Here’s Who’s In Trump’s Cabinet—And On The Shortlist

Topline

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly expected to tap his transition team co-chair, Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, as commerce secretary, despite Lutnick’s push for the treasury secretary role—the latest planned nomination made by Trump as his pick for attorney general, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., is threatened by deepening sexual misconduct allegations.

Key Facts

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Commerce Secretary: Likely Howard Lutnick

Howard Lutnick is Trump’s likely pick for commerce secretary, multiple outlets reported Tuesday. Trump is expected to nominate Lutnick to the role despite Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advocating for him to become treasury secretary, typically a more prominent Cabinet job. Lutnick was battling Bessent, founder of Key Square Capital Management, for the treasury role, and the two were seen as top contenders, until Trump began to have second thoughts and has since zeroed in on Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, and Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global management, The New York Times reported Sunday. The change of course came as Trump has reportedly become annoyed with Lutnick’s aggressive campaign for the treasury role and believes he has been pushing his own interests in the transition process.

Secretary Of Transportation: Sean Duffy

Trump nominated former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wisc., as secretary of transportation Monday, lauding his time in Congress and his role as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. Following his resignation from Congress in 2019, Duffy registered as a lobbyist and continued spending campaign funds on Trump’s D.C. hotel. The campaign spent more than $22,000 at Trump’s D.C. hotel between 2017 and 2020, $17,000 of which was spent in a single day in July 2019. Duffy is a co-host of Fox Business’ “The Bottom Line” and has contributed to Fox News since 2020. He is married to “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy.

Treasury Secretary: Unclear

Trump hasn’t nominated anyone yet, but Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan and former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh have emerged in recent days as potential picks. Lutnick and hedge fund executive Scott Bessent—who spoke recently with Forbes—have long been seen as the top choices. Musk appeared to support Lutnick over Bessent, saying Bessent would be a “business-as-usual choice” whereas Lutnick “will actually enact change.” Trump is leaning toward someone with Wall Street experience, Bloomberg reported Monday. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., former ambassador to Japan under Trump, is also on the speculative short list, along with former Trump-era U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and hedge fund executive Scott Bessent.

Fcc Chair: Brendan Carr

Trump named Brendan Carr to chair the Federal Communications Commission on Sunday. Carr has served as one of the FCC’s five commissioners since 2017, when Trump first appointed him to the agency. He’s known as a critic of big tech companies, writing a chapter of the controversial Project 2025 agenda—which Trump has broadly disavowed—that argued the FCC should narrow the immunity enjoyed by tech platforms and require companies to be transparent about their content moderation decisions. He’s also used his platform at the FCC to back Musk. He’ll take over the FCC as Trump pushes the agency to revoke the licenses of broadcast TV stations whose coverage he claims is unfair—though that could be very difficult in practice.

Energy Secretary: Chris Wright

Chris Wright, chief executive of the oilfield services group Liberty Energy, was named Trump’s nominee for secretary of energy. Wright has argued against climate change’s role in causing extreme weather events, saying in a video posted to LinkedIn last year “there is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either.” He later disputed he was “[fighting] climate science,” despite saying the claims he made were “correct.”

White House Staff Secretary: William Scharf

Trump tapped William Scharf to be an assistant to the president and the White House Staff Secretary. Scharf, who ran in the Republican primary in the race for Missouri’s attorney general, was part of Trump’s legal team that successfully argued he has immunity from official acts he took during his first term. He is a former assistant U.S. attorney who worked under former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ administration between 2018 and Greitens’ resignation in early 2019.

White House Press Secretary: Karoline Leavitt

Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s national press secretary, will serve as White House Press Secretary once the president-elect assumes his office. Leavitt, 27, was an assistant press secretary during Trump’s first presidency. She also won the Republican primary in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District in 2022, becoming the second Gen Z candidate to win a House primary.

White House Communications Director: Steven Cheung

Trump picked his campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, to serve as his communications director at the White House. Cheung was the director of communications for the president-elect’s 2024 presidential campaign and served as director of strategic response during Trump’s last term, after working in communications for the Ultimate Fighting Championship previously.

Health And Human Services Secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department, making good on his promise to give Kennedy broad leeway over public health decisions. Kennedy, who ran for the Democratic nomination then as an independent candidate before dropping out and endorsing Trump, espouses debunked views on public health—including skepticism about the efficacy of childhood vaccines and the Covid-19 vaccine. He has also advocated for removing fluoride from public water, an idea Trump said he as open to. As HHS secretary, Kennedy would oversee 13 public health-related agencies, and has expressed plans to upend many of them, telling an audience at a conference in November he would halt infectious disease studies at the National Institutes of Health if given a role in the Trump administration. “I’m going to say to NIH scientists, God bless you all . . . thank you for your public service,” NBC reported. The appointment is another surprise pick by Trump, whose transition team co-chair Howard Lutnick told CNN late last month Kennedy wouldn’t be in charge of HHS. The selection of Kennedy drew criticism from many Democrats, and some Republicans expressed wariness about the pick. Trump’s former vice president Mike Pence spoke against Kennedy as the pick to lead HHS in a statement Friday and urged Senate Republicans to reject the nomination, citing Kennedy’s support of abortion rights and saying, “If confirmed, RFK, Jr. would be the most pro-abortion Republican appointed secretary of HHS in modern history.”

Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum (and Head Of New National Energy Council)

Trump plans to nominate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as secretary of the interior, he said at an event Thursday. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll be responsible for managing vast swaths of federally owned land, administering national parks and handling oil and gas drilling on federal property—which Trump has vowed to ramp up. Trump also tapped Burgum as chairman of the new National Energy Council, which will cut down on regulations and “oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE,” according to Trump. The position will also provide Burgum a seat on the National Security Council. First elected North Dakota governor in 2016, Burgum briefly ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries, but dropped out before the Iowa caucuses and endorsed Trump. A tech executive and investor by trade, Burgum previously ran Great Plains Software, remaining at the company after it was acquired by Microsoft. Last year, Forbes estimated his net worth at at least $100 million.

Veterans Affairs Secretary: Doug Collins

Trump picked former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., as his secretary for veterans affairs. Collins served as a congressman from 2013 to 2021, and was known as a vocal backer of Trump in the chamber during his first administration. He is also a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. Collins vowed Thursday to “streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they’ve earned.” The former congressman was deployed to Iraq in 2008 as a member of the Air Force’s 94th Airlift Wing.

Solicitor General: Dean John Sauer

Trump tapped Dean John Sauer for solicitor general Thursday. Sauer has been credited with helping win Trump’s presidential immunity case, which resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that presidents have some immunity for official acts they take in office. Sauer also served as solicitor general of Missouri for six years and clerked for late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

U.s. Attorney For The Southern District Of New York: Jay Clayton

Trump nominated former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, widely seen as one of the most prestigious prosecuting jobs due to the high-profile cases filed in the district, which includes New York City. He will presumably take over for Damien Williams, who has led the office for three years and brought charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs, former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell.

Deputy Attorney General: Todd Blanche

Todd Blanche, Trump’s hush money trial lawyer, was tapped as the president-elect’s deputy attorney general. Blanche was lauded as “an excellent attorney who will be a crucial leader in the Justice Department,” which Trump has often criticized throughout his criminal and civil cases. Blanche called the timing and location of Trump’s hush money trial in New York unfair after the president-elect was convicted on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records.

Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General: Emil Bove

Trump picked attorney Emil Bove as his administration’s principal associate deputy attorney general. Bove represented Trump alongside Blanche throughout the hush money trial and is a former federal prosecutor, having served as assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of New York for more than nine years. He was co-chief of the office’s national security unit during his final two years.

Presidential Personnel Office Director: Sergio Gor

President and co-founder of Donald Trump Jr.’s Winning Team Publishing company, Sergio Gor, has been tapped to lead the Presidential Personnel Office.

Attorney General: Matt Gaetz

Trump said Wednesday he tapped Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to serve as attorney general, a surprise appointment as Gaetz was not among the names commonly floated in media reports for the role. It’s one of the most high-profile and highly anticipated appointments, as Trump has fiercely criticized the agency for prosecuting him and is expected to drastically change its makeup. Gaetz, who led the effort to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was investigated by the Department of Justice over allegations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls, but the agency declined to prosecute him (Gaetz denied the accusation). The House Ethics Committee was also probing whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct or illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts or gave special privileges to friends, allegations he has repeatedly denied. Gaetz resigned from Congress a day after Trump announced him for the role and a day before the Ethics Committee was reportedly expected to vote whether to release a potentially damning report on its investigation into Gaetz’s conduct. New allegations have emerged against Gaetz since Trump announced the appointment via attorney Joel Leppard, who is representing two women who testified to the committee. Leppard claimed one of his clients told the committee she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a minor and alleged Gaetz paid both of his clients for sex. Gaetz’s father, Don Gaetz, a former Florida state lawmaker who cofounded a hospice company, is worth about $33 million, largely due to real estate holdings.

Director Of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard

Trump announced Wednesday Tulsi Gabbard will serve as his Director of National Intelligence, a role that puts her at the head of the U.S. intelligence community. Gabbard is a former Democratic representative from Hawaii and a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, perhaps best-known for clashing with Kamala Harris on the debate stage in 2019. She left the party in 2022 and became an independent, before endorsing Trump in August and announcing she had joined the Republican Party. A critic of U.S. military interventions, Gabbard has drawn intense scrutiny for her foreign policy views, including for meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017.

Secretary Of State: Marco Rubio

Trump announced Wednesday he nominated Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as secretary of state, confirming multiple reports earlier in the week that Trump was expected to tap the Florida senator for the top foreign policy job. Rubio and Trump feuded when they both ran for president in 2016, but the two smoothed over their relationship during Trump’s most recent White House run. Rubio frequently campaigned for Trump and was said to be in the running to be his vice presidential pick. Some of Rubio’s foreign policy stances break with Trump, including his co-sponsorship of legislation last year that would prohibit a president from exiting NATO without congressional approval. Rubio would be the first Latino to hold the position, which is subject to Senate confirmation. Forbes estimated Rubio’s net worth at over $1 million on Wednesday—significantly less than some other members of Trump’s inner circle, but a jump since 2015, when he was worth just $100,000.

Deputy Chief Of Staff: Dan Scavino

Trump announced Wednesday former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino will return to his role, and also serve as an assistant to the president. Scavino, who worked as a senior adviser for Trump’s most recent campaign and is a longtime Trump communications staffer, was held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify in the House Jan. 6 committee investigation, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute him.

Deputy Chief Of Staff For Legislative, Political And Public Affairs: James Blair

Trump appointed his campaign political director James Blair to the position Wednesday. Blair spearheaded Trump’s grassroots voter outreach efforts and made frequent media appearances during his most recent campaign.

Deputy Chief Of Staff For Communications And Personnel: Taylor Budowich

Trump announced Taylor Budowich, who ran the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC before rejoining Trump’s campaign in August, for the role on Wednesday. Budowich, a spokesperson for Trump’s 2020 campaign, was called to testify in Trump’s federal classified documents case and was also subpoenaed by the House Jan. 6 committee.

Homeland Security Adviser And Deputy Chief Of Staff For Policy: Stephen Miller

Trump confirmed on Wednesday previous reports that he was expected to announce Stephen Miller as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, plus the additional role of homeland security adviser. Miller was a senior adviser to Trump during his first administration and one of the architects of some of his most controversial immigration policies, including his family separation program.

Department Of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk And Vivek Ramaswamy

Trump announced Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, will run a new Department of Government Efficiency (or “DOGE”) alongside investor and former Republican primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump said in a statement the department—which has not yet been created—will offer “advice and guidance from outside of Government” and focus on “making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency,” including through spending and regulatory cuts. Musk, a vocal Trump backer who donated over $100 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, has pitched the department in the past, seemingly naming it after the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin.

Secretary Of Defense: Pete Hegseth

Trump selected Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense, praising his status as a combat veteran and role as a co-host on Fox & Friends Weekend. Revelations subsequently emerged that Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a Monterey, California, hotel in 2017. The Monterey Police Department confirmed in a statement that it investigated the incident, but did not bring charges. Hegseth has denied the allegations through his attorney, Timothy Parlatore, who told multiple outlets last week he paid his accuser a settlement to avoid a lawsuit over the matter.

Cia Director: John Ratcliffe

Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will serve as CIA director. A former Texas congressman, Ratcliffe served as the director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021 and acted as Trump’s primary intelligence adviser during his last presidency. During his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe declassified unverified Russian intelligence information that claimed Hillary Clinton approved a plan to link Trump to Russia and the Democratic National Committee cyberattacks in 2016. Democrats criticized Ratcliffe’s decision to publicly release the information, alleging he was politicizing unverified information to aid Trump.

White House Counsel: William Joseph Mcginley

Trump picked former White House cabinet secretary and top GOP lawyer William McGinley as his White House Counsel. McGinley was brought into Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and tasked with helping it secure delegates for the Republican National Convention. He worked as Trump’s White House cabinet secretary from 2017 to 2019 and was in charge of advising other cabinet members on policy coordination, optics and ethics, according to Politico.

Special Envoy To The Middle East: Steven C. Witkoff

Trump tapped Steven Witkoff, a GOP donor and real estate investor, for special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff is chairman of the University of Miami Business School Real Estate Advisory Board and the CEO of Witkoff, a real estate firm he founded in 1997. He is also a longtime friend of Trump’s and one of the president-elect’s golf partners. Witkoff was with Trump during the apparent second assassination attempt on his life, telling NBC that Secret Service agents dived on Trump and got him off his Florida golf course in under 20 seconds.

United States Ambassador To Israel: Mike Huckabee

Trump announced former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as his envoy to Israel last week, touting his military service as he served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years. Huckabee is a staunch supporter of Israel and has criticized the Biden administration’s calls for a cease-fire with Hamas. Huckabee has advocated for Israel to annex parts of the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967, and has backed Israeli settlers in the territory. A former Southern Baptist pastor, Huckabee regularly leads evangelicals on visits to Israel.

National Security Adviser: Mike Waltz

Trump appointed Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to serve as his national security adviser. In recent months, Waltz—a former Army Green Beret—has frequently criticized China, urged NATO members to pay more for defense and said he expects Trump to push Ukraine and Russia toward a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine.

Homeland Security Secretary: Kristi Noem

Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for the role of secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, CNN reported early on Tuesday, citing two unnamed sources. Although no official announcement has been made, Noem is a long-time Trump loyalist who was believed be a contender for Vice President. The appointee will be essential in carrying out Trump’s aggressive immigration plans, in addition to the agency’s duties surrounding cybersecurity, antiterrorism and emergency response.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Lee Zeldin

Trump tapped former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., to lead the EPA, citing his “very strong legal background” and calling him “a true fighter for America First policies” in a statement. Zeldin—a Trump ally who ran for New York governor two years ago—“will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American business while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards,” the statement said.

Border Czar: Tom Homan

Trump appointed his former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan to newly created role, he announced Monday, as Trump plans a mass deportation of undocumented migrants during his second term.

Un Ambassador: Elise Stefanik

Trump nominated GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., for the United Nations ambassador role, and she accepted the offer.

Chief Of Staff: Susie Wiles

Trump named his campaign co-manager Susie Wiles chief of staff two days after his election win, marking his first major administrative pick. Wiles will be the first woman to hold the position.

Transportation Secretary

Trump donor and former Uber executive Emil Michael, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., and former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wisc., are in the running to lead the Department of Transportation, Reuters reported Saturday, citing eight unnamed sources familiar with the decision-making process. Graves told the outlet he would be honored to serve as DOT director and has been advising the Trump campaign on transportation and infrastructure issues. Michael is an investor in Musk’s SpaceX company and socializes with the billionaire, according to Reuters.

Education Secretary

Trump’s choice is unclear, but the agency’s former leader, Betsy DeVos, said she would be willing to return to the role in a recent interview with Education Week. Trump has proposed dismantling the department and giving states control over their public schools.

White House Director Of Legislative Affairs

Trump is expected to name James Braid for the role advocating Trump’s legislative agenda to lawmakers, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing unnamed sources. Braid is Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance’s former deputy chief of staff and worked in the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term. Trump has not announced his pick for the role.

Key Background

Trump decamped to Mar-a-Lago after his win last week, holding meetings with his inner circle, administration hopefuls and transition team to craft his second term agenda and build out his staff. Trump is shaping his second-term agenda with the help of several right-wing groups, his closest allies and billionaire backers. Musk, who has been spotted on numerous occasions at Mar-A-Lago since his election, is among those who appear to be influencing Trump’s policy and personnel decisions. Lutnick is also overseeing a team making recommendations for personnel picks and vetting potential candidates, the Times reported, and Miller is expected to play a key role in making the final decisions. The right-wing think tank America First Policy Institute is reportedly the primary driver of Trump’s transition plans and has been crafting possible executive actions for Trump once he takes office. The organization is chaired by former Trump Small Business Administration leader Linda McMahon and led by former Trump Domestic Policy Counsel Director Brook Rollins.

What We Know About Trump’s Potential Cabinet—With RFK Jr. And Elon Musk Among The Candidates (Forbes)

Who Will Help Shape Trump’s Policy Agenda? Here Are The Key Groups And Players (Forbes)

Stephen Miller Will Reportedly Lead Trump’s Policy Agenda—Here’s Who Else Could Help Him (Forbes)