Who are Donald Trump’s cabinet picks? Meet the confidantes and advisers heading to the White House

Donald Trump‘s second term as president is being shaped by the loyal allies who have stood by him during his four years outside of the White House.

As the clock ticks down to his inauguration on January 20, all eyes will be on Mar-a-Lago as Republicans jostle for a cabinet spot or a senior role in the West Wing.

And those are filling fast. In the past two-plus days, nine potential appointees have emerged for top Cabinet or West Wing roles and a handful of contenders for other vital positions have emerged.

On Tuesday night there was a flurry of picks, including Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as heads of the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’, and John Ratcliffe as Director of the CIA.

DailyMail.com breaks down who the president-elect has picked so far – and who is almost certain to take a spot. 

Susie Wiles – White House Chief of Staff

Trump picked his campaign manager Wiles as the first female chief of staff in White House history.

Behind-the-scenes Wiles, nicknamed the ‘Ice Baby,’  orchestrated one of the greatest political comebacks in modern politics and will bring her no-nonsense attitude as a political operative to the West Wing.

 ‘Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns,’ Trump said in a statement announcing his choice.

The daughter of the late NFL football player and legendary gameday broadcaster Pat Summerall, Wiles first worked in national politics in 1980, joining Ronald Reagan’s successful campaign as a scheduler.

She then worked in Florida for Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney and later as an adviser for Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton. Wiles then helped now Sen. Rick Scott win the Florida governor’s mansion in 2010. She briefly worked for the 2012 presidential bid of former Utah Gov. John Huntsman.

Wiles was first inducted into the Trump orbit during his successful 2016, managing campaign operations in Florida. That state was called in his favor early-on, as he would go on to claim victory against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In 2018, Wiles helped Trump’s then-ally, Ron DeSantis, win his Florida gubernatorial race. She was shown the door by DeSantis and later told a reporter that working for him was the ‘biggest mistake’ she ever made in her career and she wanted him to feel the pain for throwing her away. He did – after being absolutely trounced by Trump in the 2024 Republican primary.

NOTE: The interactive chart below has not been updated to reflect appointments made on Tuesday night. 

Tom Homan – Border Czar 

The former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been brought in by Trump to orchestrate the largest deportation of illegal immigrants in history.

‘I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our borders,’ the president-elect said of Homan.

It comes after Homan said that Trump will use the US Army to round up and deport ‘the worst of the worst’ illegal migrants in an unparalleled crackdown.

Homan said all of the estimated 20 million people residing in the US illegally would be targeted by the first-of-its-kind campaign. 

‘Bottom line: if you come to the country illegally, you’re not off the table,’ he added. 

Elise Stefanik – United Nations Ambassador

Stefanik, a senior House Republican and a top Trump ally, is set to take over the role held by Nikki Haley during the first Trump administration.

The New York lawmaker has been at the forefront of launching investigations into federal government and prosecutorial overreach to go after Trump.

‘I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,’ Trump said in announcing his choice.

In recent years Stefanik, who is the highest ranking Republican woman in the House, has been one of his closest allies.

Earlier this year she filed a misconduct complaint against Judge Juan Merchan, who was overseeing Trump’s hush-money trial, and called for a probe into his selection, which she claimed ‘was not random at all’. 

In April, she demanded an ethics probe into special counsel Jack Smith for ‘abusing the resources of the federal government to unlawfully interfere with the 2024 presidential election.’

She has also been a leading voice against college campus anti-Semitism after Israel went after Hamas in Gaza over the Oct. 7 attacks. 

Lee Zeldin – U.S. EPA administrator

President-elect Donald Trump has selected former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to be his next Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Zeldin confirmed the news on X.com, promising to ‘restore American energy dominance’ and ‘slash the red tape holding back American workers from upward economic mobility.’

‘We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.’

Trump has promised to provide ‘crystal clean’ water and ‘the cleanest’ air as part of his environmental priorities but widely views the EPA as a hindrance to economic growth.

A Republican congressman, Zeldin narrowly lost his 2022 attempt to unseat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in the heavily Democratic state. 

Like Trump, he was the target of a madman who tried to attack him while campaigning. 

Zeldin was in the midst of a speech about bail reform at a VFW location in Rochester as part of his ‘United to Fire Hochul’ campaign when he was confronted by the man, who was armed with a knife.

In a tweet, Zeldin said: ‘Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evening’s rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.’ 

Stephen Miller – Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy 

Miller is the architect of the mass deportation plan and has served as a top immigration adviser since the first Trump administration.

He was the face of the strict immigration and border crackdown that begun in the White House eight years ago and is set to continue his work over the next four years.

Miller has warned that deportations would increase ten-fold under in a Trump presidency.

In a September post on X responding to Mark Cuban, Miller floated some of the immigration policies that Trump’s team wants to implement starting in January. 

‘Deploying Title 42/Safe 3rds/Remain in Mexico/Asylum Bars to achieve a one hundred percent perfect deportation rate at the border, finishing the wall, significantly enhancing criminal penalties for human smuggling and trafficking, and launching a DOD embargo of drug vessels from South America,’ Miller wrote. 

In Trump I, Miller helped craft speeches for the Republican president and also had a hand in several different policies, including many immigration related initiatives. 

The 39-year-old helped craft Trump’s travel ban policies in January 2017 and later influenced policies regarding migrants at the U.S.-Mexico borer, including the controversial decision to separate family units. 

Pete Hegseth – Defense Secretary

Hegseth deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with the Army National Guard and won two Bronze Stars and unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before joining Fox News.

‘Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,’ Trump said in a statement, as he spent much of Tuesday adding to his cabinet.

The appointment comes just hours after former Democrat Congresswoman and Trump ally Tulsi Gabbard said she’d wanted the job.

‘With Pete at the helm, America´s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,’ Trump added.

‘Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our `Peace through Strength´ policy.’ 

Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel´s ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show.

He is also the author of ‘The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.’

The book, according to its promo, combines ‘his own war experiences, tales of outrage, and an incisive look at how the chain of command got so kinked,’ and bills itself as ‘the key to saving our warriors – and winning future wars.’

While the Pentagon is considered a key coveted post in any administration, the defense secretary was a tumultuous post during Trump´s first term.

Elon Musk – Government Efficiency chief

Musk spent hours at Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s historic defeat of Kamala Harris.

He has been acting as the president-elect’s counsel and is widely tipped for a role in the administration.

At Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally in October, he said he would cut $2 trillion in spending from the federal budget to save taxpayer funds. 

He told the roughly 20,000 attendees of Trump’s MSG rally: ‘Your money is being wasted. We’re going to get the government off your back and out of your pocket book.’ 

Howard Lutnick – chairman and CEO of financial services company Cantor Fitzgerald, who also helms the Trump 2024 Transition Team – introduced the X owner to the stage at the conclusion of his speech.

Lutnick said Musk would soon become the head of a newly-created Department of Government Efficiency, an agency whose initials spell out DOGE, the cryptocurrency Musk once promoted.

Musk’s cuts would shrink the budget by nearly a third and would be more than this year’s deficit spending.

In maybe the clearest sign of Musk’s sway with Trump, when the president elect spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his win, he handed the phone to the tech billionaire, according to the New York Times.

As the owner of SpaceX, which oversees the space-based internet provider Starlink that has been widely credited with helping Ukraine in its war against Russia, Musk has worked closely with Zelensky.

Vivek Ramaswamy – Government efficiency chief 

On Tuesday night, the former presidential candidate was named as the co-chief of the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk. 

Ramaswamy is a Yale Law-educated entrepreneur who started Roivant Sciences Ltd. a decade ago, which uses technology to aid drug development and other healthcare needs.

He wrote a popular book on the right: Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam.

Ramaswamy started out the 2024 election cycle by running for president himself – though stayed complimentary of the ex-president.

Unlike candidates like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Rep. Will Hurd, who were decidedly anti-Trump in the 2024 Republican primary, Ramaswamy touted the 78-year-old’s accomplishments in office.

When Trump appeared to be the runaway favorite ahead of the early primaries, Ramaswamy never turned on the former president, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley, allowing him to have a comfortable place to land in the Trump 2.0 White House.

Ramaswamy came in fourth place in the Iowa caucuses, suspending his campaign immediately afterward and endorsing Trump.

Both Musk and Ramaswamy are billionaires – but Musk’s net worth is estimated to be 304 billion and Ramaswamy is worth only one billion dollars.

Rep. Mike Waltz – National Security Advisor 

Donald Trump has asked Florida Rep. Mike Waltz to be his White House National Security Advisor, sources familiar with the decision tell DailyMail.com. 

Waltz, a former Army Green Beret, has established himself as one of the foremost China hawks in the House and was selected following Trump’s busy day of firming up his Cabinet. 

Among the various China-related bills Waltz has co-sponsored are measures designed to lessen U.S. reliance on critical minerals mined in China. He’s also known as a NATO skeptic amid its work during the war in Ukraine.

Waltz, the first Green Beret to serve in Congress, had been considered a candidate for Secretary of Defense, as well. 

Trump announced the pick on his Truth Social platform Tuesday.

‘I am honored to announce that Congressman Mike Waltz (R-FL) is hereby appointed to serve in my Cabinet as my National Security Advisor. Mike is the first Green Beret to have been elected to Congress, and previously served in the White House and Pentagon,’ Trump posted. 

‘Mike served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years where he was deployed multiple times in combat for which he was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two with Valor…’

Waltz, like other advisors to the White House, would not require Senate confirmation as heads of departments do. Trump has already signaled he will bypass the Senate through recess appointments. 

Trump had varying luck with four National Security Advisors during his first term in office. Michael Flynn, H.R. McMaster, Robert O’Brien and John Bolton all served in the position.

Sen. Marco Rubio – Secretary of State 

The Florida senator has gone from being denigrated by Trump as ‘Little Marco,’ a heated campaign rival, to perhaps the most coveted of all Cabinet posts after coming around on Trump and campaigning fervently for the MAGA Republican even after being passed over for vice president on the ticket. 

Rubio, who was elected to the Senate in 2010, is considered a foreign policy hawk who has taken hard lines on China, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba, and will lead Trump’s prowess on the world stage as his Secretary of State.

He currently serves as the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee and was considered to be on Trump’s shortlist for vice president earlier this year.

As Secretary of State, Rubio would be a key Trump envoy to press Ukraine to find a way towards a settlement with Russia in their years-long conflict.

In 2019, Rubio pushed Trump to adopt the harsh sanctions he ultimately deployed against Venezuela to try to unseat its authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., praised Trump’s selection of Rubio.

‘Congratulations to our very own SECRETARY OF STATE — who will be the highest serving Hispanic in American History!’ he wrote on X.

Sen. Bill Hagerty, who was considered to be on the short list for the position, congratulated Rubio Monday evening.

‘Congratulations to my friend on being nominated for Secretary of State! I have no doubt that he is ready to implement President Trump’s America First, peace-through-strength agenda around the world.’

Rubio will follow Trump’s former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 

Gov. Kristi Noem –Homeland Security Secretary

South Dakota Gov. Kristin Noem has been selected to serve as Donald Trump’s head of Homeland Security. 

In the top Cabinet role, the staunch Trump loyalist – whose vice presidential hopes were dashed when she admitted to shooting her puppy – will implement Trump’s promises to clean up the mess at the southern border and deport millions of illegal migrants.

She joins Trump loyalists Stephen Miller, who was appointed as deputy chief of staff, and Tom Homan, who will serve as ‘border czar.’ The Department of Homeland Security has a $60 billion budget.

In addition to the puppy controversy, Noem also generated negative headlines over a dubious claim in her memoir that she met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Still, Trump dismissed the controversies over that claim and her anecdote about putting down the puppy as her having ‘a bad week.’

‘I think she’s terrific,’ Trump said in May. ‘A couple of rough stories, there’s not question about it. And when explained – the dog story – people hear that and people from different parts of the country probably feel a bit differently, but that’s a tough story.’

‘She had a bad week. We all have bad weeks,’ the ex-president added.

Mike Huckabee – Ambassador to Israel

Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, the president-elect announced Tuesday.

Huckabee, a Baptist minister and father of former Trump press secretary and current Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is a staunch defender of Israel.

Though he has no official foreign affairs experience, he would be at the center of efforts to carry through on Trump’s promise to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel’s interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups.

‘Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years,’ Trump said in a statement.

‘He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!’

Huckabee hosted an eponymous show on Fox News from 2008-20015, served as governor from 1996-2007 and vied for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016.

Huckabee favors home-spun language, and frequently turns up on Fox News ads selling products including sleep aids.

John Ratcliffe – CIA Director 

President-elect Donald Trump announced that his former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe is his choice to lead the CIA – citing his credentials battling the ‘fake Russian collusion’ narrative.

Trump announced the loyalist pick, which had been floated, with a statement on a day when he announced he would tap former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as U.S. ambassador to Israel .

Once again, Trump used language suggesting it was a done deal, although the newly Republican Senate will have to confirm the selection.

‘I am pleased to announce that former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),’ Trump said.

‘From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI ’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public. When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden ’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People.’

Trump’s statement makes clear that the reason the MAGA-aligned Ratcliffe was selected in part due to his loyalty. Trump has railed ever since he entered the White House about the Russia probe, which began during the 2016 campaign as a probe of contacts between Trump advisors who had Russia ties.

He has long said the probe hobbled his administration from the outset. He said in 2020 he was ‘probably entitled to another four’ year term because of ‘the way we were treated.’

Ben Carson – Health & Human Services

Dr. Ben Carson is the favorite to be nominated as Donald Trump’s Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS) in the battle for a spot in his cabinet, multiple people familiar with the selection process tell DailyMail.com.

The 73-year-old retired neurosurgeon wants to return to the White House for a second stint after serving as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Trump’s first administration.

Carson was one of the few people who stayed in Trump’s orbit and said he deserved the chance to be re-elected after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot sparked a slew of resignations and defections.

He was a wild card in the race for vice president, with sources confirming that some closest to Trump’s inner circle pushed his selection. And he has been a consistent presence on the campaign trail as the president-elect’s National Faith Chairman. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also being touted for a role focused on healthcare under the banner of Trump’s slogan ‘Make America Healthy Again’.

But it is still unclear in which role he may land.

The HHS Secretary requires Senate confirmation, which could pose complications for RFK Jr. due to his skepticism on vaccinations and other traditional medicines.

But some Democrats might also oppose Carson because he expressed preference for a nationwide ban on abortion after Roe v. Wade was overturned. 

Carson has shown his loyalty by defending Trump throughout his third run for the White House.

He predicted the Republican nominee would see the surge in African-American support that helped propel him to an historic win over Vice President Kamala Harris.

During a storied medical career, he completed the first successful separation of conjoined twins who were attached by the back of the head.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Senior Health Advisor 

Trump rival-turned-endorser Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is all but certain to get a role in the new West Wing, if not the cabinet.

While Kennedy might be a tough sell for confirmation through the Senate – even with a GOP majority – due to his staunch anti-vaccine stance, he is sure to have oversight over some aspect of health policy for Trump.

Kennedy said the weekend before the election that Trump had ‘promised him’ control of the ‘public health agencies.’

‘The key, which President Trump has promised me, is control of the public health agencies, which is HHS and its sub-agencies, CDC, FDA, NIH and a few others,’ RFK Jr. said on a Zoom call with supporters.

One of his first policies, Kennedy said, would be to advise all public water systems in the U.S. to remove fluoride from its water.

At his rallies, Trump has touted Kennedy’s focus on healthy food and said he would let the former independent presidential candidate ‘go wild’ with his oversight. 

Trump ally and former veep candidate Sarah Palin made it quite clear she wants RFK Jr. as HHS secretary, posting a muscle-laden photo of the Kennedy scion on her Instagram story.

Kennedy, a former Democrat, has been touted for various Health-leading roles in the new administration.

RFK Jr. tweeted that, if appointed, he would ‘advise all US water systems to remove fluoride from public water.’

In a post on X, Kennedy, the staunch anti-vaxxer, said: ‘Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.’

White House Press Secretary 

This would be a longshot given his UFC empire, but MAGA fans have been clamoring for Dana White to become the next White House press secretary after he basically commandeered the microphone during Trump’s victory speech and delivered a speech of his own.

White, 55, a longtime friend and ally of Trump, delivered a high-energy speech in the wee hours of Wednesday morning after the election as he joined the president-elect’s family and most trusted advisors on stage to celebrate.

‘This is what happens when the machine comes after you, what you’ve seen over the last several years, this is what it looks like,’ White said, in reference to the hostile coverage Trump’s campaign has received from the mainstream media and Democrats.

He also took the opportunity to call out several YouTubers and podcast stars.

Meanwhile, Trump defense lawyer Alina Habba is perhaps more seriously being considered to be his top spokesperson.

DailyMail.com has learned that Habba, 40, was flying to Palm Beach on Tuesday evening and expected to have a discussion with the president-elect this week about a potential role in his administration. 

She could be asked to join Trump as his White House press secretary, a monstrous job that requires sparring with members of the media daily and being the ‘face’ of the administration. 

Known as the attack dog of his campaign, Habba was often seen at Trump’s rallies urging his supporters to stick it to liberals and vote him in for a second term. 

And Karoline Leavitt, the campaign spokeswoman, is also considered to be another top contender for the prime role. 

Both women have been alongside Trump through every twist and turn in his path. 

Robert Lighthizer – U.S. trade representative 

Lighthizer is set to reprise his role from the first administration as Trump relaunches his trade war with China, according to the Financial Times.

Trump has vowed to impose 10-percent tariffs on imported goods, particularly those from China, to raise tax revenue and help boost American manufacturing. 

Reuters cast doubt on the FT report that Lightizer is coming back as Trump’s trade chief, with sources saying he had not been asked for a return.

But Lighthizer was one of the leading figures during Trump I in imposing hefty tariffs on Chinese imports as well as the renegotiation of NAFTA with Mexico and Canada. 

Who is OUT of the running to be in Trump’s cabinet

Trump announced on Saturday that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley would not be in his cabinet.

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has also ruled himself out and is eyeing a senior role in the new Senate majority. He appears to have the votes locked down to be the next chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the body’s No. 3 role, according to reports.

Missouri GOP Sen. Eric Schmidt, a former state attorney general, is also believed to have pulled himself out of the running for attorney general.

And Trump son Don Jr. confirmed he will not be taking a role in his dad’s White House. Donald Trump Jr.’s next career move is joining a venture capital firm focused on investing in conservative businesses, a source close to the president-elect’s son confirmed to DailyMail.com.

Take a look at some of the other contenders HERE.