Rep. Elise Stefanik (R–N.Y.) has been described by Trump as “an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.”
Pending approval in the Senate, the Harvard graduate will assume the ambassadorship after serving five terms in the House of Representatives. At age 30, she was the youngest woman elected to Congress in U.S. history when she was elected in 2014.
Stefanik replaced former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as the chair of the House Republican Conference in 2021 with Trump’s endorsement, and she has been in that role since. She is also on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, and the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
She has positioned herself as a Trump ally since his 2016 election and was the first member of Congress to endorse him for reelection in 2024.
If approved by the Senate, she will replace Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a Biden administration appointee, to become Trump’s third appointed ambassador to the U.N., following Nikki Haley and Kelly Craft.
It is expected that he will quickly focus on deregulation.
He ran for governor of New York in 2022 but lost the closer-than-expected race to current Gov. Kathy Hochul.
While he was in Washington, Zeldin served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Financial Services Committee. One of two Jewish Republicans in Congress, he co-chaired the House Republican Israel Caucus.
Zeldin is an Army veteran, having served four years of active duty—including a deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He still serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves.
Trump announced John Ratcliffe as his pick to be the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Ratcliffe served as the director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, as well as Trump’s primary intelligence adviser. Trump awarded him the National Security Medal in 2020.
Trump said Ratcliffe would be a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans while ensuring the highest levels of national security.”
The Notre Dame and SMU Law graduate previously served as a member of Congress, where he was a member of the House Intelligence Committee and House Judiciary Committee. While in Congress, he was also questioned about the foundation of the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation against the Trump campaign in 2016, and, in late 2020, made the claim that year’s elections were marred by foreign intelligence.
Ratcliffe also spoke out against communist China intelligence, stating that the Chinese Communist Party attempted to meddle in the 2020 elections and later testifying that a lab leak in China was “the only explanation credibly supported by our intelligence, by science, and by common sense” for the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hegseth is the latest veteran to be named in the president-elect’s Cabinet. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a captain in the Army National Guard. He has been awarded two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
Trump highlighted Hegseth’s military background in his announcement.
“Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops and for the Country,” Trump said. “Pete is tough, smart, and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice - Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.”
Hegseth also graduated from Princeton and Harvard, wrote the bestselling book “The War on Warriors,” which criticizes left-wind policies concerning the military, and he spent eight years as a Fox News host.
“She will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the Border and will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries.”
Noem became South Dakota’s first-ever female governor in 2018, and was reelected in 2022 by an historic vote count for the state. She was floated as the possible choice for Trump’s vice president before Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) was selected.
The 52-year-old mother and grandmother has continued to take a strong stance against illegal immigration. Previously describing the Texas border with Mexico as a “warzone,” she is aligned with Homan in the belief that anybody who crosses the U.S. border illegally must be deported.
Besides border security, the Department of Homeland Security encompasses several agencies, including the Secret Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) was confirmed by the Senate on Jan. 20 as Secretary of State. He was sworn in as the 72nd secretary of state on Jan. 21 by Vice President JD Vance.
“Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,” Trump wrote in a Nov. 13 statement.
“He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.”
During this time, Rubio traveled around the state, speaking to citizens to compile ideas for a book called “100 Innovative Ideas For Florida’s Future.” Many of the ideas in the book became state law. He also briefly taught at Florida International University.
Rubio was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 when then-Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican at the time, decided to run as an independent in the race after trailing Rubio in GOP primary polling. Rubio won with 49 percent of the vote.
In the Senate, he has been an outspoken critic of communist China and his selection by Trump signals a tough approach by the incoming administration toward international diplomacy.
The Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in a 52–48 vote on Feb. 12 and was quickly sworn in at the Oval Office.
Gabbard, 43, represented Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district as a Democrat from 2013 until 2021.
Gabbard unsuccessfully ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary before leaving the party to become an Independent in 2022. She campaigned for several Republican candidates in the 2022 midterm elections before endorsing Trump in August. On Oct. 22, at a Trump rally, she formally announced her switch to the Republican Party. She is also an honorary co-chair of Trump’s presidential transition team.
Kennedy was sworn into the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Oval Office of the White House shortly after the confirmation vote. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch conducted the ceremony.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted against confirming Kennedy—the only Republican to cast a no vote.
Trump added that HHS will work to protect Americans from harmful chemicals, food additives, pesticides, pollutants, and pharmaceutical products that contribute to the “overwhelming heath crisis.”
Kennedy had his eyes set on the health sector, and HHS oversees 13 different agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health.
“FDA’s war on public health is about to end,” Kennedy previously wrote on X. “This includes its aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can’t be patented by Pharma.
“If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags.”
An environmental attorney who challenged corporations such as DuPont and Monsanto, Kennedy is the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy. Originally making a bid for president as a Democrat, he ran as an independent before suspending his campaign in August and endorsing Trump.
Kennedy is also founder of Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit organization that works to end “childhood health epidemics by eliminating toxic exposure,” according to its website.
Collins has served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force Reserve and would bring his experience as a military chaplain to the leadership role. Collins also has experience working with lawmakers, having represented Georgia’s Ninth Congressional District from 2013 to 2021. He sat on the House Judiciary Committee and served as vice chair of the House Republican Committee.
Collins has also served as one of President Donald Trump’s attorneys. He is a longtime supporter of Trump and has stood with the president through his ups and downs—a consistent characteristic of many of the men and women being chosen for top positions in the new administration.
“We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need,” Trump wrote in a statement when nominating Collins for the role.
During his confirmation hearing, Collins was questioned about his views on privatizing the VA’s services. He said he believes he can maintain a strong VA while still allowing veterans to find medical care through private providers in places and situations where VA care is lacking.
Collins was deployed to Iraq during the Iraq War. A U.S. Air Force Reserve chaplain, the Gainesville, Georgia, native also served in Georgia’s House of Representatives. He has a wife, Lisa, and three children: sons Copelan and Cameron and daughter Jordan.
Collins is also chair of the Georgia chapter of the America First Policy Institute, which has been central to Trump’s presidential transition.
Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has been confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of the Interior (DOI) where he will manage 500 million acres of public lands and 1.7 billion offshore acres in orchestrating President Donald Trump’s “unleash American energy” agenda.
The Senate endorsed his ascension to Interior Secretary on Jan. 30 in a 79–18 vote that saw few objections to the wealthy former software executive assuming the mantle of the 70,000-employee DOI and its $18 billion annual budget.
The Department of the Interior oversees several key agencies including the National Parks Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Society, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. All of these agencies are crucial to Trump’s plans for energy.
From the moment he suspended his own candidacy for president, speculation has been focused on Burgum becoming a part of either the Department of Interior or Department of Energy.
Burgum is a North Dakota native, and he attended North Dakota State University before earning an MBA from Stanford University.
Prior to politics, he worked in the tech industry, working with Great Plains Software, which was eventually sold to Microsoft. He’s a proud North Dakotan who touted his administration’s energy development and experience with the Interior agencies on the campaign trail.
The Senate voted 59–38 with some Democrats objecting to his support for fossil fuel development.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) praised Wright as uniquely qualified to lead the DOE in a time of sweeping technological breakthroughs and “all-of-the-above” energy diversification.
The DOE has a 14,000-employee workforce and a $52 billion annual budget.
“I am thrilled to announce that Chris Wright will be joining my administration as both United States Secretary of Energy, and member of the newly formed Council of National Energy,” Trump said in a statement posted on his truth Social platform.
Trump described Wright as a technologist and entrepreneur with experience in fossil fuel extraction, including hydraulic fracturing. Wright also has experience with solar and nuclear energy.
“Chris embraces all energy sources if they are abundant, affordable, and reliable,” Trump said.
The energy secretary role entails managing America’s energy resources, including nuclear power.
Jennifer Granholm is the current energy secretary under President Joe Biden’s administration. Rick Perry and Dan Brouillette served in the role during Trump’s first term in office.
The Department of Energy, along with the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency will prove crucial components of Trump’s pledge to slash energy costs.
Sean Duffy was confirmed by the Senate on Jan. 28 in a 77–22 vote to be Secretary for the Department of Transportation.
Trump said, in his announcement, that Duffy “will ensure our ports and dams serve our Economy without compromising our National Security, and he will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers.” Trump was referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion measures that many airlines embraced in recent years.
The Department of Transportation’s mission is to “deliver the world’s leading transportation system” for both goods and people.
Duffy, the 53-year-old Fox Business co-host served in Congress from 2011 through 2019, and was a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
Duffy is married to Rachel Campos Duffy. They are both former MTV stars and they have nine children together.
“We are treated horribly by the global trading environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers, and subsidies,” Lutnick said.
The 63-year-old billionaire was co-chair of President Donald Trump’s transition team and was seen as one of the contenders to replace Janet Yellen atop the Department of the Treasury. He is also the CEO and chairman of investment giant Cantor Fitzgerald.
The Department of Commerce will play a key role in Trump’s tariff plan, which has begun to take shape.
Lutnick, Trump said, will “lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative.”
Lutnick is also known as a supporter of cryptocurrency.
“We will send education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort,” Trump said in a Nov. 19 statement posted on Truth Social.
McMahon, who co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment, served in the Trump administration as administrator of the Small Business Administration.
Since leaving the administration, McMahon has been chairman of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), which advocates Trump’s agenda. She is also the chair of AFPI’s Center for the American Worker.
She was also the chair of America First Action SuperPAC and America First Policy, LLC.
In mid-August, Trump named McMahon to co-chair his transition team alongside Howard Lutnick, whom he named as commerce secretary also on Nov. 19.
“Linda will use her decades of leadership experience, and deep understanding of both education and business, to empower the next generation of American students and workers, and make America number one in education in the world,” said Trump in a Nov. 19 statement.
McMahon unsuccessfully ran in Connecticut for a U.S. Senate seat in 2010 and 2012.
President Donald Trump selected Bondi to head the Department of Justice on Nov. 21 after former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) stepped down from consideration.
She has been a familiar name in the Trump camp, serving in the Office of White House Counsel as a special adviser to the president-elect and on his opioid and drug abuse commission during his first term.
“Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting crime, and making America safe again,” Trump said in his announcement.
“I have known Pam for many years—she is smart and tough, and is an America first fighter, who will do a terrific job as attorney general!”
Wall Street financier Scott Bessent was confirmed by the Senate on Jan. 27 in a 68–29 vote to be Treasury Secretary.
“Scott is widely respected as one of the world’s foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists,” Trump said. “Scott’s story is that of the American Dream.”
Bessent edged out other top names for the senior post, including former Federal Reserve Board member Kevin Warsh and Apollo Wealth Management CEO Marc Rowan.
Bessent previously worked extensively with left-wing billionaire George Soros, serving as chief investment officer of the Soros Fund Management a decade ago. He left the Soros-led firm to start the Key Square Group, which received a $2 billion investment from Soros.
Bessent has largely kept a low political profile. He hosted several fundraising events for Trump during the 2024 election, his first involvement in politics since he supported Vice President Al Gore’s 2000 bid for the White House.
He has expressed broad support for Trump’s tariff plans, calling tariffs “an amazing tool,” but said these—including a universal 10 to 20 percent tariff and a 60 to 100 percent levy on Chinese goods—should be “layered in gradually.”
He also called the record high homelessness “a national embarrassment.”
“HUD is failing at its most basic mission,” he said.
Following his NFL career, Turner was elected to the Texas state House.
Turner is also the founder and CEO of the Community Engagement & Opportunity Council, a foundation that’s worked to revitalize communities with mentorship and economic programs.
Turner served in Trump’s first presidential administration as executive director for the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. In the role, he oversaw the administration’s efforts to support distressed communities across the country, including establishing opportunity zones.
Announcing the nomination, Trump thanked Turner for his past work.
”Under Scott’s leadership, Opportunity Zones received over $50 billion dollars in private investment.”
Trump has chosen Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) to lead the U.S. Department of Labor.
Chavez-DeRemer has represented Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District since 2022, but lost her reelection bid in the Democrat-leaning district earlier this month.
She has gained a reputation as a centrist. As a lawmaker, she has supported pro-union legislation, such as the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act and the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act.
“Lori has worked tirelessly with both business and labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America,” Trump wrote in his statement announcing the nomination.
Heading into the confirmation vote, Senate Democrats held an all-night session to oppose Vought’s confirmation.
Vought will reprise a role he held during Trump’s first term in office. Vought was Trump’s second OMB director during his first term, succeeding Mick Mulvaney in 2019.
OMB is a component of the Executive Office of the President primarily tasked with crafting the president’s budget proposals to meet his policy goals.
Vought signaled enthusiasm to return to the OMB directorship in an X post following Trump’s nomination announcement.
“There is unfinished business on behalf of the American people, and it’s an honor of a lifetime to get the call again,” Vought said.
The agency manages national forests, agricultural lending programs, food safety inspections, rural development, commodity trade policies, standards for school meals, and nutrition programs that assist low-income people, pregnant women, and young children. Because it manages vast tracts of land, including national forest land, it also fights wildfires.
Convincing Congress to pass the Farm Bill will be one of Rollins’s early significant challenges.
Rollins is also expected to work with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on a number of issues. Kennedy was confirmed as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Feb. 13.
The USDA and HHS have a late 2025 deadline to complete the 2025–30 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Rollins was President Donald Trump’s domestic policy chief during his first term.
Rollins previously worked on Trump’s 2016 Economic Advisory Council. She then served in his first administration as director of the Domestic Policy Council, director of Trump’s Office of American Innovation, and as his assistant for strategic initiatives.
After Trump’s first term, Rollins went on to become the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute.
Jamieson Greer has been chosen as U.S. Trade Representative for the incoming Trump administration. Greer is an attorney at King & Spalding, where he is a partner in the International Trade division.
Trump named former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be his ambassador to Israel.
Huckabee, who was governor between 1996 and 2007, is a staunch supporter of the Jewish state and will have to deal with the Israel-Hamas war, Israel–Hezbollah conflict, the Iranian threat, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He will also look to be part of the effort to expand the Abraham Accords, which the Trump administration brokered in 2020 between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
Huckabee, who ran for president in 2008 and 2016, called it “a privilege” and said that he first visited Israel in 1973, when he was a teenager. That was the year of the Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
Todd Blanche, who defended Trump during his New York falsified documents trial, has been selected to serve as deputy attorney general, which is second to the head of the department.
According to the DOJ, the deputy attorney general “is authorized to exercise all the power and authority of the Attorney General” with some exceptions. Trump selected Pam Bondi as his attorney general, pending Senate confirmation, after Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from contention.
Trump has selected D. John Sauer to serve as U.S. Solicitor General, a position within the Department of Justice (DOJ) responsible for defending federal law before the Supreme Court.
Sauer advocated for Trump in his appeal of special counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case in Washington this year. That included participating in oral arguments before the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled that presidents have varying levels of immunity from criminal prosecution.
Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, is a graduate of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania School and Medicine, and Wharton Business School. He was also the host of “The Dr. Oz Show” from 2009 to 2022. As a Republican candidate, Oz made an unsuccessful bid for a Senate seat in 2022 in Pennsylvania, losing to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).
Whitaker served as Trump’s acting attorney general from November 2018 until February 2019, during the president-elect’s first term in office. He also served as a U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa before running in the 2014 Iowa Republican primary for the U.S. Senate.
Hoekstra brings several years of experience in foreign relations. He was U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands under Trump’s first administration. He also played a significant role in bringing about the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2020, according to Trump, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement.
He was chairman of the Michigan Republican Party during the 2024 presidential election.
Makary is the author of “The Price We Pay,” an examination of the rising costs of health care.
Senators voted 51–49 to confirm Patel, who gained prominence for exposing alleged FBI and Justice Department malfeasance during the Crossfire Hurricane probe into the 2016 Trump campaign. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) crossed the aisle to join Democrats in voting against Patel’s nomination.
In a post on social media platform X, his first post as FBI director, Patel called it an honor to lead the agency and said change is coming.
“The American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, accountable, and committed to justice. The politicalization of our justice system has eroded public trust—but that ends today,” he wrote.
“My mission as Director is clear: let good cops be cops—and rebuild trust in the FBI.”
He has vowed to bring sweeping changes to the FBI. The bureau sits within the Department of Justice.
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Dan Driscoll to be the next Secretary of the Army.
Driscoll was an Army Ranger, and was deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Cavalry Scout Platoon Leader with the 10th Mountain Division. He is a graduate of Yale Law School, and has been a senior adviser to Vice President-elect JD Vance.
President-elect Donald Trump announced that Adam Boehler will become the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, “with the personal rank of Ambassador.”
Boehler was Trump’s lead negotiator on the Abraham Accords, and he was the first CEO of the United States Development Finance Corporation.
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman to be the next administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Isaacman is the mission commander of the Polaris Program, which utilizes SpaceX technology to push the boundaries of privatized space operations. He commanded both the Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn orbital missions, and conducted the first commercial spacewalk. He is also the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, and the co-founder and CEO of Draken Industries.
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Michael Faulkender to become the next deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
“He will help Treasury Secretary Nominee Scott Bessent usher in a new Golden Age for the United States by delivering a great economic boom for all Americans.”
Faulkender is returning to Washington, having served as the assistant secretary for economic policy at the Treasury Department during Trump’s first term. He is also the chief economist and vice chair for the America First Policy Institute’s Center for American Prosperity.
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Gail Slater to become the next assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice.
Slater is a familiar face in the Trump camp, previously serving on Trump’s National Economic Council during his first term, and as an advisor to Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who is the incoming Vice President-elect.
In his announcement on Truth Social, Trump said that Atkins “believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of investors, & that provide capital to make our economy the best in the world. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to making America greater than ever before.”
Akins returns to the SEC after serving as a commissioner from 2002 to 2008. He is the CEO and founder of the risk management consultancy, Patomak Global Partners, and has served as a co-chairman of the Digital Chamber’s Token Alliance since 2017, focusing on digital assets.
President-elect Donald Trump appointed former Missouri congressman Billy Long the next commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.
Long served 12 years in Congress, and has since been working as a business and tax advisor, helping businesses navigate the IRS rules and its regulations. He has also run his own real estate business for more than 30 years and was touted by Trump as being “one of the premier auctioneers in the country.”
“Warren has always dreamed of serving the United States full time,” Trump wrote in a statement. “I am thrilled that he will now have that opportunity as the top diplomat, representing the U.S.A. to one of America’s most cherished and beloved allies.”
Stephens is a prominent investment banker and philanthropist. He currently serves as the chairman, president, and CEO of Stephens Inc., a privately held financial services firm based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The role is the president’s personal representative to the Queen of the United Kingdom and acts as a spokesperson for the United States’ interests and policies.
In his announcement, Trump described Charles Kushner as a “tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our country & its interests.”
Kushner, in his role, will be responsible for overseeing the U.S. embassy in France and for the actions of U.S. executive departments and agencies with representatives in France.
“Kelly will bring her experience in business and Washington to reduce red tape and unleash opportunity for our small businesses to grow, innovate, and thrive,” Trump wrote in a statement.
Loeffler is a former senator from Georgia who currently co-chairs Trump’s second inaugural committee with Las Vegas real estate developer Steve Witkoff.
SBA staff help entrepreneurs start and build companies by counseling small business owners, expanding access to federal contracts, and connecting these entities with lenders for funding. Trump had four SBA administrators during his first term.
“Frank is a business leader, with a tremendous track record of transforming large corporations,” Trump wrote in a statement.
Bisignano is the president and CEO of the financial and technology company Fiserv and previously worked for JPMorgan Chase. If confirmed by the Senate, Bisignano would replace current SSA head Carolyn Colvin.
The president-elect pledged to protect social security on his campaign trail. The program, crucial to the livelihoods of many older and disabled Americans, is about a fifth of the federal budget.
“As a Fortune 500 CEO, who had a 40-year international business career, and served in the U.S. Senate, David brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China,” Trump wrote in a statement.
Perdue was a U.S. Senator for Georgia from 2015 until 2021, where he served on the Foreign Relations Committee and the Armed Services Committee. He has also lived in both Singapore and Hong Kong.
“Jim and RFK Jr. will fight in unison to ensure every American, and especially our most precious resource, our children, will live long and healthy lives and, Make America Great and Healthy Again!” Trump said in a statement.
O’Neill, who is a science and technology investor, previously served in multiple roles at the HHS during President George W. Bush’s administration.
“Dr. Bhattacharya will work in cooperation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to direct the nation’s medical research, and to make important discoveries that will improve health, and save lives,” Trump said in a statement.
Bhattacharya is expected to oversee the NIH’s 27 institutes and centers, which sit under the purview of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Ronald Johnson to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.
“Ron will work closely with our great Secretary of State nominee, Marco Rubio, to promote our nation’s security and prosperity through strong America first foreign policies,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Johnson served as the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador during Trump’s first term, during which time Trump said he “worked tirelessly with Salvadoran authorities and our team to reduce violent crime and illegal migration to the lowest levels in history.”
Johnson was also a Green Beret, and worked in the Central Intelligence Agency for more than 20 years.
Before joining the Senate in 2023, Vance served in the Marine Corps as a combat correspondent in the Iraq war. A graduate of Ohio State University and Yale Law School, he has worked in venture capital with Peter Thiel and was a CNN commentator. His 2016 best-selling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” details his life growing up in poverty in a Rust Belt town in Ohio, where he was raised by his grandmother while his mother struggled with substance abuse.
In the Senate, Vance served on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and the Special Committee on Aging. He has a conservative voting record, expressed support for Israel and criticism of the war in Ukraine, and sees focus on China as a priority.
He is married to corporate litigator Usha Chilukuri Vance, who will become the first Hindu spouse of a vice president and the first woman of color second lady. They have three children—Ewan, 7, Vivek, 4, and Mirabel, 2.
She gained national attention managing Rick Scott’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign and has been credited by some with rescuing current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Both races were extremely close in what was then considered a battleground state. Wiles also worked as DeSantis’s senior adviser from September 2018 through January 2019.
Wiles met Trump in 2015 and was hired to co-chair his Florida operations in 2016 and 2020. She was named CEO of his Save America Leadership PAC in 2021 before being asked to co-chair the 2024 campaign.
Wiles has been described as a background figure in the Trump world, responsible for instilling discipline and suggesting key course corrections in his positions, including his stance on mail-in voting.
She’s also had a successful career in government affairs and communications consulting and is the co-chair of Mercury Public Affairs, a global public strategy firm.
While this is not traditionally a Cabinet-ranked position, Trump announced that Waltz’s role will be promoted to the Cabinet.
On Nov. 5, Waltz won reelection in the Sixth Congressional District in east-central Florida. He has been a member of the House China Task Force, the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and the House Armed Services Committee, and he served as Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness. He has also been a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
He served as a military adviser in the George W. Bush administration and worked as a defense policy director under Defense Secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates.
Waltz continues to be a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), calling out human rights violations and the ongoing threat of espionage and advocating for more support of Taiwan’s self-defense.
“Mike has been a strong champion of my America First foreign policy agenda and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of peace through strength,” Trump said in a statement.
Taylor Budowich, another Trump campaign staffer, will serve as the deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel.
Budowich was responsible for running Trump’s main PAC, MAGA Inc. He joined Trump’s campaign over the summer.
He'll be in charge of overseeing communications and managing personnel-related matters.
James Blair, who served as the political director for Trump’s 2024 campaign, will serve as deputy chief of staff for legislative, political, and public affairs in the incoming White House.
In his campaign capacity, Blair was in part responsible for Trump’s unorthodox ground game that brought in thousands of young and low-propensity voters.
In the past, Blair has provided general political consulting services, having had a role in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s underdog 2018 victory to become Florida’s governor.
His current role will involve a mix of legislative advocacy, discussions with Congress, political strategy, and public communications.
Trump has selected Dan Scavino, a longtime ally, as his deputy chief of staff.
Scavino has been with Trump since before Trump entered politics, serving previously as a general manager for the Trump National Golf Club Westchester.
Scavino was also responsible for social media during Trump’s 2016 campaign. He stayed in similar roles after Trump won that election, serving first as Trump’s director of social media and later as the deputy chief of staff for communications.
He'll serve directly under Susie Wiles, the incoming chief of staff.
Trump named Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as the co-chairs of an outside group called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
In a statement, Trump said DOGE “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”
Trump said the initiative could be “‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time.”
DOGE will work with the Office of Management and Budget and end its work no later than America’s 250th anniversary, July 4, 2026.
“I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans,” said Trump.
“Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 Trillion Dollars of Government Spending. They will work together to liberate our Economy, and make the U.S. Government accountable to ‘WE THE PEOPLE,’” he continued.
Ramaswamy unsuccessfully ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nod. He dropped out after the Iowa Caucus in January and immediately endorsed Trump. Before 2024, Musk said he had never voted Republican.
* The Department of Government Efficiency confirmed on Jan. 20 that Vivek Ramaswamy is leaving the department with a goal to run for governor of Ohio.
Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer based in New York, will be Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East—the first time such a position has been created.
Witkoff, a longtime friend of Trump, will likely be tasked with dealing with the volatile region amid the Iranian threat, the Israel–Hamas war, the Israel–Hezbollah war, and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He likely will also look to expand the Abraham Accords.
Witkoff was golfing with Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when a man pointed a firearm through a perimeter fence—only to be spotted by a Secret Service agent. The agent fired at the man, who was later captured and identified as Ryan Routh.
Witkoff has three sons, one of whom died of a drug overdose.
Trump has selected Tom Homan as his border czar amid the crisis at the southern border.
Homan served in the Trump administration as the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement when the Department of Justice implemented a “zero-tolerance” policy over illegal entrants into the United States.
The current border czar is Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been criticized for only going to the border twice and focusing primarily on migration from Latin America as opposed to the crisis at the border.
Trump has picked Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff for policy.
Miller, who will also be Trump’s homeland security advisor, is known for his hawkish stance on immigration.
Miller served in the first Trump administration as a senior adviser to the president and the White House director of speechwriting.
After Trump’s term ended, Miller founded America First Legal, which has challenged the Biden administration in court on a number of policies.
Emil Bove, who has represented Trump in multiple criminal cases this year, was selected by Trump to serve as principal associate deputy attorney general and acting deputy attorney general during Todd Blanche’s confirmation process.
Bove previously served in the DOJ by leading the National Security Unit within the Southern District of New York.
President-elect Donald Trump has decided to make his campaign spokesperson and current communications director Steven Cheung assistant to the president and director of communications at the White House.
Cheung will be returning to the White House after serving in Trump’s first term as director of strategic response. He also served on Trump’s first campaign and transition team, and he previously worked for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
President-elect Donald Trump picked Sergio Gor to be the director of the Presidential Personnel Office. This office is tasked with recruiting, vetting, and nominating the thousands of appointees who will work in federal agencies across the U.S. government to advance the agenda and goals of Trump’s administration.
Gor has been with Trump since his first campaign in 2016. He is also the president and founder of Winning Team Publishing and led the Pro-Trump Super PAC Right for America.
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Karoline Leavitt to be his White House press secretary. The role entails acting as a spokesperson for the executive branch—the president in particular—and involves routine White House press briefings.
Leavitt served as the assistant White House press secretary in Trump’s first term, as the 2024 Trump campaign’s national press secretary, and is currently serving as a spokeswoman for the transition team.
Trump has selected William Owen Scharf to be his White House staff secretary. The role entails ensuring the circulation of documents among White House staff.
Scharf has clerked for two federal appeals court judges and has worked as a federal prosecutor. He also represented Trump in a Supreme Court case this year concerning presidential immunity.
Carr is the senior Republican commissioner at the FCC, a role he has held in two administrations since Trump first appointed him in 2017. He has advocated for banning TikTok over national security concerns.
He is also no stranger to the Trump team: He was deputy assistant to the president for several months during Trump’s first term.
He is also the former Foreign Policy Advisor & General Counsel to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and an adviser for Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) during his 2012 presidential campaign.
The Lebanese-born billionaire is the father-in-law of Tiffany Trump, the president-elect’s daughter.
Boulos will be responsible for advising Trump on domestic and foreign issues that affect Arabs—and will likely play a crucial role in Trump’s aspirations to de-escalate the war between Israel and Hamas.
President-elect Donald Trump announced Peter Navarro will be returning to Washington with him as his senior counselor for trade and manufacturing.
Trump also noted that Navarro helped him renegotiate several trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Korea–U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS). Navarro also served four months in jail for refusing to appear before the House select committee investigating the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Monica Crowley, to be ambassador, assistant secretary of state, and chief of protocol.
Crowley worked in the first Trump administration as the assistant secretary of the Treasury for public affairs. She is also a best-selling author and a Fox News anchor and political analyst.
President-elect Donald Trump announced William McGinley as counsel to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), working with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
“He will partner with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to provide advice and guidance to end the bloated federal bureaucracy.”
President-elect Donald Trump nominated David Warrington as the assistant to the president and White House counsel.
Warrington has served as Trump’s personal attorney, and he was the general counsel for Trump’s presidential campaign. He is also a Marine veteran, former president of the Republican National Lawyers Association, and a graduate of Georgetown University, and George Mason University’s law school.
“She has been unwavering in her loyalty, and unmatched in her resolve—standing with me through numerous ’trials,‘ battles, and countless days in court,” Trump wrote in a statement.
Habba has been a longtime attorney for Trump and represented the president-elect in his civil case, Carroll v. Trump. The new position involves defining the line between official and political activities, and includes overseeing executive appointments and judicial selections.
“David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas. He will safeguard free speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship,” Trump wrote in a statement.
Sacks is the former chief operating officer for PayPal. The newly created position in the White House aims to advance U.S. policy in AI and cryptocurrency.
“Rodney served nearly three decades in the Border Patrol, building vast experience and knowledge in law enforcement and border security,” Trump wrote in a statement.
Scott served as the 24th chief of the Border Patrol, overseeing key policies enacted during Trump’s first term, including the Remain in Mexico program and Title 42, which curbed immigration to protect public health. He continued to serve in the role for the first eight months of the Biden administration.
“Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting freedom of speech in our great country,” Trump wrote in a statement on Truth Social.
Ferguson, who has served as an FTC commissioner since April 2024, will replace Lina Khan. He is a former solicitor general of Virginia and an antitrust litigator. Ferguson also previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
“I am pleased to announce that Kari Lake will serve as our next Director of the Voice of America,” Trump said in a statement.
Lake is a former Fox 10 Phoenix news anchor and unsuccessfully ran in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election and Arizona’s 2024 U.S. Senate election. VOA was founded in 1942 to combat Nazi propaganda worldwide.
The role is new and will be created by Trump early in his second term.
Earlier this year Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, another Trump national security adviser, released a plan to end the war by freezing the front lines and vying for a negotiation deal between the two warring countries.
President-elect Donald Trump announced George Glass as his choice for the role of U.S. Ambassador to Japan saying Glass “will always put America first.”
“In my first term, George was the U.S. Ambassador to Portugal,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “As a former president of an investment bank, George will bring his business acumen to the Ambassador’s position.”
Glass is a businessman and former investment banker. He is the owner and managing partner of MGG Development LLC in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and he was the founder, president and vice chairman of the technology investment bank Pacific Crest Securities. He is also the alumni president and member of the Board of Trustees of University of Oregon.
