REUTERS/David Dee Delgado
While Inauguration Day is still about two months away, Donald Trump has made swift announcements about some of his selections for members of his Cabinet and second administration.
Two weeks into his first presidential transition, Trump had only named three key people to his administration: the chief of staff, the attorney general and the ambassador to the United Nations, according to a timeline by Politico. Within the same time frame since this Election Day, he has named more than 10 Cabinet positions and a slate of other key positions within his administration.
But he won’t be able to officially get to work for a couple of months. Here is what to know.
When is Inauguration Day?
Trump’s inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Presidential transition news
Trump has made rapid-fire announcements on who he wants in his administration.
Here are some of the key positions he has named so far:
- Chief of Staff: Trump named his senior campaign adviser Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff, the first woman in history to hold the title. The Florida political consultant largely stays out of the spotlight, but has been credited with helping Trump’s political comeback.
- Attorney General: Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has been nominated as the next attorney general overseeing the Justice Department, that he has long criticized.
- Secretary of State: Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is nominated as the next secretary of state. He will bring foreign policy experience through his roles in the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A Cuban-American, he is set to be the first Latino person to be secretary of state.
- Director of National Intelligence: Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is nominated as the director of national intelligence. The former Democratic presidential candidate-turned Republican represented Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District from 2013-2021.
- Deputy chief of staff for policy: Long-standing Trump adviser Stephen Miller has been tapped for deputy chief of staff for policy in Trump’s next administration. The 39-year-old served as senior adviser to Trump and director of speechwriting during the Republican’s first term in the White House and is credited with shaping Trump’s immigration policies.
- Ambassador to the United Nations: Trump nominated Elise Stefanik, a five-term Republican representing a northern New York district, as his pick for UN ambassador. She is the House Republican Conference Chair and a former contender for Trump’s running mate.
- ‘Border czar’: Trump has appointed Tom Homan to oversee deportation policy and aviation security. Homan was a Border Patrol agent for 34 years and served in Trump’s first administration as acting ICE director. He drew controversy for strict immigration enforcement, including the “zero-tolerance” policy which separated families of undocumented immigrants.
- EPA head: Trump has appointed Lee Zeldin as the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protective Agency. Zeldin was a Congressman for parts of Long Island, New York and ran but lost against Kathy Hochul in the 2022 gubernatorial race.
- National security adviser: Trump has named Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as his national security adviser. Waltz has held civilian positions at the Pentagon, was on the House Armed Services Committee and has supported Trump’s isolationist view of foreign relations.
- U.S. ambassador to Israel: Trump announced he is nominating former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as his U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a Baptist minister and former Fox News host, who has run for the Republican presidential nomination twice, unsuccessfully. His daughter is Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary during Trump’s first presidency.
- Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: Trump designated his former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe as CIA director. Ratcliffe previously was a House member from Texas before serving as director of national intelligence at the end of Trump’s first presidency.
- Secretary of Defense: Trump nominated Fox News host Pete Hegseth to Defense secretary. A Fox News commentator, Hegseth served in the U.S. Army National Guard and had led veteran’s advocacy groups.
- Secretary of Homeland Security: Trump announced his choice of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be the secretary of Homeland Security. The pick puts the hardline conservative governor, who sent the state’s National Guard to the southern border, in a key role on immigration.
- White House counsel: Trump tapped William McGinley to serve as his White House counsel. McGinley, a partner at the Washington-based law firm Holtzman Vogel, worked as White House Cabinet secretary during Trump’s first presidency.
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Trump named Doug Collins to be his secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Collins, a former congressman from 2013 to 2021 and trusted Trump loyalist, is a chaplain of the United States Air Force Reserve Command.
- Secretary of Interior: Trump named North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as his nominee for secretary of Interior. Burgum, a 68-year-old wealthy software executive, ran against Trump in the 2020 election but dropped out in December. As secretary for the Interior, he would oversee federal land and run programs involving native tribes.
- Secretary of Health and Human Services: Trump announced Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his pick to oversee the department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy ran as an independent before dropping out in August and endorsing Trump. He is known for his vaccine hesitancy and stance against fluoride in water, despite both being widely encouraged by medical professionals.
- Department of Government Efficiency: Trump named Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a newly created initiative to slash government spending. Trump’s stated plan is for the department to advise from outside the government.
Trump also visited Washington D.C. Wednesday to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House and address congressional Republicans. According to BBC, Biden and Trump met for nearly two hours in a traditional meeting between the incoming and outgoing presidents that signifies the peaceful transition of power. Trump did not invite Biden to the White House in 2020.
