Washington DC:
Following his presidential election victory, Donald Trump has begun the process of choosing his cabinet and other government officials.
Introducing early candidates and front-runners for several key positions overseeing defense, intelligence, foreign affairs, trade, immigration and economic policymaking. Some people are fighting over different posts.
Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff
President Trump announced last week that Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, would become White House chief of staff.
Although the details of her political views are somewhat unclear, Ms. Wiles, 67, is believed to have run an effective and successful campaign. Supporters hope she can instill a sense of order and discipline that was often lacking during Mr. Trump’s first four-year term, during which he held multiple chiefs of staff.
Tom Homan “Border Emperor”
President Trump announced Sunday night that Homan, who served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first administration, will be in charge of the border.
Trump has made cracking down on illegal aliens a central element of his campaign, promising mass deportations.
Homan, 62, said Monday that he would prioritize deporting undocumented immigrants who pose a safety and security threat, as well as Americans working in the workforce.
In a post on his platform Truth Social, President Trump said Homan would be “in charge of our nation’s borders, including but not limited to the southern border, the northern border, and all maritime and aviation (‘Border Czar’).” It will happen,” he said. “Security” includes the deportation of illegal immigrants to the United States.
Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations
President Trump announced Monday that Stefanik, a Republican lawmaker and ardent Trump supporter, will become ambassador to the United Nations.
Stefanik, 40, a U.S. representative from New York and chair of the House Republican Conference, was elected in 2021 to replace then-Rep. Liz Cheney, who was ousted for criticizing Trump’s false claims about the election. and assumed leadership positions in the House of Representatives. scam.
President Trump said in a statement: “I am honored to nominate Speaker Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations.” “Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First warrior.”
Stefanik arrives at the United Nations following President Trump’s bold promises to end the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s war on Gaza.
Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator
President Trump announced Monday that he has nominated former New York congressman Lee Zeldin to head the Environmental Protection Agency, and Zeldin said he has accepted the role.
Zeldin, 44, a staunch Trump ally, served in Congress from 2015 to 2023 before losing the 2022 New York gubernatorial race to Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul.
President Trump has promised to overhaul U.S. energy policy with the aim of maximizing the country’s already record-high oil and gas production by loosening regulations and speeding up permitting.
As EPA Administrator, Mr. Zeldin will play a key role in implementing these policies.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
President Trump plans to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, making the Florida-born politician the first Latino to serve as the nation’s top diplomat, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Mr. Rubio, 53, was perhaps the most hawkish candidate on Mr. Trump’s list of candidates for secretary of state. The senator has spent the past several years advocating a strong foreign policy toward America’s geopolitical adversaries, including China, Iran, and Cuba.
Over the past few years, he has softened some of his positions to more closely align with Trump’s views. The president-elect is pushing for a more restrained foreign policy, accusing his predecessors of leading the United States into costly and pointless wars.
Mike Walz, National Security Advisor
President Trump announced Tuesday that he has selected Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Walz, a retired Army Green Beret and a leading critic of China, to be his national security adviser.
Walz, 50, a Trump supporter who also served as a colonel in the National Guard, criticized China’s activities in the Asia-Pacific region and argued for the need for the United States to prepare for potential conflict in the region.
National Security Adviser is a powerful role that does not require Senate confirmation. Walz will be responsible for briefing President Trump on major national security issues and coordinating with various agencies.
Walz has publicly praised President Trump’s foreign policy views while criticizing the Biden administration for its disastrous 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security
President Trump has selected South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be the next Secretary of Homeland Security, two sources familiar with the decision said Tuesday.
Noem, 52, once considered a running mate for President Trump, is currently serving her second four-year term as governor of South Dakota. She gained national fame for refusing to impose a statewide mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for everything from border security and immigration to disaster response and the U.S. Secret Service.
The Trump campaign and Noem’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary Candidate
Bessent is a key economic advisor to President Trump and is seen as a front-runner for Treasury secretary. Bessent, a longtime hedge fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, has a warm relationship with the president-elect.
Mr. Bessent has long supported the laissez-faire policies prevalent in the Republican Party before President Trump, but he has also praised President Trump’s use of tariffs as a negotiating tool. He praised the president-elect’s economic philosophy, which is based on skepticism of both regulation and international trade.
Robert Lighthizer, Treasury Secretary Candidate
Mr. Lighthizer, a loyalist who served as U.S. trade representative for virtually the entirety of President Trump’s term, will almost certainly be invited back. Mr. Bessent is likely to become Treasury secretary, but Mr. Lighthizer has outside opportunities and may be able to resume his old role if he is interested.
Like Trump, Lighthizer, 77, is a trade skeptic and a strong believer in tariffs. During President Trump’s first term, he was one of the leaders in the trade war with China and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada.
Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Candidate
Lutnick, who co-chaired President Trump’s transition effort and was the longtime chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, is running for Treasury secretary.
Mr. Lutnick, 63, a bombastic New Yorker like Mr. Trump, has universally praised the president-elect’s economic policies, including his tariffs.
He has at times offered detailed and unvarnished opinions on what policies President Trump might enact during his second term. Some of Mr. Trump’s allies have privately complained that Mr. Trump speaks too often on behalf of his campaign.
Linda McMahon, Secretary of Commerce Candidate
Linda McMahon, a professional wrestling mogul and former head of the Small Business Administration, is seen as the frontrunner to lead Trump’s Commerce Department, according to three sources briefed on the plan.
Mr. McMahon, 76, is a major donor and was an early supporter of the Republican president-elect when he first ran for the White House nearly a decade ago. Now, President Trump has named her co-leader of the transition team formed to help vet talent and formulate policy ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
McMahon is the co-founder and former CEO of the professional wrestling franchise WWE. He went on to serve as head of the Small Business Administration, resigning in 2019 and leading a pro-Trump political action committee supporting his 2020 re-election bid.
John Ratcliffe, CIA Director Candidate
Mr. Ratcliffe, 59, a former congressman and prosecutor who served as director of national intelligence during the final year of the Trump administration, is seen as the front-runner to head the CIA, according to two people familiar with the transition process. Ratcliffe could also be nominated for attorney general.
The president-elect’s allies say Ratcliffe is a die-hard Trump supporter and has a good chance of winning Senate confirmation. Still, during his time as director of national intelligence, Mr. Ratcliffe often contradicted his evaluations of career civil servants and drew criticism from Democrats for politicizing the role.
Mike Lee, Attorney General Candidate
Lee, a senator from Utah, is widely seen as another front-runner for attorney general. The former prosecutor refused to vote for Trump during the 2016 election, but has since become a staunch ally and something of an intellectual hero among some factions of Trumpworld.
Mr. Lee, 53, was a central figure in Mr. Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and was responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. has spread baseless conspiracy theories about
Kash Patel, candidate for national security post
Patel, a former Republican House staffer who held various high-ranking staff roles in defense and intelligence agencies during President Trump’s first term, frequently appeared on the campaign trail to drum up support for candidates.
Some Trump supporters want Patel, seen as the ultimate Trump supporter, to be appointed CIA director. However, positions that require Senate confirmation could be difficult.
Patel, 44, has been embroiled in controversy throughout his career. In an interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon last year, he promised to “go after” politicians and journalists deemed to be Trump’s enemies.
During Trump’s first term, Patel faced resentment from experienced national security officials who viewed her as volatile and too eager to please the then-president.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
