As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to head back to the White House, his cabinet choices take center stage for what was an inordinate amount of attention he paid to loyalty and adherence to his “America First” agenda. Foreign policy, energy production, immigration the whole gamut of administration priorities can be perceived in these appointments.
Who Are Trump’s Key Cabinet Members?
Check out the key cabinet members of Donald Trump:
- White House Chief of Staff: Susie Wiles has been appointed White House Chief of Staff, making her the first female to serve in this position within any Trump administration.
- Secretary of State: The President has also assigned Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State to oversee U.S. foreign policy and to work toward improving relations with other countries.
- Attorney General: The Honorable Representative Matt Gaetz has been appointed to the position of Attorney General; Representative Todd Blanche has been appointed as Deputy Attorney General.
- Secretary of Health and Human Services: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services, a very controversial choice because of his outspoken views on vaccines.
- U.N. Ambassador: Representative Elise Stefanik has been appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in an effort to get back involved with international diplomacy.
- Border Czar: Tom Homan has been appointed to this position, which has immense responsibility for matters relating to border security and enforcement of immigration laws.
- Secretary of Defense: Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Army veteran, was given the appointment as Secretary of Defense to align defense policy with Trump’s priorities.
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Doug Collins has been appointed Secretary of Veterans Affairs, bringing his legislative experience to the position.
- National Security Adviser: Michael Waltz has been appointed National Security Adviser to head national security and defense policy.
- Secretary of Interior: Doug Burgum, Secretary of Interior to focus on Energy Development and maintenance of public lands.
- White House Counsel: William McGinley to serve as White House Counsel, advising on legal issues related to the execution of executive actions.
- Solicitor General: To this post fell Dean John Sauer, Solicitor General, in charge of federal legal strategies before the Supreme Court.
- Secretary of Homeland Security: Appointed to the post of Secretary of Homeland Security, Governor Kristi Noem becomes a hardline immigration and border security signal.
- CIA Director: John Ratcliffe has been named CIA Director, head of the U.S. intelligence apparatus.
- Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard was appointed as Director of National Intelligence to professionally coordinate intelligence activities across agencies.
- Administrator, EPA: Lee Zeldin has been appointed as Administrator of the EPA and is expected to focus on reducing environmental regulations.
- U.S. Ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee has been named the U.S. Ambassador to Israel to further solidify the administration’s commitment to US-Israel relations.
- U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York: Jay Clayton was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York to oversee high-profile cases in the district.
- Department of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were appointed to head the new Department of Government Efficiency, established to encourage better ways of carrying on with government operations.
- Deputy Chief of Staff: Dan Scavino has been appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to assist in day-to-day work at the White House.
- Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser: Stephen Miller has been appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser, with a focus on policy and security issues.
- Deputy Chief of Staff, Legislative, Political, and Public Affairs: James Blair has been named the Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political, and Public Affairs and manages strategic communications.
- Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel: Taylor Budowich has become the Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel to manage the White House communications strategy.
- Presidential Personnel Office Head: Sergio Gor has been appointed Head of the Presidential Personnel Office, overseeing appointments across the administration.
- White House Communications Director: Steven Cheung has been named White House Communications Director, responsible for public relations and media outreach.
- White House Press Secretary: Karoline Leavitt, at 27, has been appointed as the youngest-ever White House Press Secretary, tasked with handling daily media briefings.
- Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright has been appointed Secretary of Energy, seeking to increase energy production and continued dependence upon traditional sources of energy.
What Are the Policy Implications and Reactions?
Trump’s appointments indicate hardening immigration policies, reduced environmental regulations, and a soft approach to industries related to fossil fuel. The selection of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for Secretary of Homeland Security indicates that border security will be hardline. Similarly, Chris Wright, Chief Executive of Liberty Energy, as Secretary of Energy underlines returning to traditional sources of energy.
With Brendan Carr at the helm of the Federal Communications Commission, there is expected to be deregulation within the technology and telecommunications sectors.
The cabinet appointments have received varying reactions. Loyalists praise Trump’s emphasis on loyalty and commitment to his policy initiatives; others criticize the competency of various appointees. The picks presage a contentious but revolutionary presidency.
