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The post-election season is just starting, and it’s been a turbulent time, to say the least. The new Trump administration has made various administrative and departmental appointments to help assist the President-elect once the administrations have changed. This article will briefly list every pick, their usual occupation, and any notable accomplishments or controversies. 

To note, many of these selections are pending to be confirmed by the Senate according to Article 2, Section 2, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution, which states that the Senate must confirm every appointee made by the President.

However, it is also stated that Congress may decide that some appointments are strictly up to the President. An example of a role that must be confirmed is Secretary of State, which manages foreign affairs, and Chairman of the FCC, where the President picks from a group of pre-authorized candidates. 

Thus, the results shown here are not final in the case that the Senate decides to overturn selections or if the candidates themselves drop out; Matt Gaetz, for example. 

Secretary of State:

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida

Senator Rubio is the vice-chair of the Senate Select Committee on Foreign Intelligence and sits on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He holds hard-line views on key American opponents like China or Iran. 

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

Department of Homeland Security:

Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota

Governor Noem is an author and small business owner. During her governorship, she sponsored a multitude of property tax and gun rights laws. Republicans hope that she is able to secure the promise of a safe border. 

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

Secretary of Defense:

Fox News Host Pete Hegeseth

Mr. Hegeseth was noted for having media experience based on his current occupation. In addition, he served in the Army National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Also, he served as director of a group that advocated for Veterans.

Currently, Mr. Hegeseth is fighting a legal battle against an alleged sexual assault case in 2017. The details are murky, as the individuals claimed to be under the influence of substances. 

Must be confirmed by the Senate. 

Health and Human Services Secretary:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

RFK Jr. briefly served as assistant District Attorney in Manhattan in the 1980s. Then, he moved on to advocate and litigate for a multitude of environmental organizations throughout the last few decades. Of course, he was also a member of the prominent Kennedy democratic family, with his uncle being the late President, John F. Kennedy.

RFK Jr. has faced serious criticism for his radical views on the pharmaceutical industry and vaccines. He is a skeptic about preservatives and chemicals in food, which may be for the better or worse.

Must be confirmed by the Senate. 

Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE): 

Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy

Elon Musk is well-known and is acclaimed for his entrepreneurship. Vivek Ramaswamy founded Roivant Sciences, a pharmaceutical company. Both will focus on cutting costs and eliminating federal waste spending. Humorously, DOGE is also the name of the crypto coin that Musk supported during the COVID pandemic. 

It is not yet clear how exactly this “Department” will run. 

Attorney General:

WAS: Matt Gaetz 

NOW: Pam Bondi

Pam Bondi was the former Attorney General of Florida, and the first woman in that role. Notably, she defended Trump in the first impeachment trial and has overall been a major part of the Trump legal team.

Gaetz dropped out after sexual misconduct evidence was alleged to have been found by a hacker. Previously, he dropped out of Congress to avoid being prosecuted as a Public Official. 

Education Secretary:

Former Small Business Service Secretary Linda McMahon

McMahon has no serious experience in teaching but has served one year in the Connecticut Board of Education. Republicans hope that she will follow up on the promise to remove the DOE and return power for education back to the states or other localities. 

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

Chairman of the FCC: 

Former General Counsel for the FCC Brendan Carr

Trump nominated Carr to Chairman in 2017, and while his tenure lasts until 2029, the President-elect said that he will now be the “permanent chairman.” The Federal Communications Commission regulates radio, television, and other forms of telecommunications.

Deputy Attorney General:

Todd Blanche

As an American lawyer and former prosecutor, Blanche represented Trump in the hush money case and Special Counsel Jack Smith’s cases. 

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

Associate Deputy Attorney General:

Former Representative of Georgia’s 9th District Doug Collins

“Collins is a veteran who currently serves as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command,” Trump said in a statement.

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

Energy Secretary:

Chris Wright

Wright is famously a climate skeptic and has expressed concern over the economic costs of implementing climate-aware policy in America. 

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

Interior Secretary:

Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum

Trump announced that Burgum will be the chairman of the new National Energy Council. The council will consist of all departments and agencies “involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation [and] transportation” of American energy,” Trump said.

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

Transportation Secretary:

Former Representative of Wisconsin’s 7th District Sean Duffy

Trump says “He [Sean] will ensure our ports and dams serve our Economy without compromising our National Security, and he will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers.” Duffy also works as a Fox News contributor.

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

Solicitor General:

Dean John Sauer

Sauer served as President-elect Trump’s defense attorney during his recent legal battles. He fought for the now-approved SCOTUS decision that gave the President partial immunity.

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

‘Border Czar’:

Tom Homan

Homan previously worked with ICE at the Southern border and promised to deliver on the deportation and strong border policy Trump campaigned on. 

This is an unofficial position.

Chief of Staff: 

Susie Wiles

Susie Wiles will be the first female chief of staff and a co-campaign manager for this election campaign. 

Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy:

Stephen Miller 

Miller was one of Trump’s closest advisors and played an instrumental role in crafting his hardline immigration policy. He will continue to be involved in Trump’s immigration policy.

Deputy Chief of Staff:

Dan Scavino

Served as a senior aide and advisor.

Ambassador for the UN:

Representative for New York’s 21st District Elise Stefanik

Despite beginning her tenure in Congress as a moderate, she has shifted to align herself with Trump-style Republicanism. She has defended Trump during his impeachment and post-election mishaps. 

Director of CIA: 

Former Representative of Texas’s 4th District John Ratcliffe

Ratcliffe was praised by Trump and Republicans for being the so-called arbiter of truth for the Hunter Biden laptop issue and Russiagate in 2016. Before this, he worked as a federal prosecutor.

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

EPA Administrator:

Former Representative of New York’s 1st District Lee Zeldin

Zeldin began his career as an attorney and moved into politics, challenging now-Democratic Governor of New York Kathy Hochul. Zeldin is a de-regulation candidate who wants to restore energy independence in America.

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

National Security Advisor:

Representative of Florida’s 6th District Mike Waltz

Waltz sits on the House Intelligence, Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees. He has extensive experience in foreign affairs and security policymaking.

Director of National Intelligence:

Tulsi Gabbard

Gabbard has had an active role in the campaign and transition process for the Trump administration. She promises to give more transparent communication of government affairs to the America people.

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

White House Counsel:

Attorney Bill McGinley

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator:

Dr. Mehmet Oz

Oz will work within the DHHS with RFK Jr. to promote his agenda.

Must be confirmed by the Senate. 

NATO Ambassador:

Matt Whittaker 

Whittaker participated in the Trump campaign this year. Trump has commended him for his patriotism and America-first agenda.

Treasury Secretary:

Scott Bessent

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

Surgeon General:

Dr. Janet Nesheiwat

Dr. Nesheiwat is a practicing doctor in NY and a Fox News contributor.

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

CDC Director:

Former Representative of Florida’s 15th District Dr. Dave Weldon

Must be confirmed by the Senate.

FDA Commissioner:

Dr. Marty Makary

Makary serves as a pancreatic surgeon at John’s Hopkins University hospital. He was COVID-19 lockdown and booster vaccine skeptic.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary:

Scott Turner 

“Turner served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, a position created by Trump in 2019.”

Must be approved by the Senate.

BBRecapTM:

So far, the picks look promising, with the Republican base gaining excitement for outspoken members like Tom Homan and Tulsi Gabbard. The Trump administration truly has one of the greatest chances in political history to make massive change happen. With a trifecta of both houses of Congress and a conservative majority in the Supreme Court, smart and tactical political moves would allow for Republicans to reclaim popular support and pave a path forward for others. At the same time, this also means that unwise decisions can shatter the legacy for Trump. With members like RFK Jr. and Elon Musk, the administration may go down in history as a tragedy or one of the greatest political experiments to ever go down in America. 

Sources:

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tracking-trump-named-serve-cabinet-administration/story?id=115777302