Who has Donald Trump picked to serve in his cabinet and other top roles?

Donald Trump has reclaimed the White House after a divisive campaign marked by harsh rhetoric, two assassination attempts and a last-minute challenge from Kamala Harris, who replaced President Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket in July. Mr Trump has been nominating senior figures to his cabinet and administration to join his vice president-elect JD Vance . All picks for cabinet roles have to be confirmed by the Senate. There has been backlash over some nominations and Mr Trump's pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz , withdrew his name from consideration after meeting senators on Capitol Hill. The National looks at who he has chosen so far and who might be picked. Marco Rubio , secretary of state Mr Rubio, a US Senator from Florida and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, has been nominated for the powerful post of secretary of state. He was listed as a possible running mate for Mr Trump this year and has served on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and as the senior Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Mr Rubio’s staunch support for Israel has been a defining feature of his political career. He has consistently backed military and economic aid to the country while endorsing policies that address Israel’s security concerns. He has also advocated fostering strong ties with Gulf nations, viewing relationships with those countries as essential for regional stability and efforts to counter the influence of Iran. Elise Stefanik , ambassador to the UN Ms Stefanik, a fierce advocate for Israel, is a congresswoman from New York and chairwoman of the House of Representative's Republican Conference, which whips the party's message to members. Elected to Congress in 2014, Ms Stefanik was initially a moderate conservative but has shifted to the right over time and now aligns closely with Mr Trump's wing of the Republican Party. Throughout the Gaza war, Ms Stefanik has intensified criticism of the UN, accusing it of “entrenched anti-Semitic bias” for condemning Israel’s air strikes and ground assaults in the enclave. Pete Hegseth , secretary of defence Fox News host Mr Hegseth has been tapped to be secretary of defence, an unexpected move that would place a television presenter in charge of America's vast military with an annual budget approaching $1 trillion. Mr Hegseth, 44, is a US Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He won two Bronze Stars for his tours overseas and has railed against what conservatives decry as a “woke” Pentagon that they say is more concerned about attracting diverse recruits than it is on fighting wars. Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence Ms Gabbard, the first Samoan-American to serve in Congress, has represented the state of Hawaii as a Democrat from 2013-2022. She left the party to join the Republicans that year. Ms Gabbard is a combat veteran who was sent three times to the Middle East and Africa. “Tulsi has fought for our country and the freedoms of all Americans,” Mr Trump said as he announced her nomination. John Ratcliffe, CIA director Mr Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence for the final months of Mr Trump’s first term, leading American spy agencies during the Covid-19 pandemic and as the US government contended with foreign efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election. He was elected to Congress in 2014, but his visibility rose in 2019 as a defender of Trump during the House’s first impeachment proceedings against him. Scott Bessent, secretary of the treasury Mr Bessent runs macro hedge fund Key Square Group and served as a key economic adviser to Mr Trump during the campaign, promoting his agenda and crafting policy speeches. “Scott is widely respected as one of the world’s foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists,” Mr Trump said. If confirmed, Mr Bessent will assume the role of the nation’s highest-ranking economic policymaker, and will spearhead Mr Trump’s bid to extend many of his 2017 tax cuts beyond their expiration next year. Russell Thurlow Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget Mr Vought served in the position during Mr Trump's first term until President Joe Biden took office. “We cut four regulations for every new regulation, and it was a great success,” Mr Trump said. After leaving the OMB in 2021, Mr Vought founded the Centre for Renewing America, which is focused on combating critical race theory . He is also involved with Project 2025 , the blueprint by the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank for a Republican administration. As director of the OMB, Mr Vought will be tasked with assisting the president in meeting policy, budget, management and regulatory objectives. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, secretary of labour Ms Chavez-DeRemer is a Republican congresswoman from Oregon. Her nomination was backed by the Teamsters Union. She is a businesswoman and founded an anaesthesia management company with her husband. “Lori’s strong support from both the business and labour communities will ensure that the Labour Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds behind our agenda for unprecedented national success – making America richer, wealthier, stronger and more prosperous than ever before!” Mr Trump said in his announcement. Scott Turner, secretary of housing and urban development Mr Turner is a businessman, motivational speaker and former professional American football player who previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalisation Council. He is a former Texas state legislator. “Scott will work alongside me to Make America Great Again for EVERY American,” Mr Trump said in a statement. Linda McMahon, secretary of education Billionaire professional wrestling mogul Ms McMahon served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Mr Trump’s first term. She served from 2017-2019, afterwards becoming chairwoman of pro-Trump super Pac America First Action. “Linda will use her decades of leadership experience, and deep understanding of both education and business, to empower the next generation of American students and workers, and make America number one in education in the world,” Mr Trump said. Susie Wiles , chief of staff Ms Wiles is joining the White House after serving as campaign manager for Mr Trump. She will become the first female chief of staff in White House history. Ms Wiles was a senior adviser on Mr Trump's 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, and a political operative in Florida for decades. Pam Bondi, attorney general Ms Bondi is a lawyer, lobbyist and politician who was the attorney general for the state of Florida from 2011 to 2019. She is a long-time ally of Mr Trump and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial. She supported his claims of widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election. “Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on violent criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida families,” Mr Trump said in the announcement. Her nomination comes after Mr Gaetz announced he was withdrawing his name from consideration. Robert F Kennedy , Jr, secretary of health and human services Mr Kennedy, long dismissed as an anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist by the Democrats, will now be invited into a Trump administration leading on health efforts. Mr Trump said Mr Kennedy will “restore these agencies to the traditions of gold standard scientific research, and beacons of transparency, to end the chronic disease epidemic, and to make America great and healthy again”. Mr Kennedy has said he wants to ban fluoride – long credited with saving children from dental cavities – from drinking water and Mr Trump has seemed receptive to his idea of increased scrutiny of vaccines. Kristi Noem , secretary of homeland security Once seen as a potential running mate for Mr Trump, Ms Noem is currently serving her second four-year term as South Dakota's Governor. The Covid-19 pandemic allowed for her rise to national prominence when she refused to impose a statewide mask mandate. Ms Noem has expressed strong support for Mr Trump's immigration policies and has defended other Republican governors in their efforts to crack down on migrants in their states. Mr Trump said that she will be assisted by Tom Homan, whom he has named as “border tsar”, in the push to secure the southern border. Doug Burgum, secretary of interior and chairman of National Energy Council The two-term North Dakota governor is one of the wealthiest state leaders in the country, with a net worth of $100 million, according to Forbes . He ran an unsuccessful primary campaign before endorsing Mr Trump this year, and the two have reportedly developed a strong political and personal relationship. As interior secretary, he will oversee the management and conservation of federal lands and natural resources, as well as administer programmes relating to Native Americans. Mr Burgum has also been named chairman of the newly formed National Energy Council. Sean Duffy, secretary of transport Mr Duffy is a former congressman from Wisconsin who Mr Trump described as “a respected voice and communicator in the Republican Conference, advocating for fiscal responsibility, economic growth and rural development”. He first gained fame as a cast member on The Real World: Boston and two subsequent spin-offs before becoming a district attorney. He left politics in 2019 due to family issues. Doug Collins, secretary for veterans affairs Mr Collins is a former congressman for the state of Georgia and a veteran of the Iraq war. He is a chaplain with the US Air Force Reserve and previously served in the navy. While in Congress, Mr Collins was a staunch defender of Mr Trump during his Ukraine impeachment inquiry. “We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our active duty service members, veterans and military families to ensure they have the support they need,” Mr Trump said in a statement. Howard Lutnick , secretary of commerce The president-elect has nominated the long-time Wall Street chief executive to oversee US businesses relations, economic growth, job creation and trade. Mr Lutnick “will lead our tariff and trade agenda”, Mr Trump wrote in his statement, further cementing aims to add tariffs on Chinese goods and all other international goods entering the US. Mr Lutnick has been the head of the broker and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, and recently a cryptocurrency enthusiast. He also holds a formal role in the Trump transition. Chris Wright, secretary of energy Mr Trump said he nominated Mr Wright as his secretary of energy, as well as a member of a “newly formed” Council of National Energy, which his Interior nominee Mr Burgum will lead. Mr Wright is known as a major Republican fund-raiser who is a chief executive of an oilfield services firm based in Colorado. He is known as a defender of fossil fuel use and made public claims that “there is no climate crisis”. The president-elect said that Mr Wright “will be a key leader, driving innovation, cutting red tape”. Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Mr Zeldin is a former member of Congress and a long-time supporter of Mr Trump. It is unknown if he has any experience in environmental issues. The president-elect said Mr Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet”. Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counter-terrorism Mr Gorka served in the first Trump administration as counter-terrorism adviser but was pushed out after seven months. Mr Trump described him as a “tireless advocate for the America First Agenda and the Maga movement”. The Hungarian-American official is currently a political commentator, appearing frequently on conservative news networks. He strongly backed Mr Trump's so-called Muslim ban in 2017 and critics have described him as Islamophobic. Matthew Whitaker , ambassador to Nato Mr Whitaker served in Mr Trump's first administration as acting attorney general following the resignation of Jeff Sessions. He also served as the US attorney for the Southern District of Iowa during the George W Bush and Barack Obama administrations. Mr Trump described Mr Whitaker as “a strong warrior and loyal patriot, who will ensure the United States' interests are advanced and defended”, adding that Mr Whitaker would “strengthen relationships with our Nato allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to peace and stability”. Mr Whitaker is likely to face a host of challenges as ambassador to Nato as the Russia-Ukraine war continues. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, heads of the Department of Government Efficiency The two businessmen will be tasked with cutting government waste. Tesla head Mr Musk became a crucial ally to Mr Trump during his campaign, reportedly spending more than $100 million to help the Republican win and repeatedly boosting Mr Trump's candidacy on X, which he owns. Mr Ramaswamy is a former Republican presidential candidate who threw his support behind Mr Trump after ending his campaign. Mr Trump said the department would “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies”. Mike Huckabee , ambassador to Israel A former governor of Arkansas and devout Christian, Mr Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his nomination comes as Mr Trump has promised to align US foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Mr Trump said Mr Huckabee, an Evangelical Christian, will work “tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East”. Speaking to NewsNation in June, Mr Huckabee said there can be no negotiating with Hamas, which the US and other countries have designated a terrorist group. Steven Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East Mr Trump described Mr Witkoff as “a highly respected leader in business and philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous”. He added that Mr Witkoff “will be an unrelenting voice for peace”. Mr Trump made bringing peace to the Middle East a major focus of his campaign. Mr Witkoff is a real estate investor and Trump campaign donor. He is not known to have any diplomatic experience or experience in the Middle East. Mike Waltz, national security adviser Mr Waltz served in the US Army as a Green Beret, deploying to Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa, before being elected to Congress representing the state of Florida in 2019. He previously served in the George W Bush White House and at the Pentagon. Mr Trump described him as “an expert on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran and global terrorism”. He will have to help Mr Trump navigate a troubled geopolitical landscape, with wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan. Brendan Carr, head of the Federal Communications Commission Mr Trump described Mr Carr as a “warrior for free speech”. He was already the senior Republican on the FCC, which regulates licences for TV and radio, pricing of home internet, and other communications matters. Writing on X, Mr Carr said he would work to “dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans”. Mr Carr wrote the FCC chapter in Project 2025. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary Mr Trump announced that the 27-year-old press secretary for the Trump campaign will be his spokeswoman in the James S Brady briefing room, saying that he has the “utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American people”. She also worked as assistant press secretary during Mr Trump's first presidency and is a former White House intern. Mehmet Oz , head of Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services The medical TV host has been appointed to lead the federal agency that provides health coverage for 150 million people. Mr Trump says there is “no physician more qualified and capable” than Dr Oz, a Turkish-American cardiac surgeon. The president-elect said Dr Oz will work closely with Mr Kennedy, as the agency falls under the Health and Human Services Department.

Who has Donald Trump picked to serve in his cabinet and other top roles?

President-elect has been nominating senior figures to his administration