Trump's Current Cabinet Picks
The following is a running and consistently updated list of Donald Trump's nominees for his next administration with a quick breakdown of the their (lack of) qualifications.
Quick Background
In 2013, as a reaction to the adversarial nature of the Cabinet confirmation process, Democratic Senators pushed changed the rules to remove the filibuster as an option during this process. Oversight committees in the Senate can conduct confirmation hearings before Inauguration Day on January 20, or they can refer nominees to the full Senate or quick votes when the new president takes the oath of office.
Republicans have some options for trying to push through nominees, but recess appointments would only last until the end of the next Senate session. The GOP could decide to adjourn for a long recess, which would put Trump appointees in place temporarily, but there would likely be a lawsuit and even a Conservative Supreme Court would not look favorably upon this option. Trump appointed multiple people to be “acting” heads of agencies during his first term when he got frustrated with the process, but under the law, those appointments can only serve in that capacity for a matter of months and there are limits on who can be made an acting secretary.
Another loophole involves an adjournment of the US House of Representatives led by Trump loyalist, Speaker Mike Johnson. oval. If Johnson can get the House to pass an adjournment resolution, there would not need to be a recess in the Senate. Under the law, Trump can use the House adjournment to forcibly adjourn the US Senate for 10 days to push through a Cabinet. This is a long shot that would take a lot of effort and coordination from the Republican Party.
Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
A Cuban American known for his hardline views on China and staunch support for Israel, Rubio would be the first Hispanic American to serve as Washington’s top diplomat if confirmed to the role. Rubio currently serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Since his election to the Senate in 2010, Rubio has staked out a reputation for holding hawkish views on US adversaries such as China, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. He has also staunchly backed Israel’s war in Gaza, telling a peace activist last year that Hamas was “100 percent to blame” for the deaths of Palestinians in the enclave. “I want them to destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on,” Rubio said in a confrontation with Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin in December.
In the initial months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Rubio lent his support to Ukraine via social media and labelled Russian President Vladimir Putin “a killer,” questioning his mental health. In recent interviews, Rubio has pivoted by suggesting Ukraine needs to seek “a negotiated settlement” with Russia, and he was one of 15 Republican senators to vote against a military aid package for Ukraine that passed in April.
His relationship with Trump has shifted significantly since the two first faced off in the 2016 presidential primary, with both men appearing to have enacted a media truce. In 2016, Trump famously mocked Rubio’s physical stature, branding him “Little Marco.” Rubio returned the taunt calling his rival “Small Hands Trump.” In a more recent statement, Trump pivoted to calling Rubio as a "fearless warrior who will never back down to our adversaries."
Attorney General: Pam Bondi
Since Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for US Attorney General yesterday, Trump has now tapped longtime ally and election denialist Pam Bondi for the job. Bondi was a key player in Trump’s legal defense team during his first impeachment trial, and continued to support the former president in his false claims that the 2020 election had been stolen by Biden. She also showed her unwavering support for Trump during his hush money trial in New York City, in which Donald Trump was convicted of 34 counts of fraud.
Bondi’s ties to Trump go back many years and she has been previously embroiled in controversy with the former president. In 2013, The Trump Foundation — which was legally dissolved by court order in 2018 after various legal violations came to light — made a $25,000 donation to a campaign group affiliated with Bondi when she was serving as Florida Attorney General. The donation in question was made at the same time that Bondi's office was tasked with looking into fraud allegations against Trump University. Despite Trump being found guilty of fraud in the State of New York, no charges were ever brought against Trump or his foundation by Bondi or her team.
Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth
Perhaps one of the more controversial nominees amongst a group of wholly unqualified candidates, Pete Hegseth is accused of raping a woman at a Conservative political event and has long since held views that women should not serve in the military.
The former Fox News host Hegseth began his career as an analyst at Bear Stearns while serving as a junior officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard. Hegseth got involved in politics in the mid 200’s, working first for an organization called Vets for Freedom (a group founded to support George W. Bush’s escalation of the war in Iraq) and, later, Concerned Veterans for America, a conservative-leaning veterans’ group. Hegseth did a lot of fundraising, made many TV appearances and generally has made headway by ingratiating himself to Republican Party leaders.
Treasure Secretary: Scott Bessent
Scott Bessent is the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management and he has worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary.
Bessent told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting US national debt and that would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the US to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy.”
At odds with his mission statement are the economic policies that Trump campaigned on, that rely on import tariffs to offset the cost of tax cuts for the wealthy. These tax proposals have been deemed by independent groups as poorly designed and a quick way worsen the structure of the tax code while only creating a muted impact on long-run economic growth.
Homeland Security: Kristi Noem
Kristi Noem, who has no experience running a border state, has been tapped to take over the agency as two key immigration hardliners — Stephen Miller and Tom Homan — are slated to serve in senior roles. Noem is a Trump loyalist will head an agency with a $60 billion budget and hundreds of thousands of employees.
During the last Trump administration the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had five different leaders, and only two of them were ever confirmed by the US Senate. Noem would be tasked with overseeing a sprawling agency that oversees everything from US Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Secret Service.
Noem has a long history of taking hardline positions on immigration. In 2010, she supported an ultimately unsuccessful attempt by Senate Republicans in Congress to thwart an Obama administration lawsuit challenging an Arizona immigration law. She has also has called for punishment of Democratic-led “sanctuary cities” that protected undocumented immigrants by not cooperating with federal agencies during Trump’s first term.
In her recently published memoir, Noem admitted that she once killed her 14-month-old wirehair pointer, Cricket, when she was not displaying the signs of an ideal hunting dog. The timing of this admission seems to fit perfectly with making Trump’s short list for possible cabinet positions.
Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard
Former Democratic House Member Tulsi Gabbard, unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party’s 2020 Presidential Nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall, and she is known to echo the same Russian propaganda that Trump peddles.
As director of national intelligence, a position created in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Gabbard would oversee 18 intelligence agencies with a budget of about $70 billion and serve as the principal adviser to the president on intelligence matters. Gabbard has no experience in top national security and has held no intelligence positions but has only served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades.
Two years ago, Gabbard made a point to of echo Trump’s Russian propaganda after through a posted a video on social media asserting “the undeniable fact” of purported bio labs funded by the US across Ukraine. Ukraine’s government, the US government, news organizations and independent researchers have all said there is no evidence for the claim, which originated from Moscow.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought
Russ Vought previously served in Trump's Cabinet as director of the Office of Management and Budget, and has been named to help lead the agency again in 2025. Vought was heavily involved in crafting Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation's 922-page document outlining an “overhaul” for the federal government, and is often cited as the “lead architect” of the Conservative missive to eradicate many federal agencies.
Secretary of Education: Linda McMahon
Linda McMahon is a former CEO of the World Wrestling Entertainment who co-chairs Trump's transition team and has been nominated by Trump to lead the agency he has long since said he wishes to dismantle. Her pick to lead the Department of Education has also been scrutinized because of her perceived lack of necessary experience. McMahon was named in a lawsuit alleging she and her husband, Vince McMahon, allowed boys to be sexually abused by a WWE ringside announcer who died in 2012. The McMahons deny all wrongdoing. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump's first presidency.
Agriculture Secretary: Brook Rollins
Brooke Rollins graduated from Texas A&M University with an undergraduate degree in agricultural development before completing law school at the University of Texas. She served as domestic policy chief during Trump’s first term, a portfolio that included agricultural policy.
After leaving the White House, she became president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. In an earlier interview this year, Rollins called Trump “a great boss.”
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Dave Weldon
David Weldon is a medical doctor and former Florida congressman, who has previously been a critic of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including the entire vaccine program. Trump said in a statement that Weldon would "restore the CDC to its true purpose" as director, which is concerning to many doctors and scientists.
CIA Director: John Ratcliffe
John Ratcliffe served as the US Director of National Intelligence for the final months of Trump's first term in office. The former Texas congressman was also heavily critical of the investigations into alleged Russian interference on behalf of Trump's 2016 election campaign.
Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum
Trump released an official statement on Burgum, noting that the governor would concurrently serve as the chair of the new National Energy Council, "which will consist of all Departments and Agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, of ALL forms of American Energy," and will therefore have a seat on the National Security Council.
During his first administration, Trump was responsible for rolling back a number of environmental protections and regulations and was aided by the US Supreme Court in many of his quests.
Health and Human Services Secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Trump has nominated anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, putting a man whose views public health officials have decried as dangerous in charge of a massive agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research, Medicare and Medicaid.
If confirmed, Mr. Kennedy would have broad control of a department with 80,000 employees across 13 operating divisions that run more than 100 programs that guard against infectious disease, and conduct billions of dollars of medical research into diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.
FDA Commissioner: Marty Makary
Marty Makary is a surgeon at Johns Hopkins who has been tasked to work under nominated Health Secretary Kennedy in his role leading the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) next year. In 2021, Makary wrote an opinion piece for The Hill, where he attacked the FDA for pausing the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine amid concerns over rare cases of blood clots.
Secretary of Commerce: Howard Lutnick
Trump has named billionaire investment bank CEO Howard Lutnick to lead his trade and tariff agenda. Trump has proposed a two-for-one Cabinet seat deal — tapping Lutnik for US Commerce Secretary but assigning him “additional direct responsibility for the Office of the US Trade Representative.” This will stretch Lutnick thin in terms of service and his public statements already reveal that he knows little about trade. His lengthy career on Wall Street has imprinted him with views about tariffs contrary to Trump’s and makes him highly susceptible to persuasion by every corporate lobbyist he encounters.
Secretary of Labor: Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Lori Chavez-DeRemer was named as Trump's pick for the next secretary of labor after she lost her Oregon House seat in the November 5 election to Democratic State Representative Janelle Bynum.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary: Scott Turner
Scott Turner, President-elect Donald Trump choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a former NFL player who ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term. Turner, 52, is the first Black person selected to be a member of the Republican's Cabinet.
Secretary of Transportation: Sean Duffy
Sean Duffy was on the Real World reality TV show in the 90’s and he served in the US House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019, representing Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. He was recently the co-host of Fox Business’ “The Bottom Line,” after first joining Fox News as a contributor in 2020. Duffy, who served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and on the House Committee on Financial Services during his time in Congress, has little to no experience in the transportation field.
Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright
Trump has nominated Chris Wright to join his administration as both United States secretary of energy, and member of the newly formed Council of National Energy. Wright is the founder, CEO and chairman of Board of Liberty Energy and has worked in the nuclear, solar, geothermal, oil and gas industries. Wright is expected to support Trump’s agenda of curtailing regulations and protections in exchange for substantial profits in the private sector.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Doug Collins
Doug Collins is a former Georgia Congressman and military veteran who served in Iraq who currently serves as a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Lee Zeldin
Zeldin is a former New York congressman who lost the 2022 governor's race to Kathy Hochul. In a statement, Zeldin said it will be an "honor" to join Trump's Cabinet as EPA administrator. "We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI,”Zeldin has said.
United Nations Ambassador: Elise Stefanik
Elise Stefanik served as a New York Congresswoman on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She has always been a staunch defender of Trump, and was said to be among the shortlist for his vice presidential picks. Stefanik previously served as White House domestic policy adviser under President George W. Bush.
US Ambassador to NATO: Matthew Whitaker
Matthew Whitaker served as acting US Attorney General during Trump's first term and he took the role of acting attorney general after Trump fired Jeff Sessions in 2018. He was eventually replaced by William Barr in February 2019.
Whitaker has no background in foreign policy or national security. Instead, he was an Iowa lawyer and a failed Senate candidate who sold toilets for “well-endowed men” and “theoretical time-travel commodities tied directly to price of bitcoin” and used his prior work as a federal prosecutor to intimidate critics of his company.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator: Dr. Mehmet Oz
Mehmet Oz is another television personality that Trump has picked for a role in his next Cabinet. Oz is best known for The Dr. Oz Show, which ran from 2009 to 2022. He also unsuccessfully ran for the Pennsylvania Senate seat against John Fetterman in 2022.
US Surgeon General: Dr. Janette Nesheiwat
Nesheiwat is a family medicine doctor and former Fox News contributor who has now been tapped to be the next surgeon general.
Other Trump White House roles
Click on the names for a link to more information
White House Chief of Staff: Susie Wiles
White House Communications Director: Steven Cheung
White House Press Secretary: Karoline Leavitt
"US Border Czar": Tom Homan
Department of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy
National Security Adviser: Michael Waltz
White House Counsel: William McGinley
Solicitor General: Dean John Sauer
Federal Communications Commission Chairman: Brendan Carr
Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism: Sebastian Gorka
US Ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee
US Ambassador to Canada: Pete Hoekstra
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York: Jay Clayton
Deputy Chief of Staff: Dan Scavino
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser: Stephen Miller
Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs: James Blair
Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel: Taylor Budowich
Trump has to nominate his picks for trade representative chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, administrator of Small Business Administration, and director of the Office of Science and Technology, but those will be posted as soon as the names are in.
Amee Vanderpool writes the SHERO Newsletter, is an attorney, published author, contributor to newspapers and magazines, and an analyst for BBC radio. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.
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It’s sad when it seems like Marco Rubio is the only reasonable one.