Donald Trump has started to fill key posts in his second administration, putting an emphasis so far on aides and allies who were his strongest backers during the 2024 campaign.
The president-elect sent shockwaves through the Republican party on Wednesday night with his announcement that he’ll nominate Matt Gaetz as his Attorney General in a bold test of his unchecked power.
Trump announced his decision just minutes after issuing a statement saying he will nominate Tulsi Gabbard, who infuriated critics with claims about ‘biolabs’ in Ukraine, to be Director of National Intelligence.
He has also chosen military veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth to run the sprawling Defense Department.
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.
DailyMail.com breaks down who the president-elect has picked so far – and who is almost certain to take a spot.
President-election Donald Trump chose controversial Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz (pictured at a Trump rally last month) as his nominee for US Attorney General on Wednesday, bypassing more experienced options in favor of a loyalist who has built a national reputation as a disruptor
President-election Donald Trump chose controversial Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz as his nominee for US Attorney General on Wednesday, bypassing more experienced options in favor of a loyalist who has built a national reputation as a disruptor.
Gaetz is a MAGA Republican firebrand who has taken aim at both GOP House members and Democrats alike as he has remained a close ally of the ex-president.
If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, he would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump’s Cabinet given his avowed loyalty to a president-elect who has threatened to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries.
Gaetz represents much of the Florida Panhandle and became a conservative star when he joined Congress, appearing as a frequent staunch defender of Trump on cable news. He irked fellow GOP members in early 2023 when he filed the resolution that successfully ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy then helped fund a primary challenge to Gaetz that included commercials alleging that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old, an allegation that had been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee – though that probe effectively ended Wednesday when Gaetz resigned from Congress.
Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and called the investigation ‘frivolous’. The Justice Department ended its own sex trafficking investigation without bringing charges against him.
House Republicans first got wind of the nomination during a private meeting and initially thought the news was a joke before realizing Trump had indeed named Gaetz to serve as the nation’s chief law officer.
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (pictured ay a Trump campaign rally in Las Vegas last month) has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields.
Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party’s 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall.
She formally announced that she joined the Republican Party at a campaign rally alongside Trump last month. Gabbard became co-chair of Trump’s transition team after his historic presidential election victory on Nov. 6.
Gabbard has been vocal about her criticism of the ‘weaponization’ of the intelligence community – especially under President Joe Biden’s administration against Trump and his circle.
She claims that Democrats believe the intelligence arms of the US are able to act without oversight and ‘screw’ Americans with whom they disagree.
Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor.
The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions.
John Thune, pictured on Wednesday, has been elected Senate Republican leader to usher in Donald Trump’s ambitious GOP majority in Congress after a private vote Wednesday morning
John Thune has been elected Senate Republican leader to usher in Trump’s ambitious GOP majority in Congress after a private vote Wednesday morning.
Thune, 63, will replace outgoing Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky after the 82-year-old announced he would be stepping down from the leadership role.
He successfully fended off a left-field challenge from Sen. Rick Scott of Florida who had the backing of Trump’s trusted advisor billionaire Elon Musk and other MAGA faithful.
Thune and Trump have had a complicated relationship over the years and many in the president-elect’s orbit didn’t want him in charge of the MAGA agenda.
He called on Trump to exit the 2016 presidential race after the infamous Access Hollywood tape was leaked and was critical of his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
But in recent months, Thune has made his support for Trump known including by becoming one of the first to endorse him during the primary and the two have a better relationship. They reportedly talked on the phone after his victory Wednesday.
Their communication will be critical as Thune will be tasked with leading all of Trump’s Cabinet picks through the Senate confirmation process.
Trump has picked Fox News Channel host Pete Hegseth (pictured left in a photo from his Instagram) to lead the Department of Defense. Trump (right, pictured with Hegseth in the Oval Office during his first presidential term) also reportedly considered him for a post in his first administration
Trump has picked Fox News Channel host Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense. The president-elect also reportedly considered him for a post in his first administration.
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 came just hours after 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.’ Hegseth has lobbied Trump to release service members accused of war crimes.
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
Elon Musk (pictured during a Trump rally last month) spent hours at Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s historic defeat of Kamala Harris and has been acting as the president-elect’s counsel. He has now been tapped for Trump’s new cost- and waste-cutting role along with MAGA ally Vivek Ramaswamy
Elon Musk spent hours at Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s historic defeat of Kamala Harris and has been acting as the president-elect’s counsel.
He has now been tapped for Trump’s new cost- and waste-cutting role along with MAGA ally Vivek Ramaswamy.
At Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally in October, Musk said he would cut $2trillion in spending from the federal budget to save taxpayer funds.
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.
On Tuesday night, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswany (pictured campaigning for Trump at his Madison Square Garden rally last month) was named as the co-chief of the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk
On Tuesday night, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswany 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.
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 UN Ambassador 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.
Trump has picked his campaign manager Susan Wiles as the first female chief of staff in White House history. The pair are pictured together at an election night watch party Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida
Trump has picked his campaign manager Susan 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.
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.
‘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.
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 also 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.
Tom Homan, 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. He is pictured shaking hands with Border Patrol agents after a press conference at Border Field State Park on May 7, 2018 in San Ysidro, California
Tom Homan, 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, (pictured in June this year) 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
Elise 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.
Stefanik has been one of Trump’s closest allies and has been at the forefront of launching investigations into federal government and prosecutorial overreach to go after Trump.
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.
‘I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as US Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,’ Trump said in announcing his choice.
Lee Zeldin – US EPA Administrator
President-elect Donald Trump has selected former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to be his next Environmental Protection Agency administrator. Zeldin is pictured speaking at his midterm election night party in NYC on November 9, 2022
President-elect Donald Trump has selected former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to be his next Environmental Protection Agency administrator.
The Republican congressman 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.’
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.
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, pictured during the Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC in Maryland on Feb. 23, 2024, is the architect of the mass deportation plan and has served as a top immigration adviser since the first Trump administration
Stephen 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 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.
Rep. Mike Waltz – National Security Advisor
Donald Trump has asked Florida Rep. Mike Waltz (pictured outside Trump’s hush money trial in NYC on May 16, 2024) to be his White House National Security Advisor, sources familiar with the decision tell DailyMail.com
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.
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
Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration’s top diplomat. The pair are pictured at a MAGA campaign event on November 4, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina
US Senator Marco Rubio 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.
The Florida lawmaker, 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.
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. Trump and Noem are pictured together during a town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and Fairgrounds in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on October 14, 2024
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 $60billion 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.’
Mike Huckabee – Ambassador to Israel
Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, the president-elect announced Tuesday. Huckabee is pictured at a campaign event with Trump in Pennsylvania on Oct. 29, 2024
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.
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.
He favors home-spun language, and frequently turns up on Fox News ads selling products including sleep aids.
President-elect Donald Trump announced that his former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe (pictured in 2020) is his choice to lead the CIA – citing his credentials battling the ‘fake Russian collusion’ narrative
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 US 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. He is pictured speaking before Trump at a faith event at the Concord Convention Center, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Concord, NC
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.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Senior Health Advisor
Trump rival-turned-endorser Robert F. Kennedy Jr., pictured at a MAGA rally on November 1, is all but certain to get a role in the new West Wing – if not the cabinet
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 US 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.
Kennedy, a former Democrat, has been touted for various Health-leading roles in the new administration.
William McGinley – White House Counsel
William ‘Bill’ McGinley (pictured) was named as Trump’s White House counsel on Tuesday
William ‘Bill’ McGinley was named as Trump’s White House counsel on Tuesday.
McGinley is a veteran Republican lawyer who served as Trump’s Cabinet secretary during his first administration.
During the 2024 election, he worked as the Republican National Committee’s ‘outside counsel’ for ‘election integrity’.
McGinley’s former roles, both in politics and the legal profession, bring a host of useful connections: in DC, he made partner at two of the city’s top firms, and served as a lawyer for the Republican Party for years.
‘Bill is a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement,’ Trump said in a statement.
‘Bill has served as General Counsel at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has been a partner at two international law firms, and will work with me as we Make America Great Again!’
Steven Witkoff – Special Envoy to Middle East
Trump named real estate investor Steven Witkoff, pictured speaking at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally in October, as his special envoy to the Middle East on Tuesday
Trump named real estate investor Steven Witkoff as his special envoy to the Middle East on Tuesday.
Witkoff, a friend and golfing partner of the president-elect, fills a new role having made a foray into politics this January as co-chair of Trump’s inauguration.
He went on to speak at the Republican National Convention in July, and was with Trump when a suspected assassin entered the Trump International Golf Club in September.
Witkoff owns a large property portfolio in New York and other US cities and was a donor for Trump’s campaign before his appointment.
He has no experience in diplomacy or the Middle East.
It is unclear what the role of Middle East special envoy will cover under Trump. Witkoff is Jewish and was described as a ‘pro-Israel donor’ by the Jerusalem Post.
Robert Lighthizer – US trade representative
Robert Lighthizer, pictured in June 2020, is set to reprise his role from the first administration as Trump relaunches his trade war with China
Robert 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.
Trump has told aides he wants him to be a czar, which, the Wall Street Journal reported, would likely give Lighthizer oversight of trade policy across the administration, including at the Commerce Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
The position would not require Senate confirmation.
Dan Scavino – Deputy Chief of Staff
Dan Scavino, pictured at a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena on November 5 in Michigan, will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president
Dan Scavino, whom Trump’s transition referred to in a statement as one of ‘Trump’s longest serving and most trusted aides,’ was a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president.
Scavino had run Trump’s social media profile in the White House during his first administration.
He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Stephen Miller, pictured in February this year, will serve as a key West Wing staffer. His titles are Assistant to the President, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor
The so-called architect of Trump’s mass deportation plan for the new administration and of the immigration clampdowns in Trump I, Stephen Miller will serve as a key West Wing staffer.
His titles are Assistant to the President, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor.
Miller has previously said that a second Trump administration would see a ten-fold increase in the number of migrants deported.
In a September post on X responding to Mark Cuban, Miller floated some of the immigration policies that Trump’s team wants to implement once the president-elect is sworn in come January.
Miller promised then that there will be a 100 percent ‘perfect’ deportation rate under Trump.
‘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.
Other West Wing appointments
JAMES BLAIR – Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs.
Blair was the Trump 2024 political director and then became political director for the Republican National Committee after the former president became the party’s nominee.
He previously worked on Trump’s 2020 campaign in Florida and was a top aide for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
TAYLOR BUDOWICH – Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel
Budowich was CEO of the pro-Trump Super PAC, Maga Inc. before he began working as a campaign staffer.
After Trump left office, Budowich served as his spokesman while working for Trump’s political action committee, Save America.
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.
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