With Donald Trump’s inauguration a day away, the president-elect’s administration is getting ready to play its part in his second stint in the White House.
During the campaign, Trump has avoided directly confirming nominations, but has hinted at who he would like to be part of his leadership team.
Most of the people selected by the president-elect will be interviewed by members of the Senate before the Senate votes on their nomination. Even with Republicans in charge, some possible options are debatable and could simply be blocked.
Who is in it?
Susie Wiles
Susie Wiles is a veteran director of the Republican crusade: she helped get Ronald Reagan and Ron DeSantis elected, as well as Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024. She is the first member of her team to be announced and becomes the first female director of the crusade. cabinet. in American history.
The 67-year-old, who lives in Florida, has a political career that spans decades but has largely kept out of the limelight and rarely given interviews.
She is the daughter of late American footballer Pat Summerall and one of her first jobs in politics was as an assistant to one of his former New York Giants teammates when he became a Republican representative.
Outside of politics, he has worked in the personal sector as a lobbyist, whether for Ballard Partners, whose clients include Amazon, Google and MLB (Major League Baseball), or for Mercury, which works with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and the Qatari embassy. .
This time around, Mr Trump credited her with his “best-run” presidential campaign, describing her as “incredible” at a Milwaukee rally earlier this year, and an “ice maiden” in his victory speech.
Elon Musk
Tech billionaire Elon Musk became one of Mr Trump’s staunchest supporters in the months leading up to the election and spent at least $119m (£92m) canvassing for him in the seven battleground states.
Awarding his loyalty, Mr Trump announced the Tesla and X owner as co-leader of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
In a statement, the president-elect said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Despite its name, DOGE is not a government company and is instead meant to provide “advice and guidance” outside the government.
The statement released by Mr Trump said it will partner with the office of management and budget to “drive large-scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before”.
The branch has a date of July 4, 2026 to conclude its work.
Vivek Ramaswamy
The former Republican presidential candidate will join Musk at the helm of DOGE.
Mr Ramaswamy, the founder of a pharmaceutical company, suspended his campaign in January to support Mr Trump.
In his 2021 bestseller, Woke, Inc. , Ramaswamy criticized the decisions of some corporations to base their business strategy on considerations of social justice and climate change.
Dave Weldon
The president-elect has picked former Florida congressman and doctor Dave Weldon as his choice to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC responds to infectious disease outbreaks and recommends a vaccine regimen for formative years. In Congress, he formulated a false theory that certain vaccines were linked to an increase in autism.
Pam Bondi
Pam Bondi has been named as Mr Trump’s nomination for attorney general, the country’s top legal official.
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, was also one of Trump’s lawyers in his first impeachment trial.
She was among a group of Republicans who turned up in a show of support for Mr Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York last May.
She served as president of the America First Policy Institute, a tank created by S. Trump.
Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News commentator and National Guard veteran, has been selected as Hegseth. Trump’s defense secretary.
In a statement, the president-elect described the 44-year-old as “tough, smart and a true believer in America First”.
If proven in the Senate, Hegseth could fulfill Trump’s crusading promises to rid the US military of generals he accuses of pursuing progressive diversity policies in the ranks that conservatives oppose. They are gathered.
He was accused of not having the necessary skills for the project in a highly disrupted Senate confirmation hearing earlier this week.
This is a debatable choice due to statements and actions beyond, adding allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking, and mocking perspectives toward women fighting in the military and minorities.
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Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that “Mr. Hegseth admitted that he fell short, as we all do from time to time,” but that he had no doubt that he would “excel at a time when many of his predecessors have failed. “
By contrast, Jack Reed, the most level-headed Democrat on the committee, told Mr. Hegseth: “I don’t think you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this position. “
Mr. Hegseth responded: “The big fee [Donald Trump] gave me to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense.
“Like me, he is a Pentagon focused on lethality, meritocracy, war, struggle, duty and the will to prevent that night’s bombing of our country. “
Doug Bergum
North Dakota Gov. Doug Bergum was chosen through Trump to lead the Interior Department.
The wealthy software executive, 68, won the governorship in 2016. He also ran for president from June to December 2023 before endorsing Trump in January of last year.
Howard Lutnick
Howard Lutnick is the head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and is a cryptocurrency enthusiast.
The 63-year-old has been nominated as commerce secretary, which would put him in charge of an agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to chief executives and the wider business community are crucial.
Lutnick is also co-chair of Trump’s transition team and is now part of the president-elect’s inner circle.
He is one of the main supporters of Trump’s debatable tariff plan.
Janette Nesheiwat
The next surgeon general in the United States – the most sensible physical educator in the country – will be Janette Nesheiwat, if Trump’s election is approved.
Ms Nesheiwat is a GP who served as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centres in New York and New Jersey.
She collaborates with Fox News.
Robert F Kennedy Jr
Trump introduced vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his nominee for fitness secretary: He will oversee a huge branch that includes the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Medicare.
The president-elect wrote in “.
RFK Jr abandoned his independent presidential crusade toward Trump in August.
It was a decision that saw RFK Jr condemned by many of his relatives, but as with Musk, his audience has been rewarded.
Kennedy, son of politician Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, made his call as a vaccine skeptic during the COVID-19 pandemic and has repeated debunked claims, adding that he links vaccines to autism in the United States. children.
He said Trump would push to eliminate fluoride from drinking water on his first day in office. The addition of the compound has been cited as helping dental health.
But RFK Jr’s controversial views could see him struggle to land enough votes to have his role confirmed, even in a Republican-controlled Senate.
Dr Mehmet Oz
Trump nominated Dr. Mehmet Oz as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
“Dr. Oz will be a leader in promoting disease prevention, so that we get the most productive effects globally for every dollar spent on physical care in our wonderful country,” the president-elect said in a statement.
Dr. Oz ran unsuccessfully for the Pennsylvania Senate as a Republican in 2022 and supports Trump.
Best known as a broadcaster, The Dr. Oz Show aired its final episode on January 14, 2022, after more than a decade on the air.
Dr. Oz’s promotion of select medicine, religious healing, and paranormal beliefs, on and off the show, has earned him complaints from several medical publications and doctors.
marcorubio
Donald Trump nominated Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.
Rubio, a senator from Florida, unsuccessfully nominated Trump to be the Republican candidate for the 2016 presidential election.
In the past, the 53-year-old has advocated for muscular foreign policy with respect to the US’s geopolitical rivals, including China, Iran and Cuba.
However, over the years, he has softened some of his positions to align himself more with Trump.
He was a 2024 vice presidential candidate before JD Vance got the job.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Trump chose Oregon Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer as secretary of hard work to bolster the workforce and Americans.
Ms Chavez-DeRemer, who was elected to Congress in 2022, lost her seat to Democrat Janelle Bynum earlier in November.
It has already promoted the expansion of labour rights and enjoys the freedom of primary trade unions.
Scott Turner
National Football League veteran Scott Turner is Mr Trump’s pick to serve as housing and urban development secretary.
He also led the White House Revitalization and Opportunities Council during Trump’s first term.
He is a former Texas state representative.
Sébastien Gorka
Trump settled on Sebastian Gorka as deputy assistant to the president and senior director of counterterrorism, adding that he has more than 30 years of national security experience.
He was forced to leave the first Trump administration months after the president-elect took office in 2017.
Linda McMahon
Professional wrestling mogul and billionaire Linda McMahon has been named secretary of the Department of Education, charged with overseeing a system that Trump has vowed to dismantle.
Ms McMahon, a major Trump donor, led the Small Business Administration during the president-elect’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate as a Republican in Connecticut.
He served on the Connecticut School Board for a year in 2009 and spent years on the board of directors at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
She is even considered unknown in educational circles, even though she has spoken out in favor of charter schools and school choice.
Élise Stefanik
Trump introduced his fierce best friend, Elise Stefanik, to the position of US ambassador to the UN.
The Republican, who represents New York in the House, has earned a national reputation as the president-elect’s unconditional best friend, abandoning her reputation as a moderate – after running in Mitt Romney’s crusade in 2012 – in favor of women which occupies first place. in the Republican leadership of the House.
Sky News’ US partner network NBC News previously reported she was being considered as Mr Trump’s pick for vice president.
Trump reportedly described her as a “killer,” but she has little interest in foreign policy and national security.
Tom Homan
Mr Trump announced Tom Homan will return to government to be in charge of US borders and the deportation of illegal immigrants.
The president-elect said on Truth Social “there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders” than his new “border czar”.
Homan served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during his first term. Trump and was an early supporter of the president’s “zero tolerance” policy, which NBC News says has led to the separation of at least 5,500 families. on the southern border in 2018.
Earlier this year, he told a conservative convention that he would “lead the deportation force this country has ever seen. “
Homan contributed to the Project 2025 Mandate for Leadership e-book.
Mike Waltz
Mike Waltz, unyielding to Trump, is the president-elect’s national security adviser, a difficult role that requires Senate confirmation.
The 50-year-old, who served in the National Guard, will be tasked with briefing Trump on major national security issues and coordinating his activities with other agencies.
After praising Trump’s views on foreign policy, Waltz is a prominent critic of China and has spoken out about the country’s activities in the Asia-Pacific, saying the United States will have to prepare for a potential showdown in the region.
Lately he is a member of Congress from Florida.
Alex Wong
Former State Department official Alex Wong is Trump’s nominee for deputy national security adviser.
Wong served as deputy special representative for North Korea during Trump’s first term and “helped negotiate” the summit with Kim Jong Un, Trump said.
Kristi Noem
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been appointed as the next secretary of Homeland Security.
Once considered a possible vice presidential candidate for the president-elect, Ms. Noem is recently serving her second four-year term as governor of South Dakota, having risen to prominence after refusing to impose a mask ordinance in the entire state during the COVID-19 pandemic. pandemic.
As head of homeland security, she will be responsible for everything from border protection and immigration to disaster response and the US Secret Service.
In a statement, Mr Trump said: “Kristi has been very strong on border security. She was the first governor to send National Guard soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden border crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times.”
Ms. Noem would work intensively with her “border czar,” Mr. Homan.
Stephen Miller
Trump has appointed Stephen Miller, a hardliner on immigration, as deputy director for policy and national security.
Miller was a vocal spokesperson for the presidential campaign in favor of Trump’s precedent of mass deportations.
The 39-year-old was once Trump’s senior adviser.
Mr Miller has been a central figure in some of Mr Trump’s policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families.
John Ratcliffe
Former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe has been picked by Mr Trump to serve as director of theCentral Intelligence Agency.
Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman and lawyer, is a Trump loyalist who is likely to win Senate confirmation.
Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and presidential candidate, has been tapped to serve as director of intelligence.
“As a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, she enjoys broad support in both parties. She is now a proud Republican!” »Trump said when pronouncing his choice.
“I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!”
She accused him of amplifying Russian propaganda and allegedly rose to the position without ever having worked in global intelligence or serving on a congressional intelligence committee.
Two years ago, she claimed that she echoed Russian propaganda by posting a video claiming that there were biological laboratories in Ukraine funded through the United States.
Scott Bessent
Scott Bessent, one of the most no-nonsense fundraisers for Trump’s campaign, is the president-elect’s choice for Treasury secretary.
He will be guilty of implementing any tax cuts proposed by the Republican-controlled Congress.
Bessent has advocated for tax reform and deregulation to stimulate more bank lending and energy production, as he advocated in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.
Karoline Leavitt
The lead spokesperson for the president-elect’s transition team, Karoline Leavitt, has been named White House press secretary.
At 27 years old, she will be the youngest user of this title.
In the past, Leavitt served as deputy press secretary in the latter part of Trump’s first term.
“I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we, Make America Great Again,” Mr Trump said in a statement.
The role of the White House press secretary is to announce the president’s activities that betray the boss’s trust.
Mr Trump had four press secretaries during his first term in office: Sarah Sanders, Stephanie Grisham, Kayleigh McEnany and Sean Spicer, who resigned after falsely claiming that Mr Trump’s inauguration attracted the largest audience ever.
Chris Wright
The oil and fuel industry leader has been appointed Force Secretary and is expected to be involved in the expansion of the country’s nuclear force.
Mr. Wright is also a strong advocate of fossil fuels and is the founder and CEO of Liberty Energy, an oil company founded in Denver.
The president-elect’s plan is expected to maximize oil and fuel production.
Wright has said in the past that “there is no climate crisis” and, in 2019, he drank fracking fluid on camera to prove that it is not dangerous.
He still does not enjoy government and appears on Fox News.
Sean Duffy
Former television star and former Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy has been elected to the position of Secretary of Transportation.
Mr. Duffy is a former lumberjack athlete and appeared on several MTV shows in the late 1990s before becoming district attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin, in 2002. He was elected to the House of Representatives as a member of the tea component wave in 2010. and served on two congressional committees.
He left office nine years later to spend more time with his family, saying at the time he needed time to care for his nine children, one of whom has a heart condition.
In 2023, he co-hosted a show on Fox Business, called Bottom Line. He is also married to Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy.
In confirming his nomination, Trump said Duffy would “maintain and rebuild our nation’s infrastructure” and “greatly bring the joy of travel to all Americans!”
Carlos Kushner
Donald Trump will appoint Charles Kushner as U. S. ambassador to France.
The president-elect made the announcement in an article in Truth Social, calling Kushner a “tremendous leader, philanthropist and dealmaker. “
The real estate developer is the father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Mr. Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate company. Jared Kushner is a former Trump senior, married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka.
Mr Trump pardoned Mr Kushner at the end of his last presidency. He had been sentenced to two years in prison in 2005 after admitting to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.
Massad Boulos
Trump also hired his other daughter as a senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
Massad Boulos is a Lebanese-American businessman and father of Tiffany Trump’s husband, Michael Boulos.
During the campaign, Boulos became involved with Michigan’s massive Arab-American community, enraged by President Joe Biden’s Israeli military’s action in Gaza and Lebanon.
Trump won the state by about 80,000 votes.
Mike Huckabee
The 69-year-old Baptist minister is Trump’s choice as ambassador to Israel.
The former governor of Arkansas has rejected the concept of a Palestinian state in the territories conquered through Israel and has claimed that “the Palestinians don’t really exist. “
Huckabee ran as a Republican presidential candidate in 2008 and 2016 and previously hosted Fox News. He is also the father of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s former press secretary.
Kimberly Guilfoyle
The 55-year-old former Fox News host is Trump’s choice to be U. S. ambassador to Greece.
She is believed to be engaged to M. Trump’s eldest son, Don Jr, although American tabloids have speculated about the end of their relationship.
“Her extensive experience and leadership in law, media, and politics, along with her willful intelligence, make her incredibly qualified to constitute the United States,” Trump wrote in an article in Truth Social.
There have been reports that on a Fox News show in 2015 he called Greeks “parasites” who were to be punished like an untrained puppy after defying a third bailout deal for the country’s creditors over its currency crisis.