JUST days after storming to a landslide election victory, Donald Trump has already identified some of the personalities who he wants to serve in his cabinet.
So far, his nominations include former Republican presidential rivals, firebrand politicians like Matt Gaetz, and Tesla mogul Elon Musk.
GettyDonald Trump has started nominating his cabinet[/caption]
And the president-elect, 78, is sure to keep drip-feeding names on his social media platforms before January’s inauguration.
The presidential cabinet consists of the commander-in-chief, his vice president, and 15 heads of executive departments.
Trump has not formed his entire cabinet yet, but here is what we know so far.
SUSIE WILES
ReutersSusie Wiles has been hailed for being a formidable operator[/caption]
Susie Wiles has been nominated to serve as Trump’s chief of staff.
She will be the first woman to assume the role.
Wiles, who is admired in Republican circles for being a formidable political operator, has worked with Trump on his three presidential campaigns.
Advisers have hailed Wiles’ ability to bring people together and how she can hold officials to account.
Trump name-dropped Wiles as he addressed his supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, once it became apparent he would win the election.
“Susie likes to stay sort of in the back,” he said.
“Let me tell you, the ice baby. We call her the ice baby.
“Susie likes to stay in the background. She’s not in the background.”
MATT GAETZ
Gaetz’s nomination for the role of attorney general has sparked controversyAP
President-elect Trump raised eyebrows among some Republicans when he nominated Matt Gaetz for the role of attorney general.
Gaetz, who stormed to victory in Florida’s 1st congressional district, is a Trump loyalist and said it would be an honor to serve in the administration.
He even nominated Trump for speaker in January 2023 when now-former speaker Kevin McCarthy struggled to get the votes to assume the role.
But Gaetz does not come without baggage and has been embroiled in controversy.
Donald Trump’s Cabinet Picks
In the days following his dominant Election Day victory, President-elect Donald Trump has begun carving out his future administation.
Here’s a list of Trump’s confirmed cabinet picks:
Susie Wiles – White House Chief of Staff
Stephen Miller – Deputy Chief of Staff
Bill McGinley – White House counsel
Tom Homan, ex-ICE acting director – “Border Czar”
Elise Stefanik, Republican New York representative – Ambassador to the United Nations
Lee Zeldin, former New York representative – Environmental Protection Agency administrator
Marco Rubio, Republican Florida senator – Secretary of State
Kristi Noem, Republican South Dakota governor – Homeland Security Secretary
Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor – Ambassador to Israel
John Ratcliffe, former Texas representative – CIA director
Pete Hegseth, US Army veteran – Secretary of Defense
Mike Waltz, Republican Florida representative – National Security Advisor
Steven Witkoff, real estate investor – Middle East envoy
Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy – Department of Government Efficiency
Tim Scott, Republican South Carolina senator – Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
Tulsi Gabbard, former Hawaii representative – Director of National Intelligence
Matt Gaetz, Republican Florida representative – attorney general
He was being probed by the House Ethics Committee over allegations including sexual misconduct.
A report was about to be released, but Gaetz resigned from Congress, in effect short-circuiting the process.
Gaetz’s nomination sparked concern among some Republican lawmakers, with some senators thinking he wasn’t a serious pick.
MARCO RUBIO
ReutersRubio has urged the war in Ukraine to be wrapped up[/caption]
Rubio, a leading politician who has called for more transparency when it comes to UFOs, has been nominated to serve as Secretary of State.
The Florida senator has been a critic of China and Iran and is thought to be a foreign policy hawk.
Rubio’s nomination comes more than eight years after he ran alongside Trump for the GOP nomination in 2016.
Rubio and Trump locked horns, and the tycoon called his rival “Little Marco.”
The senator hasn’t been previously frightened to call out Trump’s foreign policy.
In 2019, he claimed Trump abandoned the military effort in Syria before the war was completely over.
“The decision to abandon our Kurdish allies and withdraw American troops from Northern Syria is a grave mistake that will have severe consequences beyond Syria,” he said in a statement.
“It risks encouraging the Iranian regime to question American resolve and to escalate its attacks against our partners in the Middle East, which in turn could trigger a broader and more dangerous regional war.”
Rubio’s views on Ukraine have also changed over time.
In an X post from February 2022, he described Vladimir Putin as a “killer” and backed Ukraine’s effort.
But now, he seems to echo Trump as he calls for the conflict to end.
Rubio’s Senate seat will become vacant should he join the Trump cabinet, and potential replacements have already been touted.
One name that has been mentioned is Lara Trump – Donald’s daughter-in-law.
Lara, a former TV producer, has been the co-chair of the Republican National Committee since March 2024.
ELON MUSK
ReutersElon Musk sporting a Trump MAGA hat[/caption]
Tesla mogul Musk and Trump appeared on the campaign trail as the 2024 race entered its final months.
The SpaceX founder joined Trump on the stump for the first time when the tycoon returned to Butler, Pennsylvania, for a rally – weeks after the attempted assassination.
Musk was also one of the headline acts at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.
He was pictured rubbing shoulders with Trump’s family at the politician’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
In a clip shared by Trump’s granddaughter Kai, Musk was even invited to join a family photo.
Musk is spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency – a unit responsible for cutting federal waste and saving money.
But DOGE is not an official government department.
VIVEK RAMASWAMY
ReutersRamaswamy will work alongside Musk in charge of DOGE[/caption]
Former presidential candidate Ramaswamy will also be leading the charge in DOGE.
Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the race in January, championed government cuts while he was on the campaign trail.
Following January’s shooting at Perry High School in Iowa, Ramaswamy said he would cut the Department of Education to hire armed guards for schools.
TULSI GABBARD
AFPGabbard and Trump in August 2024[/caption]
Throughout Biden’s presidency, former Democratic lawmaker Tulsi Gabbard was a staunch critic when it came to foreign policy.
She blamed Joe Biden for seemingly bringing the US close to a global conflict.
And, she has not been shy to slam elites within the Democratic Party establishment.
Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022 before endorsing Trump in the summer of 2024.
She urged voters to “save the country” by voting Trump into the Oval Office.
Gabbard has been nominated to be Trump’s Director of National Intelligence.
PETE HEGSETH
GettyFox News star Pete Hegseth has been nominated for Secretary of Defense[/caption]
Fox News star Pete Hegseth has been nominated to serve as Trump’s defense secretary.
Hegseth is an Army National Guard veteran and completed tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.
He also ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before dropping out of the race.
Like Gaetz’s nomination, Hegseth’s has sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill.
Trump has hailed Hegseth as a tough, smart, and true believer of his America First policies.
The president-elect has also rewarded loyalists such as Elise Stefanik, who has been nominated to the role of the US Ambassador to the United Nations.
BIG OMISSIONS
Florida representative Mike Waltz has been nominated for the role of national security adviser.
Governor Ron DeSantis has said the work for special elections to be held in light of Waltz’s nomination will begin.
Lee Zeldin, a close ally of Trump, has been nominated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
South Dakota governor Kristi Noem has been nominated to serve as Homeland Security Security, and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has been picked out to serve as Ambassador to Israel.
Trump loyalist Stephen Miller has been nominated for the deputy chief of staff position, while Tom Homan is set to become Trump’s “border czar.”
Trump has not yet named his White House press secretary.
But it will not be Alina Habba, who served as Trump’s attorney during his legal battles, as she ruled herself out of the running.
“Although I love screaming from a podium, I will be better served in other capacities,” she posted on X.
Many roles are still up for grabs, but some politicians who served in Trump’s first administration will not serve in the second.
Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo are among the high-profile Republicans that have been omitted.
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