Trump's cabinet, administration picks include close allies from his campaign. Here's a full list

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Thursday, November 14, 2024 12:39AM
Trump backs Gaetz for AG in stunning pick
Donald Trump is backing Matt Gaetz to be the next Attorney General in a stunning pick that had lawmakers offering reaction Wednesday.

President-elect Donald Trump is naming cabinet members and adding other key positions to his administration.

These team members will have a direct impact on implementing Trump's policies in his second term.

Here's a look at the president-elect's other appointees so far.

This split image shows, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., left, Stephen Miller, middle, and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Tom Homan, right.
This split image shows, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., left, Stephen Miller, middle, and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Tom Homan, right.
This combo image shows from left: Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem and John Ratcliffe.
This combo image shows from left: Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem and John Ratcliffe.
AP Photo/from left: Evan Vucci, J. Scott Applewhite, Patrick Semansky

Secretary of state: Marco Rubio

Trump announced Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as his pick to be secretary of state.

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 China, Iran and Russia, although like other Republicans he has shifted on support for Ukraine's war effort to be more aligned with Trump.

Secretary of defense: Pete Hegseth

Trump has selected Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense.

He listed Hegseth's experience as a veteran and his media experience as his reasons for the choice. Hegseth served in the Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and previously served as the director of an advocacy group that has called for more privatization of the Veterans Administration.

Steve Doocy, left, Ainsley Earnhardt, second left, and Pete Hegseth interview Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance, right, on Fox & Friends, Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 in New York.
Steve Doocy, left, Ainsley Earnhardt, second left, and Pete Hegseth interview Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance, right, on Fox & Friends, Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 in New York.
AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Hegseth will need to be confirmed by the Senate to serve in the role.

'Department of Government Efficiency': Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy

Trump has announced that billionaire Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate and ally of the president-elect, will lead a new Department of Government Efficiency.

"Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies," Trump said in a statement.

The Department of Government Efficiency is not a new government agency. Trump said it will "provide advice and guidance from outside of government" and "partner" with the White House and Office of Management and Budget to drive structural government reform.

Trump has previously said Musk would take a role in his administration as head of a new "government efficiency commission."

Read more about Trump's plan here. The president-elect did not detail how this new department would be funded.

Attorney general: Matt Gaetz

Trump has nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general.

The Florida Republican is a firebrand and one of Trump's most loyal allies who will now be the head of the Justice Department. Gaetz was the subject of a yearslong Justice Department probe that ended without charges, though he is still under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for the same allegations.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 23, 2024.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 23, 2024.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File

Gaetz will need to be confirmed by the Senate. Read more about him here.

Chief of staff: Susie Wiles

FILE - Trump co-campaign manager Susie Wiles is seen at Nashville International Airport as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
FILE - Trump co-campaign manager Susie Wiles is seen at Nashville International Airport, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File

Susie Wiles will be the first female chief of staff for any White House.

Wiles was Trump's co-campaign manager for his 2024 run. Trump also credited her for her work on his 2016 and 2020 White House bids, though his 2024 bid ran smoother and saw fewer shake-ups.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump brings Susie Wiles to the podium at an election night watch party Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump brings Susie Wiles to the podium at an election night watch party Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Wiles is the daughter of legendary NFL Hall of Famer Pat Summerall. She will not require Senate confirmation to serve in the post.

Deputy chief of staff for policy: Stephen Miller

Trump is naming longtime adviser Stephen Miller, an immigration hard-liner, to be the deputy chief of policy in his new administration.

Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving aides, dating back to his first campaign for the White House. He was a senior adviser in Trump's first term and has been a central figure in many of his policy decisions, particularly on immigration, including Trump's move to separate thousands of immigrant families as a deterrence program in 2018.

Stephen Miller arrives before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at the Santander Arena, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Reading, Pa.
Stephen Miller arrives before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at the Santander Arena, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Reading, Pa.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Miller has also helped craft many of Trump's hard-line speeches, and was often the public face of those policies during Trump's first term in office and during his campaigns.

Since leaving the White House, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization of former Trump advisers fashioned as a conservative version of the American Civil Liberties Union, challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as freedom of speech and religion and national security.

He was also a frequent presence during Trump's campaign this year, traveling aboard his plane and often speaking ahead of Trump during the pre-shows at his rallies.

'Border czar': Tom Homan

Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan is going to be the "border czar" in the Trump administration, Trump announced on Truth Social.

Homan, a staunch Trump supporter, will be in charge of the mass deportations that have been promised by Trump throughout his 2024 campaign.

"I've known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders," Trump wrote in his post on Sunday evening.

MORE | Former ICE Director Tom Homan to join Trump administration as 'border czar'

Former ICE Director Tom Homan is going to be the border czar in the Trump administration, the president-elect announced Sunday.
Former ICE Director Tom Homan is going to be the border czar in the Trump administration, the president-elect announced Sunday.

"Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job," Trump added.

Homan oversaw ICE during the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" enforcement that separated parents from their children at the border.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) estimates there are anywhere from 500 to 1,000 families who have not been reunited.

Director of national intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard

Trump announced that he had picked Tulsi Gabbard -- a military veteran and honorary co-chair of his transition team -- has been chosen by Trump to be his director of national intelligence.

The position requires Senate confirmation.

Tulsi Gabbard arrives to speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Lititz, Pa., Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.
Tulsi Gabbard arrives to speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Lititz, Pa., Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke

CIA director: John Ratcliffe

Trump announced that John Ratcliffe is his pick for director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

The role requires Senate confirmation.

FILE - In this May 5, 2020, file photo then-Rep. John Ratcliff R-Texas, testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.
FILE - In this May 5, 2020, file photo then-Rep. John Ratcliff R-Texas, testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times via AP, Pool

Ratcliffe was a former director of National Intelligence during Trump's first term.

"I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions," Trump said in a statement, adding that Ratcliffe "will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans."

National security adviser: Mike Waltz

Trump has officially announced his appointment of Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as his national security adviser.

The national security adviser is appointed by the president without confirmation by the Senate.

Waltz is a former Green Beret and China hawk who emerged as a key surrogate for Trump, criticizing the Biden-Harris foreign policy record during the campaign.

Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., speaks during a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in Washington.
Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. during a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in Washington.
AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

The Florida Republican sits on the Intelligence, Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees.

He has supported aid to Ukraine in the past but has demanded "conditions," including increased spending from European allies, additional oversight of funds and pairing the aid with border security measures.

Waltz, who has visited Ukraine, was a vocal critic of the Biden administration's policy towards Ukraine, criticizing the White House and allies for not providing Ukraine with more lethal aid -- such as MiG fighter planes -- earlier in the conflict.

Before running for elected office, Waltz served in various national security policy roles in the Bush administration, Pentagon and White House.

Trump had four different national security advisers during his first term, outside of those who served very briefly: Michael Flynn, H.R. McMaster, John Bolton and Robert O'Brien.

Department of Homeland Security secretary: Kristi Noem

Trump confirmed he has picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be his Homeland Security secretary.

Trump said in a statement that Noem will work closely with "border czar" Tom Homan and "will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries."

The role requires Senate confirmation.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator: Lee Zeldin

President-elect Trump has selected former Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as EPA administrator, the second New Yorker to be selected to the cabinet.

Zeldin, who left Congress in 2023, was a surprising pick for the role. His public appearances both in his own campaigns and on behalf of Trump often had him speaking about issues like the military, national security, antisemitism, U.S.-Israel relations, immigration and crime.

FILE - Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., speaks at a rally in Concord, N.H., Jan. 19, 2024.
FILE - Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., speaks at a rally in Concord, N.H., Jan. 19, 2024.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File

He was among the Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. While in Congress, he did not serve on committees with oversight of environmental policy.

In 2016 he pushed to change the designation of about 150 square miles of federal waters in Long Island Sound to state jurisdiction for New York and Rhode Island. He wanted to open the area to striped bass fishing, which is allowed in state waters but banned in the federal area.

Ambassador to the United Nations: Elise Stefanik

President-elect Donald Trump selected Rep. Elise Stefanik to be his U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, multiple Trump officials confirmed to ABC News.

Republican Rep. Stefanik won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing New York last Tuesday.

MORE | Trump chooses Rep. Elise Stefanik of NY to serve as US ambassador to United Nations

FILE - Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., waves to supporters at CPAC in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 23, 2024.
FILE - Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., waves to supporters at CPAC in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 23, 2024.

Stefanik built up a national profile as an unwavering ally of President-elect Trump and as a sharp-tongued partisan critic.

First elected to Congress in 2014 at age 30, she eventually shed her early reputation as a moderate Republican and rose to become the highest-ranking woman in the House Republican leadership.

Stefanik represents a largely rural northern New York district that includes some of the most sparsely populated parts of the state.

Ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee

President Elect Donald Trump has announced former Gov. of Arkansas Mike Huckabee as the United States Ambassador to Israel.

FILE - Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee speaks to the media in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, Aug. 1, 2018.
FILE - Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee speaks to the media in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, Aug. 1, 2018.
AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File

"Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years," Trump said in a statement. "He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!"

The role, which will need to be confirmed by the Senate, will be a key appointment as tensions remain high in the Middle East.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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