniacal buffoon so he has to ensure to himself that's he's surrounded with people who are well known and popular (hence why he seems to be mostly picking based on media experience rather than anything pertinent, save a couple of Project 2025 authors and Tulsi Gabbard) but that he can see himself as above and will stroke his ego by affirming that.

Elected? You don't even need to be qualified. Or even sane.

This position of the president's cabinet, so the only requirement is to be appointed by the president. We elected a scummy mafia-adjacent businessman, and he's appointing the other mafia-adjacent scum he owes favors to.