Trump Designates Acting Leaders of Federal Agencies, Takes First Executive Actions

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool

President Donald Trump issued a statement on Monday designating acting leaders of federal agencies and offices and took his first executive actions, including flying the flag full-staff at all government buildings until the end of Inauguration Day.

The statement names officials to lead federal agencies in an acting capacity. The agencies include the Department of Defense, the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and more.

Trump’s nominees to lead those agencies—Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for HHS, Pete Hegseth for Defense, Pam Bondi for DOJ, Kristi Noem for DHS, and others—are awaiting confirmation from the Republican-controlled Senate.

Until then, Trump named Robert Salesses as acting secretary of defense, career civil servant Dorothy Fink for HHS, Benjamine Huffman for DHS, James McHenry for attorney general, Lisa Kenna for secretary of state, David Lebryk for Treasury, Caleb Vitello as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and more than a dozen others to lead various federal departments.

“Pursuant to the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including but not limited to 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., I hereby direct the following individuals to perform the functions and duties of the indicated positions in an acting capacity until the position is filled by appointment,” he wrote in a statement on the White House website.

Senate hearings to confirm Trump’s nominations started earlier this month.

Other early orders issued by Trump on Monday included a declaration that the American flag will be lowered “upon the end of this Inauguration Day” for the remainder of a 30-day mourning period to honor the late former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29, 2024. That period will last until Jan. 28.

“I also direct that, for the same period of time, the flag shall be flown at full-staff at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.”

Meanwhile, the CBP One app used under the Biden administration has been deactivated. A message on the app’s website states that as of Jan. 20, its functionalities that had “previously allowed undocumented aliens to submit advance information and schedule appointments at eight southwest border ports of entry is no longer available, and existing appointments have been canceled.”

In his inaugural speech earlier in the day, Trump said he would quickly issue orders declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border over illegal immigration, ordering the end of Biden-era policies that prevent drilling for oil and gas, and an order ending diversity programs.

Trump also said he would sign an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and the highest mountain in North America, now known as Denali in Alaska, will revert back to Mount McKinley, its name before it was changed during the Obama administration in 2015.

Last weekend, Trump wrote on social media that he would issue an order to try to restore TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media app that was effectively banned on Jan. 19 under a law passed by Congress last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.