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

Donald Trump's second term as president is being shaped by the loyal allies who stood by him during his four years outside 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. A slew of potential appointees have emerged for top Cabinet or West Wing roles and a handful of contenders for other vital positions have emerged.

Those include Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-heads of the 'Department of Government Efficiency', and John Ratcliffe as Director of the CIA.

But the president-elect sent shockwaves through the Republican Party with his announcement that he'll nominate now former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as his Attorney General in a bold - and ultimately failed - test of his unchecked power. 

Gaetz was forced to withdraw on Nov. 21 amid an alleged underage sex scandal and hours later Trump tapped former Florida AG Pam Bondi as his new pick.

He has also nominated former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who infuriated critics with claims about 'biolabs' in Ukraine, to be Director of National Intelligence. 

And his choice of military veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth to run the sprawling Defense Department, despite little experience managing anything of that scale and complexity, has come under fire as well, heightened by allegations of a past sex assault.

Perhaps the biggest bombshell came with his announcement of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be secretary of Health & Human Services, rather than as a non-cabinet health czar. 

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

Pam Bondi - U.S. Attorney General

Donald Trump moved quickly to find a new candidate for attorney general on Thursday, announcing the former Florida A.G. Pam Bondi as his pick to head the nation's legal system.

Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration earlier in the day when it became clear that a lingering scandal meant he did not have the votes to be confirmed in the Senate.

'Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on violent criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families,' Trump posted on Truth Social as he made the announcement. 

'Then, as Florida's first female attorney general, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs, and reduce the tragedy of fentanyl overdose deaths, which have destroyed many families across our country.'

Trump has made clear that he wants a disruptor in the role, someone who will overhaul the Department of Justice and help push through his agenda from day one. 

That should have been Gaetz, a combative congressman from Florida. But he withdrew after eight turbulent days in the spotlight.

He had been investigated by the Department of Justice making him a shock choice to lead it. And a drip, drip, drip of headlines about a sex scandal showed no sign of letting up. 

'While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,' he said in announcing his withdrawal, a day after meeting with senators in an effort to win them over.

He withdrew after a bleak call with Trump, in which the president-elect made clear that the maths were not on his side. 

It was the biggest setback so far to Trump since winning reelection on Nov. 5, as he tries to avoid the chaos of his first administration. 

Bondi, 59, is another Trump loyalist with a combative streak. 

In 2013, she achieved notoriety by persuading the then state governor to delay an execution so that she could hold a campaign fundraiser.

She was part of Trump's legal team during his first impeachment and served on his Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission.

And she backed Trump's claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - Health & Human Services

Trump rival-turned-endorser Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been named as Trump's pick to for Secretary of Health & Human Services.

That cabinet-level HHS announcement immediately sent shockwaves through the public health sector - as Kennedy is a prominent anti-vaxxer and has pushed conspiracy theories about a number of health-related topics.

While Kennedy might be a tough sell for confirmation through the Senate due to his staunch anti-vaccine stance, a slew of potential tough sells have emerged over the past few days - like Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Heckseth and Matt Gaetz - that might make him hard to turn down for the Republican-controlled new Senate.

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 - RFK Jr. recently took a shot at the president-elect's propensity for fast food like McDonald's - 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 who is the son of the late U.S. attorney general and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, who were both assassinated in the 1960s, 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.'

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya - National Institutes of Health

Trump tapped Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford doctor silenced for challenging Biden administration lockdown policies, to run the National Institutes of Health.

Trump says that Bhattacharya will work with Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while running the country's top public funder of medical research with a budget of some $47.3 billion.

The president-elect said in a statement: 'Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to a Gold Standard of Medical Research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America's biggest Health challenges, including our Crisis of Chronic Illness and Disease. Together, they will work hard to Make America Healthy Again!'

Bhattacharya was an outspoken critic of the U.S. government's COVID-19 policies during the pandemic.

The physician and economist met with Kennedy this week and impressed him with his ideas to overhaul NIH.

Bhattacharya has called for shifting the agency's focus toward funding more innovative research and reducing the influence of some of its longest-serving career officials, the report added.

Along with two other academics, he published the Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020.

Trump cited the Great Barrington Declaration among the doctor's credentials for getting the job.

The Great Barrington Declaration called for ‘focused protection,’ an idea that would mean the bulk of efforts to increase immunity would be centered on the most vulnerable groups – the elderly and the immunocompromised – with few restrictions on the general healthy population.

Without those restrictions, more people would develop Covid that would confer antibodies against infection, producing herd immunity.

As more and more people become infected and later immune for a period of time, the virus has fewer opportunities to spread and infect vulnerable people.

But the idea was slammed by many mainstream scientists, including those like Anthony Fauci and NIH Director Frances Collins, who worked in the Biden administration. Many criticized the idea as dangerous and would lead to many preventable deaths.

Bhattacharya sued the government afterward, alleging that it pressured social media platforms to censor his opinions.

In 2023, a federal court ruled that the Biden Administration coerced social media sites to censor him and his co-authors.

Dr Oz - Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 

Trump has picked TV personality and former Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz as his nominee to lead the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The President-elect says Oz, aged 64, will work closely with Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the 'industrial illness complex'.

Oz lost his Pennsylvania Senate race in 2022 to John Fetterman after beating the now US-Senator-elect David McCormick in the Republican primary.

Prior to running for the Senate, Oz hosted the Dr. Oz Show and was a frequent guest on Oprah Winfrey’s show. His syndicated talk show won nine Daytime Emmy Awards and featured segments on health, wellness and gave viewers advice on medicine.

'Our broken Healthcare System harms everyday Americans, and crushes our Country’s budget,' said Trump. 

Oz would serve directly under Kennedy, who Trump has chosen to lead the Health and Human Services department.

'He is an eminent Physician, Heart Surgeon, Inventor, and World-Class Communicator, who has been at the forefront of healthy living for decades,' Trump said in a statement announcing his nomination.

'Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivizing Disease Prevention, so we get the best results in the World for every dollar we spend on Healthcare in our Great Country. 

'He will also cut waste and fraud within our Country’s most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation’s Healthcare spend, and a quarter of our entire National Budget.' 

'I have known Dr. Oz for many years, and I am confident he will fight to ensure everyone in America receives the best possible Healthcare, so our Country can be Great and Healthy Again!'

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administers the Medicare program and also is in charge of other services like inspecting nursing homes.

In all, the agency overseas coverage for one in every two Americans - that alongside Medicare includes Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and Obamacare.

He will take over from President Joe Biden's nominee Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.

Martin Makary - Food and Drug Administration

Martin Makary has been chosen by Trump to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns.

During the pandemic he routinely appeared on Fox News and wrote opinion articles questioning mask for children.

He cast doubt on mandates but supported vaccines generally. And he also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine.

He authored a book: 'Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health.'

Makary has declared the U.S. health system 'broken' and in need of a shakeup.

In his books and articles, Makary has decried the overprescribing of drugs, the use of pesticides on foods and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators.

Trump announced the nomination in a statement Friday night, saying Makary 'will restore FDA to the gold standard of scientific research, and cut the bureaucratic red tape at the agency to make sure Americans get the medical cures and treatments they deserve.'

Headquartered in the Maryland suburbs outside Washington, the 18,000 employees of the FDA are responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and medical devices as well as a swath of other consumer goods, including food, cosmetics and vaping products.

Makary gained prominence on Fox News and other conservative outlets for his contrarian views during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He questioned the need for masking and, though not opposed to the COVID-19 vaccine, had concerns about vaccinations in young children.

Janette Nesheiwat - Surgeon General

Trump named Janette Nesheiwat, a former Fox News contributor and medical doctor in New York and New Jersey, as his nominee for surgeon general in his second administration.

'I am proud to announce that Dr. Janette Nesheiwat will be the Nation's Doctor as the United States Surgeon General. Dr. Nesheiwat is a double board-certified Medical Doctor with an unwavering commitment to saving and treating thousands of American lives,' Trump said in a press release

Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. 

She's a former contributor on Fox News.

Dr. Dave Weldon - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director

Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Republican congressman from Florida, has been chosen to take over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a sweeping agency with a $17.3 billion budget used as a public health model around the world.

Weldon recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed the other candidate to win.

He also spent many years as a Florida congressman and weighed in on one of the nation's most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die.

The case concerned whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after suffering a cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed.

Pete Hegseth - Secretary of Defense

The military-tattooed 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.

John Phelan - Secretary of the Navy

John Phelan, a Republican mega donor and fine art collector, has been nominated by Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of the Navy despite having no prior military experience.

Democrats may seize on this in confirmation hearings, as a military background is common among those who serve the high-level post but it's clear Trump likes Phelan's experience in the private equity game.

'John will be a tremendous force for our Naval Servicemembers, and a steadfast leader in advancing my America First vision. He will put the business of the U.S. Navy above all else,' the president-elect said in a statement.

Phelan co-founded MSD Capital, the private investment firm for Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies.

He also is the found and chairman of Florida-based private investment firm Rugger Management LLC.

'His Record of Success speaks for itself – A true Champion of American Enterprise and Ingenuity. John's intelligence and leadership are unmatched.'

Phelan and his wife Amy - who own a $38 million estate in Aspen, Colorado - spend much of their money collecting art pieces, as they own several pieces by Picasso, Andy Warhol, Basquiat and many other classic and modern artists, according to The Art Newspaper.

The family have also been steadfast backers of Trump: Phelan gave $834,600 in April to Trump's joint fundraising committee, according to FEC filings.

'John's intelligence and leadership are unmatched,' Trump said. 'John holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and is a truly brilliant guy! His incredible knowledge and experience will elevate the lives of the brave Americans who serve our Nation.'

It's unclear what Phelan's plans are for the Navy, which is currently run by Carlos Del Toro, a retired Navy officer, under Joe Biden.

It is believed two more traditional Trump loyalist - including Congressman and former medical adviser Dr. Ronny Jackson and departing Rep. Mike Garcia of California - were the other candidates for the job.

Tulsi Gabbard - Director of National Intelligence

Donald Trump has nominated former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard to be his Director of National Intelligence.

The former Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, who served Hawaii in the House of Representatives, was tapped for the senior national security role after becoming a Trump ally - and officially switching from Democrat to Republican down the campaign stretch.

The 43-year-old formally announced that she joined the Republican Party at a campaign rally alongside Trump last month.

She 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 U.S. are able to act without oversight and 'screw' Americans with whom they disagree.

Gen. Keith Kellogg - Special Envoy to Ukraine & Russia

President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he was nominating Gen. Keith Kellogg as special envoy to Ukraine and Russia.

Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been a key adviser to Trump, was Vice President Mike Pence's national security adviser during the previous administration.

Trump announced the appointment on his Truth Social platform.  

'He was with me right from the beginning!' he wrote, using his unique brand of capitalization to make the point.

'Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!'

Kellogg will take up his role as the Russian war in Ukraine marks its third anniversary next year.

He has been an outspoken critic of the billions of dollars in arms and ammunition sent by the Biden administration to Ukraine.

And last week he warned that the conflict could spiral out of control after President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russian territory.

'I don't think World War III has begun, but we're right on the precipice,' he told Fox News.

The president elect has repeatedly claimed to be able to end the war in 24 hours, triggering speculation that he is planning to press Ukraine to negotiate with Russia, giving up land that Moscow now occupies. 

Todd Blanche - Deputy Attorney General 

Trump chose his personal lawyer Todd Blanche, who represented him over the past year and a half in the criminal Stormy Daniels hush-money trial in Manhattan, to be deputy attorney general. 

Blanche would need to be confirmed by the Senate before helping Bondi run the department.

That could set up a battle in the Senate given that the Justice Department is expected to be run independently of a president's desires.

Trump also appointed another member of his defense team, Emil Bove, to serve as principal associate deputy attorney general.

Prior to the Trump case, Bove was the co-chief of the national security unit at the US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.

In a statement to CNN when he was hired, Blanche called Bove 'an expert in white collar and CIPA-related litigation'.

Elon Musk - Dept. of Government Efficiency

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 has been tapped for this cost- and waste-cutting role along with Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy.

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 - Dept. of Government Efficiency 

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.

Russell Vought - Office of Management and Budget

Trump has tapped Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget, the same position he held during Trump’s first presidency. 

Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that the GOP nominee tried to distance himself from during the campaign.

Trump said Vought 'knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State and end Weaponized Government.'

He is expected to work in coordination with Musk and Ramaswmy's DOGE.

The role prepares a president’s proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration’s agenda across agencies.

The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power, the Associated Press reported.

“The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. 

The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.”

Vought, the president-elect said, 'knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State' and would help 'restore fiscal sanity.'

In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s 'War Room' podcast, AP reported, Vought relished the potential tension: 'We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.'

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 - Secretary of Homeland Security

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.

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.

Sebastian Gorka - Senior Director for Counterterrorism

Sebastian Gorka has been nominated to serve as Donald Trump's senior director for counterterrorism. 

The announcement was made by the president-elect on Nov. 22, saying he had more than 30 years of national security experience.

Gorka, 54, is a conservative commentator who spent less than a year in Trump's first White House term.

'Since 2015, Dr. Gorka has been a tireless advocate for the America First Agenda and the MAGA Movement,' the president-elect wrote.

'Dr. Gorka is a legal immigrant to the United States, with more than 30 years of National Security experience,' Trump added.

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.'

Lori Chavez-DeRener - Secretary of Labor

Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer has been tapped for the role of Labor Secretary.

Trump said Chavez-DeRemer has worked 'tirelessly' with business and labor to build the U.S. workforce and support Americans.

'I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand training and apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our Manufacturing jobs,' Trump said in a statement.

Chavez-DeRemer, who was elected to Congress in 2022, lost her seat to Democrat Janelle Bynum earlier this month so her nomination comes as a big consolation prize.

As secretary, Chavez-DeRemer would oversee the Labor Department's workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers' wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer's rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities.

Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the 'Protecting the Right to Organize' or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers´ rights.

The act would also weaken 'right-to-work' laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in unions and paying dues.

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.' 

Howard Lutnick - Commerce Secretary

Trump tapped Howard Lutnick, the CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, who is the co-chair of his transition team, to be secretary of the Department of Commerce.

Lutnick, who has donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past, once appeared on Trump’s NBC reality show, 'The Apprentice,' and shared the stage with Trump at events in the closing days of his campaign, including the rally at Madison Square Garden.

Lutnick harked back to his efforts rebuilding his firm, which was decimated on 9/11, in pitching his qualifications to the Wall Street Journal earlier this month, saying that hiring thousands of employees after most of its New York staff was killed on Sept. 11, 2001, makes him uniquely suited to staff the incoming administration.

Cantor Fitzgerald lost all 658 staffers who came to work on 9/11, including Lutnick's brother, Gary, and his best friend. Lutnick was spared because he was taking his then-5-year-old son to his first day of kindergarten that morning. 

He has donated millions to each of Trump's campaigns and has been a staunch supporter of the president-elect's economic agenda, including plans for widespread tariffs that rattled corporate America.

And he has emerged as part of Trump's core team of wealthy advisers. 

Before he was chosen for Commerce, Lutnick made a push for Treasury Secretary and garnered the support of influential allies like Elon Musk, but reportedly got under Trump's skin with how hard he and his rival for that post, Scott Bessent, were jockeying for the job.

Scott Bessent - Secretary of the Treasury

Trump has picked Scott Bessent, a longtime hedge fund investor and founder and CEO of global investment firm Key Square Group, to be Treasury Secretary.

Bessent was a key economic policy adviser and fundraiser for the Trump campaign. 

Bessent has advocated for lower taxes and deregulation, particularly to spur more bank lending and energy production, as noted in a recent opinion piece he wrote for The Wall Street Journal.

At a Manhattan Institute event earlier this year, Bessent promoted a 3-3-3 strategy of targeting 3% economic growth, reducing the deficit to 3% of U.S. gross domestic product and to boost domestic energy production by 3 million barrels of oil a day, Fox Business reported. 

Bessent would follow other financial luminaries who have taken the job, including former Goldman Sachs executives Robert Rubin, Hank Paulson and Steven Mnuchin, Trump's first Treasury chief. 

Janet Yellen, the current secretary and first woman in the job, previously chaired the Federal Reserve and White House Council of Economic Advisers.

Chris Wright -  Dept. of Energy Secretary

Trump has tapped Chris Wright, the founder and CEO of Liberty Energy, an oilfield services firm based in Denver, to serve as his Energy secretary.

Wright is expected to support Trump's plan to maximize production of oil and gas and to seek ways to boost generation of electricity, demand for which is rising for the first time in decades.

He is also likely to share Trump's opposition to global cooperation on fighting climate change. 

Wright has called climate change activists alarmist and has likened efforts by Democrats to combat global warming to Soviet-style communism.

'There is no climate crisis, and we're not in the midst of an energy transition, either,' Wright said in a video posted to his LinkedIn profile last year.

Wright, who does not have any political experience, has written extensively on the need for more fossil fuel production to lift people out of poverty.

He has stood out among oil and gas executives for his freewheeling style, and describes himself as a tech nerd.

Wright made a media splash in 2019 when he drank fracking fluid on camera in a bid to demonstrate it was not dangerous.

The Department of Energy handles U.S. energy diplomacy, administers the Strategic Petroleum Reserve - which Trump has said he wants to replenish - and runs grant and loan programs to advance energy technologies, such as the Loan Programs Office.

The secretary also oversees the aging U.S. nuclear weapons complex, nuclear energy waste disposal, and 17 national labs.

Brooke Rollins - Agriculture Secretary

President-elect Donald Trump has announced Brooke Rollins as his nomination to be the Secretary of Agriculture.

In a statement, Trump said that Rollins, head of the America First Policy Institute, would 'spearhead the effort to protect American farmers'.

If confirmed, Rollins would lead a 100,000-person agency with offices in every county in the country. The agency had a budget of $437.2 billion in 2024.

Trump said in a statement: 'It is my Great Honor to nominate Brooke L. Rollins, from the Great State of Texas, to serve as the 33rd United States Secretary of Agriculture.

'Brooke has spent the past four years as the Founder and CEO of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) and America First Works (AFW), building a team of loyal Patriots, and championing the Policies of our America First Agenda.

'Brooke's commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none.

'As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are truly the backbone of our Country.'

In response to her nomination, Rollins said: 'Thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to serve as the next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

'It will be the honor of my life to fight for America's farmers and our Nation's agricultural communities.

'This is big stuff for a small-town ag girl from Glen Rose, TX — truly the American Dream at its greatest. WHO'S READY TO MAKE AGRICULTURE GREAT AGAIN?'

Rollins had been considered in the running to be his White House chief of staff before Susie Wiles was picked for the role, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Gov. Doug Burgum - Secretary of the Interior

Donald Trump announced that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum - a wealthy former software company executive - would be his pick to head the Interior Department.

Trump was speaking on stage during a gala at his Mar-a-Lago resort when he seemed to debate whether he would spoil the surprise early, before naming Burgum.

'He's going to head the Department of Interior, and it's going to be fantastic,' a tuxedo-wearing Trump said, adding that he would make an official announcement on Friday.

In addition Trump said he has tasked Burgum with the dual role of 'Chairman of the newly formed, and very important, National Energy Council.'

He said the new council will include 'all Departments and Agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, of ALL forms of American Energy.'

He said that the role will afford Burgum a seat on the White House’s National Security Council. 

Burgum, 68, has portrayed himself as a traditional, business-minded conservative and was seen as being on the short list to be Trump's vice president.

He ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination before quitting and becoming a loyal Trump supporter, appearing at fundraisers and advocating for Trump on television.

He is a billionaire businessman surrounded by a loving family and has the support of a wife who has her own inspirational back story overcoming drug and alcohol addiction.

Burgum ran his own self-funded campaign for governor and taking on the Republican establishment while winning the affection of voters in the state.

Though a long shot candidate for president in 2020, Republican consultants in DC appreciated his outside-the-box thinking that allowed him to stay in the debates by building up his donor list by handing out $20 gift cards for a one dollar donation.

Political operatives viewed Burgum with many of the same qualities as former Vice President Mike Pence used to have - low key, no drama, Midwestern appeal, and not a national figure trying to raise his political profile beyond Trump.

Linda McMahon - Education Secretary  

Trump tapped his transition co-chair and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) co-founder Linda McMahon as his Education Secretary.

The 76-year-old was in the running to be the president-elect's pick to be Commerce Secretary but eventually lost out to Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick.

Trump hailed McMahon as an advocate for school choice, allowing parents to send their children to a school of their choice. 

'As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand “Choice” to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families,' he said in a statement. 

McMahon could be the nation's last education secretary, if Trump has his way, as the president-elect has vowed to end the department and shift its administration back to the states. 

'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. We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort,' Trump said.  

He has warned that shutting down the department could come early in his second term, but would need congressional approval to do it. 

McMahon set up WWE with husband Vince in 1980 and would take on-screen roles before she left in 2009 to run for the Senate in Connecticut a year later.

Sean Duffy - Transportation Secretary

Sean Duffy, a father of nine who appeared on the MTV series 'The Real World' in the 1990s, would take the spot currently occupied by Pete Butttigieg. 

He is married to fellow Fox News personality Rachel Campos-Duffy, who he met on the reality series 'Road Rules: All Stars' in 1998.

After leaving his reality TV career behind, Duffy then turned to politics and public service. 

In 2010, he was elected to Congress to represent Wisconsin's 7th congressional district. 

He served in the role until 2019 when he announced his retirement from Congress. 

Duffy said at the time he wanted to spend more time with his children. 

In 2020, Duffy joined Fox News as a contributor. He began hosting the Fox Business program 'The Bottom Line' later in 2023 alongside co-host Dagen McDowell. 

Kelly Loeffler - Dept. of Agriculture Secretary

Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler has emerged as the favorite to become Donald Trump's next secretary of Agriculture. 

The co-chair of Trump’s second inaugural committee, along with real estate mogul Steve Witkoff, Loeffler briefly represented Georgia in the Senate after being appointed in 2019 following the resignation of Sen. Johnny Isakson. 

She lost an election bid in a 2020 special election to Sen. Rafael Warnock, a Democrat. 

Asked about her interest in the role, she said on the 'Politically Georgia' podcast that she's a 'huge advocate' for rural America.

'I grew up on a farm and I'm still actively involved in agriculture,' Loeffler said.

'I'm a huge advocate for rural America, and most of my bills that I passed in Congress were rural healthcare funding and related bills.'

Loeffler served in the Senate briefly from 2020 to 2021 after being appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp. 

Before serving in the Senate, Loeffler was chief executive officer at financial services company Bakkt. And she is the co-owner of the Atlanta Dream Women’s NBA team.

Doug Collins - Secretary of Veterans Affairs

President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday he intends to nominate former Rep. Doug Collins, an Air Force reservist, for secretary of veterans affairs.

"We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement.

Collins, 58, represented a northern Georgia district for eight years before retiring from Congress following an unsuccessful 2020 campaign for US Senate.

Collins is a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command. The Republican served in Congress from 2013 to 2021, and he helped defend Trump during his first impeachment process. 

Scott Turner - Housing and Urban Development secretary

Donald Trump has nominated former NFL cornerback Scott Turner to become his new secretary for housing and urban development.

Turner, 52, spent nearly a decade in the NFL with the then-Washington Redskins, the then-San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos.

During Trump's first term in office, Turner served as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC).

Trump praised Turner's work during his first term, claiming he 'helped to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country's most distressed communities.'

Turner, the highest-ranking black figure Trump has selected for his administration so far, was picked in the seventh round of the 1995 NFL draft.

After three seasons in Washington, he joined the Chargers. Turner left San Diego in 2002, before joining the Broncos a year later.

The Richardson, Texas native played his final season in the NFL in 2003-04. He later served as a representative for the 33rd District in the Texas House of Representatives.

Turner's nomination comes just days after Trump picked billionaire WWE mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department.

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.

Stephen Miller - Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy 

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

Miller promised then that there will be a 100 percent 'perfect' deportation rate under Trump.

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

He's 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.

Dan Scavino - Deputy Chief of Staff

A longtime Trump loyalist dating back to the first administration and campaign, Scavino had long been Trump's social media chief, handling many of his postings both on Twitter, then Truth Social and now on X.

He was the director of social media for the 2016 presidential campaign and has worked alongside the president-elect ever since, including serving as the White House’s director of social media in Trump’s first term in office and as a political advisor since he left office.

Steven Cheung - Communications Director

President-elect Trump on Nov. 15 tapped his longtime aide Steven Cheung, who most recently served him as campaign spokesman, to be his White House director of communications.

Cheung's West Wing role will include the title assistant to the president.

Cheung has been a close adviser to Trump since his successful 2016 run - he also worked on the failed 2020 bid - and he has been a brash, pull-no-punches defender of the president-elect, often dismissing reports critical of Trump as 'fake news.'

He also worked for Olympic decathlon gold medalist and TV personality Caitlyn Jenner on her 2021 bid for California governor and for former Golden State Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's successful 2003 recall campaign. 

Cheung also briefly worked as a top communications official for the UFC, the mixed martial arts league headed by Trump ally Dana White. 

Karoline Leavitt - White House Press Secretary

Figures in Trump world said Leavitt has impressed the president-elect with her no-nonsense attitude and work ethic. Four days after giving birth to son Niko in July, she was back on the campaign trail after seeing her boss get shot on live TV.

'She talks to everybody, not just Fox News, but goes on TV and takes incoming, which is a big part of the job, and then she hits back and is a very, very effective messenger,' said a Trump confidante, who was granted anonymity to discuss staffing issues.

'The president trusts her and trust is everything with him.'

Leavitt's age meant she was far better suited to the grinding 14-hour days expected of a press secretary than some other candidates being floated, sources said.

'And Trump loves the way she takes incoming on CNN and then punches back,' he said. 'She's a star.'

In June, she clashed with CNN presenter Kasie Hunt, who took her off air after they argued about whether the network's journalists could be neutral moderators in the upcoming debate.

Leavitt said the debate would be a 'hostile environment' for Trump, and that moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash had been 'biased' against him in the past.

'Ma'am, I'm going to stop this interview if you continue to attack my colleagues,' said Hunt.

After another back and forth, Hunt ended their conversation and the camera cut away abruptly.

Two weeks later Leavitt and her husband Nick became parents to baby Nicholas, little realizing that the election was about to enter its most tumultuous period yet.

'I had just brought my newborn, my three-day-old baby home from the hospital,' she told The Conservateur, a website for conservative women.

'And I said, 'I'm going to turn on the television and watch the rally today.''

The date was Saturday, July 13. A day later she was back fielding questions on television.

'The president literally put his life on the line to win this election,' she said. 'The least I could do is get back to work quickly.'

'Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator. I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we, Make America Great Again,' Trump said. 

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.

Matthew Whitaker - Ambassador to NATO

Donald Trump chose his former acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO at a time when key allies are making contingencies for World War III amid Kremlin threats over the war in Ukraine.

Trump said Whitaker, who he installed in the top-level Justice Department post amid the Mueller probe during his first term, would be a 'strong warrior and loyal Patriot.'

He said he would 'ensure the United States' interests are advanced and defended. Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.'

Trump's announcement comes after days of incendiary rhetoric following reports that President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long-range ATACAMs provided by the U.S. to strike deep inside Russia – something the Ukrainian's appear to have quickly acted on.

It sparked furious warnings from the Kremlin that it was 'fueling the fire' and from Kremlin allies that it could bring World War III.

That followed Russia's introduction of tens of thousands of allied North Korean troops onto its territory as it seeks to push back Ukrainians holding seized territory inside its Kursk region.

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.

Pete Hoekstra - Ambassador to Canada

Trump tapped the Michigan GOP chair, former Rep. Pete Hoekstra to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Canada.

In a statement announcing Hoekstra for the role, Trump praised the work he did as the state party's leader to bolster the Trump campaign in the battleground state. "Pete is well-respected in the Great State of Michigan - A State we won sizably," Trump said. 

Hoekstra made frequent appearances at Trump rallies in Michigan. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term in the White House and as a member of Michigan's congressional delegation from 1993-2011. During his time in Congress, he served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

William McGinley - White House Counsel

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 D.C., 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!'

Sergio Gor - Presidential Personnel Office director

Sergio Gor, who ran the MAGA super PAC Right for America and helped run the publishing company that produces his books, has been tapped to run the Presidential Personnel Office.

The office recruits and vets potential administration staffers making it a key role in a Trump administration looking to fill positions and remove employees seen as obstacles to the core mission.

Gor, who previously worked for Sen. Rand Paul, co-founded Winning Team Publishing with Donald Trump Jr. after this father left the White House in 2021. 

Gor also officiated the 2021 wedding ceremony of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, whom Trump announced as his surprise pick for attorney general. 

Steven Witkoff - Special Envoy to Middle East

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.

Biden appointed Lise Grande and David Satterfield as special envoys to the region, focusing on humanitarian issues.

'Steve is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous,' Trump said in a statement.

'Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud.'

Dean John Sauer - U.S. Solicitor General

Trump tapped another of his lawyers to be U.S. solicitor general.

Dean John Sauer represented Trump in arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in January where he successfully swayed the court on presidential immunity.

The Court ruled in July that former presidents largely cannot be prosecuted based on their official acts in office, though they can still face charges for acts that were outside the scope of their official duties.

Sauer, a lawyer based in St. Louis who once served as the solicitor general of Missouri, joined Trump’s legal team late last year to handle appellate matters and brought the case to the nation's highest court.

Brendan Carr - FCC Chairman

Trump said he will tap Brendan Carr to serve as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

Carr is currently the top Republican on the FCC, an independent agency which regulates interstate and international communications.

Calling him a 'warrior for Free Speech,' Trump first nominated Carr to serve on the FCC in 2017.

'His current term runs through 2029 and, because of his great work, I will now be designating him as permanent Chairman,' Trump, 78, said in a statement.

'Commissioner Carr is a warrior for Free Speech, and has fought against the regulatory Lawfare that stifled Americans' Freedoms and held back our economy,' he added.

Carr, 45, has stuck to his GOP leanings in recent months, continually criticizing the Biden White House's handling of broadband expansion subsidies.

Carr also authored a chapter on the FCC in the Project 2025 planning document, in which he argued how the agency should also regulate the largest tech companies, such as Apple, Meta, Google and Microsoft.

In a recent statement congratulating Trump's election victory, Carr said FCC priorities should include 'reining in Big Tech' and 'ensuring that broadcasters operate in the public interest.'

Jamieson Greer - U.S. Trade Representative

Trump tapped Jamieson Greer as his pick to serve as the next U.S. trade representative.

Greer previously served as chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, the trade representative during Trump’s first term, at a time when the administration implemented tariffs on China and other nations.

Before that he served in the Air Force, where he was a lawyer who prosecuted and defended U.S. airmen in criminal investigations. He was deployed to Iraq. 

Greer is a partner in international trade at the law firm King & Spalding. 

'Jamieson will focus the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on reining in the Country’s massive Trade Deficit, defending American Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Services, and opening up Export Markets everywhere,' Trump said in announcing his selection.

Trump also noted that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, ]therefore making it much better for American Workers.'

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

Lighthizer had been considered one of the leading figures to reprise his role as trade rep. 

West Wing and other 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. 

WILL SCHARF - White House Staff Secretary

'Will is a highly skilled attorney who will be a crucial part of my White House team. He has played a key role in defeating the Election Interference and Lawfare waged against me, including by winning the Historic Immunity Decision in the Supreme Court,' Trump wrote in tapping Scharf to be his assistant. 

Trump also cited his efforts helping to push through the confirmation of Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, who formed part of the conservative majority on the immunity decision as well as the landmark decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Scharf is just off an unsuccessful run for state AG in Missouri.

HAYLEY HARRISON - First Lady's Chief of Staff

Harrison, who worked in the East Wing during the first Donald Trump administration and joined the Trumps in Florida after they left the White House, was named to the position on Nov. 22.

Harrison, along with her husband William 'Beau' Harrison, are Trump White House staffers who joined the first couple in Mar-a-Lago for their post-presidency life. Hayley and Beau traveled on Marine One with the Trumps from the White House on January 20th, 2021. 

JAY CLAYTON - U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York

Clayton served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump's first term.

He is now being tapped for the premier federal prosecutor posting in the United States, running Manhattan's high-profile office.

Before chairing the SEC, Jay was a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell and is currently a Senior Policy Advisor to Sullivan & Cromwell, a Board Member of several public and private companies, and an adjunct professor at the Wharton Business School, and the Carey Law School at the University of Pennsylvania. 

ALEX WONG - principal deputy National Security Adviser.

Wong worked on issues involving Asia during Trump´s first term and served as deputy special representative for North Korea.

'He helped negotiate my Summit with North Korean Leader, Kim Jong Un,' Trump said in a statement.

MATT BRASSEAUX - White House political affairs director

Brasseaux was a deputy political director for the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee in 2024.

JAMES BRAID - White House legislative affairs director 

Worked in legislative affairs during Trump’s first term. He has also served as lead policy staffer in Vice President-elect J.D. Vance’s Senate office.

ALEX LATCHAM - White House public liaison director

Latcham has worked for Trump for the last eight years, most recently as senior deputy political director to the 2024 campaign and Republican National Committee. 

KEVIN HASSETT - White House National Economic Council director 

Hassett, 62, is a major advocate for tax cuts, who served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. Trump said he “will play an important role in helping American families recover from the inflation that was unleashed by the Biden Administration' and that together they would 'renew and improve' the 2017 tax cuts, many of which are set to expire after 2025.

OUT OF THE RUNNING 

Matt Gaetz - U.S. Attorney General - WITHDRAWN

President-election Donald Trump named controversial Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz as his nominee for U.S. Attorney General on Nov. 13 in a move that outraged Democrats and even shocked many Republicans in Washington.

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.

'It is my Great Honor to announce that Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The Attorney General of the United States,' Trump wrote on Truth Social when he announced the pick. 

'Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice,' he continued.

But Gaetz, who led the controversial and politically bloody ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has been the subject of an ongoing Ethics Committee investigation into alleged drug use and sexual misconduct.

Gaetz called the investigation 'frivolous' and accused McCarthy of being behind it.

But it ultimately proved to be too much for him.

First, ABC News, citing sources, reported that the woman who was at the center of a years long Justice Department investigation into sex-trafficking allegations against Gaetz testified to the House Ethics Committee that he had sex with her when she was 17 years old and in high school.

Gaetz resigned from office following Trump's announcement and as it emerged that the Ethics Committee was in the final stages of its probe and meeting this week to decide whether to make its findings public.

Then, on Nov. 21, as more salacious details emerged of the alleged sex with a 17-year-old high school girl - including that he had sex with her a second time at the same party in a threesome with an adult woman - Gaetz finally pulled his name from contention.

That came hours after Trump called him to let him know 'you don't have the votes' after some hard lobbying of GOP senators. 

Mike Rogers

President-elect Donald Trump reacted quickly to protests from supporters who believed that he would choose former House Intelligence committee chair Mike Rogers as director of the FBI. 

Trump's long-serving advisor and social media director Dan Scavino delivered an update on the idea on Friday morning on his X account. 

'Just spoke to President Trump regarding Mike Rogers going to the FBI,' he wrote. 'It’s not happening — In his own words, “I have never even given it a thought.” Not happening.' 

Rogers, a former FBI agent and congressman, lost a very close race for one of Michigan's Senate seats  in November but was a rumored contender for the position after he met with the Trump transition team at Mar-a-Lago. 

Key MAGA figureheads started protesting the idea after learning that former deputy director of the FBI Andrew McCabe endorsed the idea of Rogers leading the law enforcement agency. 

McCabe described Rogers as a 'totally reasonable, logical selection' to lead the agency, in an interview on CNN and warned against Trump choosing MAGA loyalist Kash Patel.

Dr. Ben Carson

Dr. Ben Carson had been considered a favorite to be nominated as Donald Trump's Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS) in the battle for a spot in his cabinet.

That is, until RFK Jr. emerged as Trump's pick for the role. 

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.

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.

Who else will NOT be in the administration

Trump announced early on 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.