A few days before Donald Trump’s inauguration, the president-elect’s management will play its role in his second term in the White House.
During the campaign, Mr Trump avoided directly confirming any appointments but frequently dropped hints about who he would like in his top team.
Most of those chosen by the president-elect must be questioned by members of the Senate before it votes on their appointment. Even with the Republicans in control, some picks are controversial and could be blocked.
Who is in it?
Susie Wiles
Susie Wiles is an experienced Republican crusader manager: she helped Ronald Reagan and Ron DeSantis get 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 leader of personnel. history.
The 67-year-old, who lives in Florida, has had a political career spanning several decades, but he has largely stayed out of the spotlight and rarely gives interviews.
She is the daughter of former football player Pat Summerall and one of her first jobs in politics was as an assistant to one of her former New York Giants teammates when he became a Republican representative.
Outside of politics, he has worked in the personal sector as a lobbyist, both for Ballard Partners, whose clients include Amazon, Google and MLB (Major League Baseball), and for Mercury, which works with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and the Embassy of Qatar. . Training
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 Musk and Ramaswamy “will lead the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, reduce excessive regulations, reduce unnecessary spending, and restructure federal agencies. “
Despite its name, DOGE is not a government company and is instead intended to provide “advice and guidance” from 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 hire Musk as the director 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 social justice and climate change considerations.
David Weldon
The president-elect has selected former Florida congressman and physician Dave Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
CDC responds to infectious disease outbreaks and recommends the schedule of vaccines used in childhood. In Congress, he put forward a false theory that certain vaccines are linked to an increase in autism.
Pam Bondi
Pam Bondi has been appointed by Trump to the position of attorney general, the most sensible legal officer in the country.
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 came to show support for Trump at his secret felony trial in New York last May.
She has been a chair at the America First Policy Institute, which is a thinktank set up by Mr Trump’s former staff.
Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News commentator and National Guard veteran, has been selected as Trump’s secretary of defense.
In a statement, the president-elect described the 44-year-old as “tough and a true believer in America first. “
If proven in the Senate, Hegseth could make good on Trump’s crusading promises to rid the U. S. military of generals he accuses of pursuing progressive policies on diversity in ranks opposed by conservatives.
He was accused of not having the necessary skills for the position, a very disturbed Senate confirmation hearing earlier this week.
He is a controversial choice because of past statements and actions, including allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking and derisive views about women in military combat roles and minorities.
Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that “Mr Hegseth has admitted to falling short as we all do from time to time”, but had no doubt he “will excel in a skill in which many of his predecessors have fallen short”.
In contrast, Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the committee, told Mr Hegseth: “I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job.”
Mr. Hegseth responded: “The main fee [Donald Trump] gave me to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense.
“He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on lethality, meritocracy, warfare, fighting, accountability and readiness to stop bombing that night in our homeland.”
David Bergum
North Dakota Governor Doug Bergum was chosen by Trump to lead the Department of the Interior.
The wealthy software executive, 68, won the governorship in 2016. He also ran for president from June to December 2023 before endorsing Mr 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 was named commerce secretary, which would put him on par with a company involved in financing new computer chip factories, enforcing industrial restrictions, publishing economic data and monitoring the weather. It’s also a position where links to control and the wider business world 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 of 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 primary care physician who served as medical director of CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey.
She is also a contributor on Fox News.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Mr Trump has confirmed vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr as his pick for health secretary – meaning he will oversee a huge department that includes the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Medicare.
The president-elect wrote in X that RFK Jr “will bring those agencies back to the traditions of Gold Standard clinical trials and beacons of transparency, to end the chronic disease epidemic and make America wonderful and healthy again. “
RFK Jr abandoned his independent presidential campaign in favor of Trump in August.
It was a move that saw RFK Jr condemned by many members of his family, but as with Mr Musk, his public support has been rewarded.
Mr. Kennedy, son of politician Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of assassinated President John F. Kennedy declared himself skeptical about vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic and repeated debunked claims, adding that they linked vaccines to autism in children. .
He said Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water on his first day in office. The addition of the compound has been cited to help dental health.
But RFK Jr. ‘s questionable prospects could make it difficult for him to get enough votes to confirm his role, even in a Republican-controlled Senate.
Dr. Mehmet Oz
Mr Trump named Dr Mehmet Oz as his administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“Dr. Oz will be a leader in promoting disease prevention so we get the most globally productive effects 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, both on and off the show, has earned him complaints from several medical and medical publications.
Marco Rubio
Donald Trump has appointed Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.
Mr Rubio, a Florida senator, unsuccessfully ran against Mr Trump to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2016.
In the past, the 53-year-old has advocated a forceful foreign policy toward the United States’ geopolitical rivals China, Iran and Cuba.
However, over the years he has softened some of his positions to align more with Trump’s views.
He was a 2024 vice presidential candidate before JD Vance got the job.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Mr Trump has chosen Oregon congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer to serve as labour secretary to build the workforce and support Americans.
Ms Chavez-DeRemer, who was elected to Congress in 2022, lost her seat to Democrat Janelle Bynum earlier in November.
It has already achieved the expansion of labor rights and gained the support of major industrial unions.
Scott Turner
National Football League veteran Scott Turner is Mr Trump’s pick to serve as housing and urban development secretary.
He also ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Mr Trump’s first term in office.
He is also a former state representative in Texas.
Sebastien Gorka
Mr Trump has chosen Sebastian Gorka to be deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism, adding he has more than 30 years of experience in national security.
He got rid of Trump’s first term a few months after the president-elect took office in 2017.
Linda Mc Mahon
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 top Trump donor, led the Small Business Administration during the president-elect’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and ran twice unsuccessfully for the U. S. 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’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she has expressed support for charter schools and school choice.
Elise Stefanik
Mr Trump has offered fierce ally Elise Stefanik the job as 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’ U. S. spousal network, NBC News, reported in the past that she was considered Trump’s vice-presidential nominee.
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 that “there is no one greater to maintain order and our borders” than his new “border czar. “
Mr Homan served as former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Mr Trump’s first term, and was an early backer of the president’s “zero tolerance” policy – which NBC News reported led to at least 5,500 families being separated at 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. “
Mr. Homan contributed to the book Project 2025 Leadership Mandate.
Mike Waltz
Trump loyalist Mike Waltz 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 key national security issues and coordinating his activities with other agencies.
After praising Trump’s views on foreign policy, Waltz is one of China’s leading critics 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.
He is a member of the Florida Congress lately.
Alex Wong
Former State Department official Alex Wong is Trump’s nominee for deputy national security adviser.
Mr Wong served as deputy special representative for North Korea during the first Trump administration and “helped negotiate” the summit with Kim Jong Un, Mr Trump said.
Kristi Noem
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been selected as the next Secretary of Homeland Security.
Once considered a potential running mate for the president-elect, Noem is recently serving her second four-year term as governor of South Dakota, having risen to prominence after refusing to impose a shutdown order. mask statewide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As head of Homeland Security, she will be in charge of everything from border coverage and immigration to crisis response and American intelligence.
In a statement, Trump said: “Kristi has been very strong on border security. She was the first governor to send National Guard troops to help Texas fight Biden’s border crisis, and a total of 8 times. “
Ms. Noem would work intensively with her “border czar,” Mr. Homan.
Stephen Miller
Mr Trump has named Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, to be his deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser.
Mr Miller was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Mr Trump’s priority of mass deportations.
The 39-year-old was a former senior adviser to Trump’s first administration.
Miller played a central role in some of Trump’s political resolutions, his resolution to separate thousands of immigrant families.
John Ratcliffe
Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe was chosen by Trump to take over as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman and prosecutor, 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 Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican!” Mr Trump said in a statement announcing her pick.
“I know that Tulsi will bring to our intelligence network the fearless spirit that has explained her illustrious career, protecting our constitutional rights and ensuring the force of peace. 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 it was claimed she echoed Russian propaganda by posting a video saying there were bio labs across Ukraine funded by the US.
Scott Bessent
Scott Bessent, one of the Trump campaign’s most no-nonsense fundraisers, 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 spur more bank lending and energy production, as he argued in a recent op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.
Karoline Leavitt
The chief spokesperson for the president-elect’s transition team, Karoline Leavitt, has been appointed as his White House press secretary.
At 27 years old, she will be the youngest user of this title.
In the past, Ms. Leavitt served as deputy press secretary in the latter part of Mr. Trump’s first term.
“I am confident that she will stand on the podium and that we will deliver our message to the American people as we make America wonderful again,” Trump said in a statement.
The job of the White House press secretary is to promote the president’s activities without betraying the confidence of the boss.
Trump had 4 press secretaries during his first term: Sarah Sanders, Stephanie Grisham, Kayleigh McEnany and Sean Spicer, who all resigned after falsely claiming that Trump’s inauguration attracted a larger crowd than ever before noticed.
Chris Wright
The head of the oil and fuel industry has been appointed energy secretary and is expected to be involved in advancing nuclear power in the country.
Mr. Wright is also a strong advocate of fossil fuels and is the founder and leading CEO of Liberty Energy, an oil corporation founded in Denver.
The president-elect’s plan to maximize oil and fuel production is expected.
Wright has said in the past that “there is no climate crisis” and in 2019 he drank fracking fluid on camera to show that it is not dangerous.
He has no experience in government but has made regular appearances on Fox News.
Sean Duffy
Former Truth TV star and former Wisconsin representative Sean Duffy has been set to take over as Secretary of Transportation.
Duffy is a former lumberjack athlete and appeared on several MTV shows in the late 1990s before becoming district attorney in Ashland County, Wisconsin, in 2002. He was elected to the House of Representatives as part of a wave of tea components in 2010. and has served on two congressional committees.
She left nine years later to spend more time with her family, saying at the time that she needed time to care for her nine children, one of whom suffers from the central disease.
In 2023, he co-hosted a show on Fox Business, called Bottom Line. He is also married to Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy.
Confirming his nomination, Mr Trump said Mr Duffy would “maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure” and “greatly elevate the Travel Experience for all Americans!”
Carlos Kushner
Donald Trump will appoint Charles Kushner as US ambassador to France.
The president-elect made the announcement in an article on Truth Social, calling Kushner a “tremendous leader, philanthropist and negotiator. “
The real estate developer is Mr. Trump’s father, Jared Kushner.
Mr Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former senior Trump adviser who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka.
Trump pardoned Kushner at the end of his last presidency. He was sentenced to two years in criminal 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 the father of Tiffany Trump’s husband Michael Boulos.
During the campaign, Mr Boulos engaged with the large Arab American community in Michigan, which was angered by President Joe Biden’s backing of Israel’s military 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 ambassador to Israel.
The former governor of Arkansas has rejected the concept of a Palestinian state in the territories conquered through Israel and has stated that “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, Sanchez’s former press secretary. Trump.
Kimberly Guilfoyle
The former Fox News host, 55, is Trump’s nominee for US 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 keen intellect, make her highly qualified to constitute America,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
There were reports that, on a Fox News show in 2015, he called Greeks “parasites” who needed to be punished like an untrained puppy after defying a third U. S. bailout deal. the country’s creditors its monetary crisis.