Who And Who's In Donald Trump's Cabinet (X image @TeamTrump)
Washington DC, US: US-President elect Donald Trump wasted no time has in starting the process of choosing a cabinet and selecting other high-ranking administration officials. Here are the potential pick and top contenders for some of the key posts overseeing defence, intelligence, diplomacy, trade, immigration and economic policymaking.
SUSIE WILES, Chief of Staff
Last week, Trump announced Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, as his White House chief of staff. She was perceived as the hands behind the Republican’s comeback to White House.
While the specifics of her political views are somewhat unclear, Wiles, 67, is credited with running a successful and efficient campaign. Supporters hope she will bring in order and discipline that was often lacking during Trump’s first four-year term, when he cycled through a number of chiefs of staff.
TOM HOMAN, ‘Border Czar’
Trump announced Homan, the former director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first administration, will be in charge of the country’s borders. Crack down on people illegal migrants was a central element of his campaign, promising mass deportations.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said Homan will be “in charge of our nation’s borders (‘The Border Czar’), including, but not limited to, the Southern Border, the Northern Border, all Maritime, and Aviation Security,” including the deportation of immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Department of Government Efficiency
Trump has appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new initiative seeking to help the administration “dismantle Government Bureaucracy”. “This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk said in a statement shared by Trump on Truth Social.
ELISE STEFANIK, UN Ambassador
Trump announced that Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman and staunch Trump supporter, would be his ambassador to the United Nations. She has served as a Republican congresswoman for 10 years and took over as House Republican Conference chair in 2021 after the party removed Liz Cheney for criticising Trump over his false 2020 election fraud claims.
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“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump said in a statement. “Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.”
Stefanik, a pro-Israel supporter, will arrive at the U.N. after bold promises by Trump to end the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s war in Gaza.
MIKE WALTZ, National Security Adviser
Trump picked national security adviser, and Republican U.S. Representative Mike Waltz. He is a retired Army Green Beret who has been a leading critic of China. The 50-year-old Trump loyalist who also served in the National Guard as a colonel.
He has criticized Beijing’s activity in the Asia-Pacific and has voiced the need for the U.S. to be ready for a potential conflict in the region. The national security adviser is a powerful role, which does not require Senate confirmation. Waltz will be responsible for briefing Trump on key national security issues and coordinating with different agencies.
Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
Though Trump has not formally announced Miller’s appointment, the Vice President JD Vance appeared to confirm the move in a post on X. He said, “This is another fantastic pick by the President”, he wrote about Miller being named to the post.
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Miller is a hardliner, anti-immigration Trump adviser who helped craft some of Trump’s most high-profile policies during his first term, such as the separation of migrant families.
LEE ZELDIN, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator
Trump announced that he had appointed former congressman Lee Zeldin of New York state as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin said he had accepted the role.
Zeldin (44), a staunch Trump ally, served in Congress from 2015 to 2023. In 2022, he lost the New York governor’s race to Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul. The President-elect has promised to overhaul U.S. energy policy, with the aim of maximizing the country’s already record-high oil and gas production by rolling back regulations and speeding up permitting.
MARCO RUBIO, Secretary of State
Trump is expected to bring in U.S. Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state, as per media report. The Florida-born politician will be the first Latino to serve as the United States’ top diplomat. The senator has in past years advocated for foreign policy with respect to U.S. geopolitical foes, including China, Iran and Cuba.
Over the last several years he has softened some of his stances to align more closely with Trump’s views. Trump accuses past U.S. presidents of leading the U.S. into costly and futile wars and has pushed for a more restrained foreign policy.
KRISTI NOEM, Homeland Security Secretary
Trump chose South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to serve as the next homeland security secretary, two sources familiar with the decision said. Noem once seen as a possible running mate for Trump, is currently serving her second four-year term as South Dakota’s governor.
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She rose to prominence after refusing to impose a state-wide mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for everything from border protection and immigration to disaster response and the U.S. Secret Service.
SCOTT BESSENT, Potential Treasury Secretary
Bessent is a key economic adviser to Trump, who is widely seen as a top candidate for treasury secretary. A long-time hedge fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, Bessent shared a warm relationship with the president-elect. He has praised the president-elect’s economic philosophy, which rests on a skepticism of both regulations and international trade.
HOWARD LUTNICK, Potential Treasury Secretary
The co-chair of Trump’s transition effort and the long-time chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, Lutnick is in the running for treasury secretary. The 63-year-old has uniformly praised the president-elect’s economic policies, including his use of tariffs.
At times, he has given elaborate, unvarnished opinions about what policies will be enacted in Trump’s second term. Some Trump allies had privately complained that he too often presented himself as speaking on behalf of the campaign.
LINDA McMAHON, Potential Commerce Secretary
The professional wrestling magnate and former Small Business Administration director Linda McMahon is seen as the frontrunner to lead Trump’s Department of Commerce, three sources briefed on the plans said.
The 76-year-old is a major donor and was an early supporter of the Republican President-elect when he first ran for the White House almost a decade ago. This time, Trump tapped her to co-lead a transition team formed to help vet personnel and draft policy ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
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McMahon is the co-founder and former CEO of the professional wrestling franchise WWE. She later served as director of the Small Business Administration, resigning in 2019, and went on to lead a pro-Trump political action committee that supported his 2020 re-election bid.
JOHN RATCLIFFE, Potential CIA Director
The former congressman and prosecutor had previously served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s last year in office. Ratcliffe is seen as a leading contender to be director of the CIA, according to two people familiar with the transition process, said media report. He is also a potential attorney general pick. Trump allies view Ratcliffe as a hardcore Trump loyalist who could likely win Senate confirmation.
MIKE LEE, Potential Attorney General
The U.S. senator from Utah, Lee is widely perceived as another top candidate for attorney general. Though the former prosecutor declined to vote for Trump during the 2016 election, he later became a staunch ally, and he has become something of an intellectual hero among some factions of Trumpworld.
He was a key figure in attempts by Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, and has spread unfounded conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
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KASH PATEL, Potential Candidate for National Security Posts
The former Republican House staffer who served in various high-ranking staff roles in the defencee and intelligence communities during Trump’s first term, is likely to head the National Security Posts. He was also rumored to be the Director of CIA. However, the senate confirmation will be challenging for Patel, say reports.
Patel has leaned into controversy throughout his career. In an interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon last year, he promised to “come after” politicians and journalists perceived to be enemies of Trump.
(With inputs from agencies)
