President-elect Donald Trump is already beginning to finalize his Cabinet roster less than a week after his decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
The president’s Cabinet usually includes the vice president and the heads of 15 executive departments, including the president’s chief of staff, the secretary of state, and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education
Linda McMahon is Trump’s nominee to lead this 4,400-employee agency that he has pledged to dismantle—though that would require an act of Congress.“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.
Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce
Trump has chosen Howard Lutnick to become the next Secretary of Commerce, pending Senate approval.The 63-year-old billionaire is co-chair of 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 he said on the campaign trail is likely an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent to 20 percent on imports and levies and 60 percent to 100 percent on goods from China.
Lutnick, Trump said, would “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, which earned him praise and an endorsement from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary.
Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation
Trump selected former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) to become the next Secretary for the Department of Transportation, pending Senate confirmation.The Department of Transportation’s mission is to “deliver the world’s leading transportation system” for both goods and people.
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.
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.
Chris Wright, Department of Energy
Trump has chosen Chris Wright, an energy industry executive, to lead the Department of Energy, pending Senate confirmation.“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 Nov. 16 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.
Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Department of the Interior
Leaders of both Dakotas could be moving to Washington, pending Senate approval. President-elect Donald Trump picked North Dakota’s Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Department of the Interior.“We’re going to do things with energy and with land, interior, that is going to be incredible,” Trump said to Burgum on Nov. 14.
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.
“North Dakota’s energy, agriculture and technology economy is poised to thrive in the coming era where private sector innovation, not overreaching government regulation, is seen as the key to solving our biggest challenges and realizing our fullest potential,” Burgum stated on Nov. 7 in reaction to Trump’s election victory.
Bergum’s appointment comes after South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was picked to become the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, former Rep. Doug Collins, has also served as one of his attorneys.Collins is also a longtime loyalist who has stood with the president-elect 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. Thank you, Doug, for your willingness to serve our Country in this very important role!” Trump wrote in a statement.
Collins was a member of the House of Representatives serving Georgia’s ninth district between 2013 and 2021. He sat on the House Judiciary Committee and served as vice chair of the House Republican Committee.
In Georgia, Collins lost to both Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Kelly Loeffler in the race to fill the U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by Johnny Isakson in 2019.
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.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
President-elect Donald Trump officially picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), pending Senate approval.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.
Matt Gaetz, US Attorney General
Trump picked Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as his nominee for U.S. attorney general, pending Senate confirmation.“Matt will end weaponized government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore Americans’ badly-shattered faith and confidence in the Justice Department.”
Gaetz, 42, was first elected to Florida’s House of Representatives in 2010. His father, Don, was president of the Florida Senate from 2012 to 2014. Gaetz then ran for Florida’s 1st congressional district in 2016, winning with 69 percent of the vote.
The congressman has been both an outspoken proponent of Trump. He was a fierce critic of the false Russia collusion allegations against Trump. Gaetz was probed by U.S. officials for allegations including sexual misconduct, but no charges were ever brought and Gaetz’s attorneys said the Department of Justice informed them the investigation was over.
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
Trump selected former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to serve as the Director of National Intelligence, pending Senate confirmation.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.
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, pending Senate confirmation, which would make him the first Latino to serve as the country’s top diplomat.“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.”
Rubio, 53, has a nearly four-decade-long political background in the Sunshine State. He was first elected as a city commissioner for West Miami in 1998. Rubio became a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 2000, leading the 111th House District, which includes Miami. He was also the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 until 2008.
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.
Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
Trump has chosen South Dakota Gov.Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, pending Senate confirmation.“Kristi has been very strong on border security,” Trump said in his announcement. “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.
“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.
Pete Hegseth, Secretary of the Department of Defense
Trump announced Pete Hegseth as his pick for Defense Secretary, pending Senate confirmation.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-wing policies concerning the military, and he spent eight years as a Fox News host.
John Ratcliffe, CIA Director
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.
Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), a colonel (ret.) in the National Guard and combat-decorated Green Beret, will be Trump’s national security adviser. He is the first Green Beret elected to Congress and the third veteran to join Trump’s Cabinet.
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.
Lee Zeldin, Administrator of the EPA
Former New York congressman Lee Zeldin will take on the role of EPA administrator, and it is expected that he will quickly focus on deregulation.Zeldin’s political service began in 2010 when he was elected to the New York Senate. He served at the state level until 2014 before being elected to Congress to represent New York’s First Congressional District. He served in that role from 2015 to 2023.
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.
Elise Stefanik, US Ambassador to the UN
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.
Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff
Susie Wiles, 67, will become the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. Co-chair of Trump’s successful campaign, she is being credited with several key campaign victories in her home state of Florida.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.
JD Vance, Vice President
Vice President-elect JD Vance will be the first millennial vice president and, at age 40, the youngest vice president in the nation’s history.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.
