President-elect Donald Trump has moved quickly to name loyal aides and allies to key posts in his new administration, as the transition to a second Trump term begins.
Here’s a running list of who he’s inviting to join him in the White House:
Susie Wiles, White House Chief Of Staff
Wiles, the manager of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, is expected to become the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff when Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Wiles is a longtime Washington confidant and worked on the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. She has largely avoided the spotlight, but has been a long-standing figure in Trump’s inner circle, a rarity for the president-elect.
“Susie is tough, smart, innovative and is universally admired and respected,” Trump said last week. “I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”
Trump calls Wiles the “ice maiden.”
Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief Of Staff For Policy
Miller has been by Trump’s side since the president-elect’s first bid for office and has long been considered one of his most influential aides. He’s an architect of Trump’s immigration policies and said on the campaign trail that he would “send the illegals back home.”
So far, Miller has spoken the most about the next administration’s plans to unleash a massive deportation program targeting the nation’s undocumented immigrants. He said in September the plan would be “an undertaking that would be greater than any national infrastructure project we’ve done to date.”
Three more loyalists have also been handed a deputy chief of staff role. Dan Scavino, one of Trump’s most trusted aides, will return to the White House as an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff. James Blair will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs. Taylor Budowich has been named as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel.
Sen. Marco Rubio, Secretary Of State
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a key campaign surrogate for the former president, will be nominated as the next secretary of state. In the role, the lawmaker would be responsible for handling the complicated task of guiding the U.S. through twin international crises: the widening war between Israel and Hamas and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, Ambassador To The United Nations
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) is a loyal ally to the president-elect and serves as the House Republican Conference chair. But she has little foreign policy experience, presenting concerns about Trump’s decision to nominate her for a role facing off against the ambassadors of antagonistic nations like Russia and China.
She would succeed U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a career diplomat and former assistant secretary of state for Africa.
Tom Homan, ‘Border Czar’
Trump tapped Tom Homan, a former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to be his “border czar” and enact his sweeping plans to tackle undocumented immigration. The president-elect said Homan would be in charge “of all deportation of illegal aliens back to their country of origin.”
Homan recently told Democratic governors planning to obstruct those efforts to “get the hell out of the way,” warning of unnamed consequences if they don’t.
Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator
Trump announced he will nominate former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) to serve as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, saying the onetime House member would work to pass “fair and swift deregulatory decisions.” Zeldin does not seem to have much experience with environmental issues.
The former lawmaker has promised to deliver on Trump’s key campaign pledges, including the restoration of “U.S. energy dominance” and the American auto industry.
Rep. Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, has reportedly been asked to be Trump’s national security adviser. He is considered a hawk on China and urged the U.S. to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Waltz has been a member of several House committees related to national security.
Gov. Kristi Noem, Department Of Homeland Security
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has been nominated to serve as Trump’s secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, a role that will put her in close proximity to Stephen Miller and Tom Homan, both of whom are eager to orchestrate Trump’s mass deportation scheme.
Noem was rumored to be in the running for Trump’s vice presidential pick until the release of her 2024 memoir, “No Going Back,” tanked her political standing. The book featured numerous questionable anecdotes about world leaders, including a falsehood about having once stared down North Korean despot Kim Jong Un. Noem also bragged about killing her puppy.
All nine of South Dakota’s indigenous tribes have banned Noem from entering their land — equivalent to roughly 20% of the state — after she baselessly began accusing tribal leaders of cooperating with Mexican drug cartels.
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Ambassador To Israel
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is Trump’s pick to serve as ambassador to Israel, a pick with heightened importance given Israel’s assault on Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon since Hamas’ October 2023 terror attacks on Israel.
“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be The United States Ambassador to Israel,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him.”
In June, Huckabee criticized the Biden administration’s efforts to broker a cease-fire in the region.
“This is like trying to negotiate with the Nazis in World War II. You just don’t,” he told NewsNation. “You beat them. You defeat them. You eradicate them.”
Huckabee’s daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the current governor of Arkansas, served as Trump’s White House press secretary from 2017-2019 and acknowledged under oath that she had lied to the press during her tenure.
Former Rep. John Ratcliffe, CIA Director
Trump will nominate Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s final year of his first term, to lead the CIA. Ratcliffe served as a congressman from Texas and was a fierce supporter of Trump’s agenda while in Congress.
Trump called him a “warrior for truth and honesty with the American public” on Tuesday.
William McGinley, White House Counsel
McGinley will serve as White House counsel after originally working as White House Cabinet secretary from 2017 to 2019 during Trump’s first term.
“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 wrote.
Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy To The Middle East
Witkoff, a campaign donor and friend of Trump’s, will serve as a special envoy to the Middle East. He has no government or diplomatic experience.
The real estate developer testified on behalf of the president-elect during his civil fraud trial in New York and has also spoken of their relationship on the campaign trail.
“Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE,” Trump declared.
Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary
Trump named the “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host as his pick for secretary of defense. Hegseth, a 44-year-old veteran, served in the Army National Guard in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense,” Trump said in a statement. “Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First.”
“Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy,” Trump continued.
According to Hegseth’s website, the Fox News host received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University. Hegseth once made a spectacle on-air during an episode of “Fox & Friends” by taking out his Harvard degree, crossing out the university name with a Sharpie and replacing it with “critical theory.” Then he wrote over the degree in large letters: “Return to sender.”
In his 2020 book, “American Crusade,” Hegseth vowed to return his degree to Harvard because, as he wrote, “I can no longer support your leftist cause.”
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, ‘Department of Government Efficiency’
Billionaire Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy are to front a proposed government entity called the Department of Government Efficiency, or what has been nicknamed DOGE.
But it is not an official agency and won’t have the same powers or responsibilities as other government departments. New departments can’t be formed without an act of Congress.
Nonetheless, Trump has high hopes for its cost-cutting mission. “Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,” Trump said in a statement.
Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Director Of National Intelligence
Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence. Announcing his nominee, the president-elect called the former Democrat a “proud Republican.”
“For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans,” Trump said of Gabbard, a former Army National Guard member and current Army Reserve officer.
“I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!” Trump said in his announcement.
Gabbard endorsed Trump for president in August despite calling him “unfit” for office just five years prior. Last month, with Trump at her side, she announced she was officially leaving the Democratic Party.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, Attorney General
In the biggest shock of the bunch, Trump said he wants to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to be attorney general. This is despite Gaetz being under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for his alleged involvement in sex trafficking. He denies the allegations.
“Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” Trump said.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health And Human Services Secretary
Trump tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, giving the prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and several other public health agencies.
“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump said in his announcement.
Kennedy has also advocated for the end of fluoridation of U.S. drinking water supplies, citing bunk claims about its risks. Experts say fluoride saves Americans billions of dollars in dental bills every year as it helps prevent tooth decay.
Trump has suggested he’ll allow Kennedy to conduct a major overhaul of American health guidelines.
“I’m going to let him go wild on health. I’m going to let him go wild on the food. I’m going to let him go wild on the medicines,” Trump said at a campaign rally last month.
Doug Collins, Veterans Affairs Secretary
Former Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia is Trump’s nominee to run the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Doug is a Veteran himself, who currently serves our Nation as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command, and fought for our Country in the Iraq War,” Trump said in his announcement, adding that Collins “will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families.”
Collins denied that Trump lost the 2020 election and has been a fierce ally of the president-elect.
D. John Sauer, Solicitor General
D. John Sauer is Trump’s choice to be U.S. solicitor general, a position tasked with supervising and conducting government litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sauer, who served as Missouri’s solicitor general from 2017 to 2023, was part of Trump’s legal team in his successful Supreme Court appeal that led to a ruling asserting presidential immunity to various criminal charges.
In 2015, Sauer represented a priest accused of sexually abusing children and helped the priest sue his accusers.
Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General
Trump has picked Todd Blanche, a former supervising federal prosecutor in Manhattan, to be his deputy attorney general.
Blanche was Trump’s lead lawyer in his hush-money payments trial earlier this year, which resulted in Trump being found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Emil Bove, Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General
Emil Bove, another lawyer who helped defend Trump in his hush-money case, is the president-elect’s choice for principal associate deputy attorney general. Not much else is publicly known about him.