Political analyst Sue O’Connell looks at President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary and the announcement that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will head a new “Department of Government Efficiency.”
Since his election, President-elect Donald Trump has announced more than 20 picks to key cabinet positions and other high-profile posts in his administration. Each day has brought new announcements.
Of course, Trump can't formally nominate anyone until he is inaugurated on Jan. 20. However, the Senate can begin hearings on proposed cabinet appointments after it is sworn in on Jan. 3.
Here's a quick recap of his appointments so far:
Pam Bondi, Attorney General
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Trump on Thursday named longtime ally Pam Bondi as his new choice for attorney general, capping a tumultuous week for previous pick Matt Gaetz. Bondi’s elevation came just hours after Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration following increased scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct. Bondi has long ties to Trump. During the 2016 Republican National Convention, she joined in “lock her up” chants aimed at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and she was then part of Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment trial. After Trump lost the 2020 election, Bondi was involved in efforts to overturn the results, falsely claiming that Trump had “won Pennsylvania” at a news conference in Philadelphia.
Matt Whitaker, Ambassador to NATO
Trump on Wednesday named former Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as his pick for the next ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a key alliance that Trump derided for years. Whitaker doesn't appear to have much foreign policy experience in his professional background. He first took over the Justice Department on an acting basis during Trump's first term in office in Nov. 2018, right after the midterm elections, when Trump announced on Twitter that Whitaker would be succeeding Jeff Sessions, whom Trump asked to resign. He served just three months in the position until Bill Barr was confirmed as attorney general.
Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education
Trump is nominating the billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump has promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she has expressed support for charter schools and school choice.
Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator
Trump said Tuesday he is nominating Dr. Mehmet Oz, who hosted a long-running television talk show, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Pennsylvania as a Republican in 2022 and as an outspoken supporter of Trump.
Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce
Trump is expected to nominate a key transition adviser and billionaire financial services executive, Howard Lutnick, to lead the Commerce Department, according to two sources familiar with the process. The Cantor Fitzgerald CEO has led and been the public face of Trump’s transition. As co-chair of Trump's transition, Lutnick has been an outspoken advocate for Trump’s agenda, including explaining how he plans to use tariffs once in office. Lutnick is the CEO and chairman of financial services titan Cantor Fitzgerald. The Commerce Department will play a key role in executing some of Trump's proposed tariffs on goods imported into the United States.
Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation
Trump said Monday he is naming former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy as his nominee to be transportation secretary, as he continues to roll out picks for his Cabinet. Duffy is a former reality TV star who was one of Trump’s most visible defenders on cable news — a prime concern for the media-focused president-elect. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, was a member of the Financial Services Committee and was chairman of the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019, and is now co-host of a show on Fox Business, "The Bottom Line.”
Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary
Trump on Friday named Karoline Leavitt, his campaign press secretary, to serve as his White House press secretary. Leavitt, 27, currently a spokesperson for Trump's transition, would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. Previously that distinction went to Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the position in 1969 in Richard Nixon’s administration. The New Hampshire native is seen as a staunch and camera-ready advocate for Trump who is quick on her feet and delivers aggressive defenses of him in television interviews. She worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. During Trump’s first term in office, Leavitt worked in the White House press office. She then became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, whom Trump has tapped to serve as his U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior
On Thursday, Trump announced that he plans to select North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as his nominee to be the secretary of the Department of the Interior. The North Dakota governor had become a familiar presence on the campaign trail stumping for Trump, and the president-elect had previously considered selecting him as his running mate before settling on now-vice president-elect JD Vance. Burgum ran a long-shot presidential campaign and dropped out of the race in December 2023 after not qualifying for the most recent debates.
Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General
Trump said Thursday he will nominate Todd Blanche, one of his criminal defense lawyers, to be deputy attorney general, NBC News reported. The statement noted that Blanche has experience working for the Justice Department — something former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Trump's choice for attorney general, does not have.
Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Doug Collins, a former congressman from Georgia, is Trump's choice to run the Department of Veterans Affairs. Collins is a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command. The Republican served in Congress from 2013 to 2021, and he helped defend Trump during his first impeachment process.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services
Trump on Thursday picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Trump, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. During his presidential campaign, Kennedy developed a national profile for his criticism of the COVID vaccines and childhood immunizations. He has claimed that vaccines are tied to autism, despite evidence conveyed through studies over decades that have disproven such a claim.
Matt Gaetz, Attorney General*
Trump on Wednesday said he will nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general, putting a loyalist in the role of the nation's top prosecutor. In selecting the congressman, Trump passed over some of the more established attorneys whose names had been mentioned as being contenders for the job.
*Editor's note: Gaetz announced Nov. 21 that he was withdrawing as Trump's pick for attorney general, ending the controversial bid that put prior allegations of sexual misconduct in the spotlight.
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
Also on Wednesday, Trump chose Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress and presidential candidate, to serve as director of national intelligence, continuing to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities complimentary to his own, rather than long-term professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider. hasn’t worked directly in the intelligence community, outside of House committees, including two years on the Homeland Security Committee.
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
In another appointment announced Monday, Trump named Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state on Wednesday, setting up a onetime critic who evolved into one of the president-elect’s fiercest defenders to become the nation’s top diplomat. The conservative lawmaker is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump’s running mate this summer. On Capitol Hill, Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, to head new Department of Government Efficiency
Trump named tech billionaire Elon Musk and conservative activist Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday to head up a new Department of Government Efficiency, fulfilling a campaign pledge to give Musk sweeping oversight of government spending. Trump said in a statement on to social media that the department will help "dismantle Government Bureaucracy" and slash excess regulations. The name of the agency, DOGE for short, is a reference to a meme and a cryptocurrency associated with Musk.
Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
Trump said Tuesday that he has chosen Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary. Hegseth deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before joining Fox News.
John Ratcliffe, CIA Director
Earlier Tuesday, Trump announced that he is nominating former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. A former Republican congressman from Texas, Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence for the final year and a half of Trump’s first term, leading the U.S. government’s spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mike Huckabee, US Ambassador to Israel
Trump said Tuesday he intends to nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as the U.S. ambassador to Israel, a high-profile diplomatic posting in a tumultuous region. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. If confirmed, he will be the first non-Jewish person to hold this role since 2011, NBC News reported.
Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
Trump plans to nominate South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem to be the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, four sources familiar with the decision confirmed Tuesday morning. Noem has no significant experience with homeland security issues but has voiced support for Trump's hard-line immigration policies. She has defended her fellow Republican governors in their efforts to crack down on migrants in their states.
Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser
On Monday, four sources familiar with the decision said Trump has picked Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to be his national security adviser. Waltz is a Green Beret veteran who served in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa. Since 2019, he has represented a congressional district in the House, where he's a member of the Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees.
Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator
Trump on Monday named former New York congressman Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency as he continues to build out his future administration with loyal supporters. Zeldin, a Republican who mounted a failed bid for governor of New York in 2022, will “ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses,'' Trump said in a statement. Zeldin also will maintain "the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet,'' Trump said.
Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
A source with knowledge of the transition team's plans told NBC News on Monday that Trump is expected to name Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff for policy at the White House. Miller, a staunch hard-liner on immigration policy, worked in the White House during Trump's first term in office, serving both as director of speechwriting and as a senior adviser to the president.
Elise Stefanik, US Ambassador to the United Nations
Trump has tapped House Republican Conference chair and longtime ally Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, a Trump transition official confirmed to NBC News on Monday. Stefanik has been a staunch defender of Israel in its response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks and has been outspoken over the last year about antisemitism on college campuses. A day before the election, Stefanik reiterated her call for the defunding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East because she alleges it has been infiltrated by Hamas.
Tom Homan, 'border czar'
On Monday, Trump said that Tom Homan, his former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, will serve as “border czar” in his incoming administration. Homan was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border and Trump’s pledge to launch the largest deportation operation in the country's history.
Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff
Trump's first appointment came on Nov. 7, when he announced that Susan Wiles, a 67-year-old Florida native, will serve as his White House chief of staff. Wiles is one of the most respected operatives in Republican politics. Along with helping helm Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, she worked as his state director in Florida during the previous two contests.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Oz, a former television talk show host and heart surgeon, will lead the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of older, poor and disabled Americans.
“Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivizing Disease Prevention, so we get the best results in the World for every dollar we spend on Healthcare in our Great Country,” Trump said in a statement. “He will also cut waste and fraud within our Country’s most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation’s Healthcare spend, and a quarter of our entire National Budget.”
Oz previously ran an unsuccessful 2022 bid to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate and has been an outspoken supporter of Trump and in recent days expressed support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for the nation’s top health agency, the Department of Health and Human Services.
As the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Oz would report to Kennedy. If confirmed by the Senate, Oz would be responsible for the programs — Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act — that more than half the country relies on for health insurance.
Karoline Leavitt, press secretary
President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Karoline Leavitt, his campaign press secretary, to serve as his White House press secretary.
Leavitt, 27, currently a spokesperson for Trump's transition, would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. Previously that distinction went to Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the position in 1969 in Richard Nixon’s administration.
“Karoline Leavitt did a phenomenal job as the National Press Secretary on my Historic Campaign, and I am pleased to announce she will serve as White House Press Secretary,” Trump said in a statement. "Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator. I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we Make America Great Again.”
The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps.
Linda McMahon, education secretary
McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut.
McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she has expressed support for charter schools and school choice.
"Linda will use her decades of Leadership experience, and deep understanding of both Education and Business, to empower the next Generation of American Students and Workers, and make America Number One in Education in the World," Trump said in a release. "We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort."
Chris Wright, energy secretary
Wright is the CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy and a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking, a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.
Wright has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change, and could give fossil fuels a boost, including quick action to end a year-long pause on natural gas export approvals by the Biden administration.
Consideration of Wright to head the administration's energy department won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm.
Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff
Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president.
Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
James Blair, deputy chief of staff
Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president.
Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago.
Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff
Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president.
Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency.
William McGinley, White House counsel
McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign.
In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.”
Steven Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East
The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination.
Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud."
Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee.
