US President-elect Donald Trump is handing top roles in his future administration to a mix of loyalists, provocateurs and a few relatively conventional figures.
Most positions will require confirmation by the US Senate.
– Health Secretary: RFK Jr. –
Leading vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the scion of the famous Democratic political dynasty — and a conspiracy theorist.
The 70-year-old has promoted the disproven idea that childhood vaccines cause autism. He endorsed Trump after first seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.
TV celebrity Mehmet Oz, a former surgeon, has been picked to lead the country’s massive public health insurance programs.
– Attorney General: Pam Bondi –
The staunch Trump ally and former Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019 is the president-elect’s second pick to lead the Department of Justice.
Bondi, who defended Trump during his first impeachment trial, was nominated after ex-congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew amid renewed scrutiny of sexual misconduct allegations.
– ‘Government Efficiency’: Elon Musk –
Tech tycoon Musk, the world’s richest person, was tapped to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, along with wealthy Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy. Both will supposedly remain private citizens.
Musk says he is targeting $2 trillion in cuts from the federal government’s $7 trillion budget, pledging to test legal boundaries to achieve it.
– Secretary of State: Marco Rubio –
Amid the intensifying US power struggle with China, Trump tapped Senator Rubio of Florida, a relatively traditional conservative hawk, as top diplomat.
Born to Cuban immigrants, Rubio is a fervent Israel supporter and longtime critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
– Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth –
Fox News host and former soldier Hegseth was nominated to head the Pentagon, which employs some 2.9 million people, despite a slim CV.
He was investigated for an alleged 2017 sexual assault but no charges were filed.
– Treasury Secretary: Scott Bessent –
Hedge fund manager Bessent would oversee policymaking for the world’s biggest economy. He has called for an extension of tax cuts from Trump’s first term and review of the nation’s budget deficit.
– Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard –
Former Hawaii congresswoman and onetime presidential candidate Gabbard, like Kennedy a former Democrat, has stood out for endorsing Kremlin justifications about its invasion of Ukraine, and controversially met in 2017 with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
– Homeland Security Secretary: Kristi Noem –
South Dakota’s governor became famous for admitting she shot an “untrainable” pet dog, saying it showed her ability to make tough choices.
Noem would play a key role in Trump’s promise to restrict immigration and deport undocumented migrants, along with hard-liners Tom Homan and Stephen Miller, who will be “border czar” and White House deputy chief of staff, respectively.
– Education Secretary: Linda McMahon –
The former executive of the staged and scripted WWE wrestling brand will head a department Trump has pledged to abolish, vowing to “send education back to the states.”
McMahon is a major Trump donor and led the Small Business Administration during his first term.
– Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum –
Burgum, North Dakota’s governor, would lead a sprawling department that oversees federal lands and natural resources, with additional clout as head of a new National Energy Council aimed at expanding oil and gas production.
– Others –
Energy Secretary: Fracking magnate Chris Wright
Commerce Secretary: Wall Street investor Howard Lutnick
Agriculture Secretary: Brooke Rollins, policy aide in Trump’s first term
Transportation Secretary: Fox News host and ex-congressman Sean Duffy
Labor Secretary: pro-business congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Veterans Affairs Secretary: Iraq war veteran and ex-congressman Doug Collins
Housing Secretary: Retired NFL player and businessman Scott Turner
CIA Director: John Ratcliffe, former director of national intelligence
National Security Advisor: China hawk and Florida congressman Mike Waltz
Office of Management and Budget Director: Russell Vought, who held the role during Trump’s first term
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Former New York congressman Lee Zeldin
Federal Communications Commission Chair: Big-tech critic Brendan Carr
UN Ambassador: New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a pro-Israel stalwart
NATO Ambassador: Former acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker
White House Chief of Staff: Trump campaign manager Susie Wiles
White House Press Secretary: Former Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt
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