Who are Donald Trump’s cabinet picks? Meet the confidants and advisers heading to the White House

Donald Trump’s second term as president is being shaped by the loyal allies who have stood by him during his four years outside of the White House.

As the clock ticks down to his inauguration on January 20, all eyes will be on Mar-a-Lago as Republicans jostle for a cabinet spot or a senior role in the West Wing.

And those are filling fast. In the past few days, a slew of potential appointees have emerged for top Cabinet or West Wing roles and a handful of contenders for other vital positions have emerged.

On Tuesday night there was a flurry of picks, including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-heads of the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’, and John Ratcliffe as Director of the CIA.

But the president-elect sent shockwaves through the Republican Party on Wednesday night with his announcement that he’ll nominate now former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as his Attorney General in a bold test of his unchecked power. 

Trump announced his decision just minutes after issuing a statement saying he will nominate former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who infuriated critics with claims about ‘biolabs’ in Ukraine, to be Director of National Intelligence. 

He has also chosen military veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth to run the sprawling Defense Department, despite little experience managing anything on tat scale and complexity.

DailyMail.com breaks down who the president-elect has picked so far – and who is almost certain to take a spot. 

Trump picked his campaign manager Wiles as the first female chief of staff in White House history.

Behind-the-scenes Wiles, nicknamed the ‘Ice Baby,’  orchestrated one of the greatest political comebacks in modern politics and will bring her no-nonsense attitude as a political operative to the West Wing.

‘Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns,’ Trump said in a statement announcing his choice.

The daughter of the late NFL football player and legendary gameday broadcaster Pat Summerall, Wiles first worked in national politics in 1980, joining Ronald Reagan’s successful campaign as a scheduler.

She then worked in Florida for Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney and later as an adviser for Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton. Wiles then helped now Sen. Rick Scott win the Florida governor’s mansion in 2010. She briefly worked for the 2012 presidential bid of former Utah Gov. John Huntsman.

Wiles was first inducted into the Trump orbit during his successful 2016, managing campaign operations in Florida. That state was called in his favor early-on, as he would go on to claim victory against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In 2018, Wiles helped Trump’s then-ally, Ron DeSantis, win his Florida gubernatorial race. She was shown the door by DeSantis and later told a reporter that working for him was the ‘biggest mistake’ she ever made in her career and she wanted him to feel the pain for throwing her away. He did – after being absolutely trounced by Trump in the 2024 Republican primary.

NOTE: The interactive chart below has not been updated to reflect appointments made on Tuesday night. 

Tom Homan, then-Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement shakes hands with Border Patrol agents after a press conference at Border Field State Park on May 7, 2018 in San Ysidro, California

The former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been brought in by Trump to orchestrate the largest deportation of illegal immigrants in history.

‘I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our borders,’ the president-elect said of Homan.

It comes after Homan said that Trump will use the US Army to round up and deport ‘the worst of the worst’ illegal migrants in an unparalleled crackdown.

Homan said all of the estimated 20 million people residing in the US illegally would be targeted by the first-of-its-kind campaign. 

‘Bottom line: if you come to the country illegally, you’re not off the table,’ he added. 

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) reacts at a press conference at the RNC after a meeting with Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., June 13, 2024

Stefanik, a senior House Republican and a top Trump ally, is set to take over the role held by Nikki Haley during the first Trump administration.

The New York lawmaker has been at the forefront of launching investigations into federal government and prosecutorial overreach to go after Trump.

‘I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,’ Trump said in announcing his choice.

In recent years Stefanik, who is the highest ranking Republican woman in the House, has been one of his closest allies.

Earlier this year she filed a misconduct complaint against Judge Juan Merchan, who was overseeing Trump’s hush-money trial, and called for a probe into his selection, which she claimed ‘was not random at all’. 

In April, she demanded an ethics probe into special counsel Jack Smith for ‘abusing the resources of the federal government to unlawfully interfere with the 2024 presidential election.’

She has also been a leading voice against college campus anti-Semitism after Israel went after Hamas in Gaza over the Oct. 7 attacks. 

Then-Republican candidate for New York Governor, Rep. Lee Zeldin, seen speaking at his election night party on Nov. 9, 2022, is Trump’s pick to head the EPA

President-elect Donald Trump has selected former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to be his next Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Zeldin confirmed the news on X.com, promising to ‘restore American energy dominance’ and ‘slash the red tape holding back American workers from upward economic mobility.’

‘We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.’

Trump has promised to provide ‘crystal clean’ water and ‘the cleanest’ air as part of his environmental priorities but widely views the EPA as a hindrance to economic growth.

A Republican congressman, Zeldin narrowly lost his 2022 attempt to unseat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in the heavily Democratic state. 

Like Trump, he was the target of a madman who tried to attack him while campaigning. 

Zeldin was in the midst of a speech about bail reform at a VFW location in Rochester as part of his ‘United to Fire Hochul’ campaign when he was confronted by the man, who was armed with a knife.

In a tweet, Zeldin said: ‘Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evening’s rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.’ 

Stephen Miller, former White House senior advisor for policy, during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on Feb. 23, 2024

Miller is the architect of the mass deportation plan and has served as a top immigration adviser since the first Trump administration.

He was the face of the strict immigration and border crackdown that begun in the White House eight years ago and is set to continue his work over the next four years.

Miller has warned that deportations would increase ten-fold under in a Trump presidency.

In a September post on X responding to Mark Cuban, Miller floated some of the immigration policies that Trump’s team wants to implement starting in January. 

‘Deploying Title 42/Safe 3rds/Remain in Mexico/Asylum Bars to achieve a one hundred percent perfect deportation rate at the border, finishing the wall, significantly enhancing criminal penalties for human smuggling and trafficking, and launching a DOD embargo of drug vessels from South America,’ Miller wrote. 

In Trump I, Miller helped craft speeches for the Republican president and also had a hand in several different policies, including many immigration related initiatives. 

The 39-year-old helped craft Trump’s travel ban policies in January 2017 and later influenced policies regarding migrants at the U.S.-Mexico borer, including the controversial decision to separate family units. 

Hegseth deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with the Army National Guard and won two Bronze Stars and unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before joining Fox News

The military-tattooed Hegseth deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with the Army National Guard and won two Bronze Stars and unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before joining Fox News.

‘Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,’ Trump said in a statement, as he spent much of Tuesday adding to his cabinet.

The appointment comes just hours after former Democrat Congresswoman and Trump ally Tulsi Gabbard said she’d wanted the job.

‘With Pete at the helm, America´s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,’ Trump added.

‘Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our `Peace through Strength´ policy.’ 

Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel´s ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show.

He is also the author of ‘The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.’

The book, according to its promo, combines ‘his own war experiences, tales of outrage, and an incisive look at how the chain of command got so kinked,’ and bills itself as ‘the key to saving our warriors – and winning future wars.’

While the Pentagon is considered a key coveted post in any administration, the defense secretary was a tumultuous post during Trump´s first term.

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk speaks during a rally for Donald Trump, at the site of the July assassination attempt against the former president, in Butler, Pennsylvania, Oct. 5, 2024

Musk spent hours at Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s historic defeat of Kamala Harris.

He has been acting as the president-elect’s counsel and has been tapped for this cost- and waste-cutting role along with Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy.

At Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally in October, he said he would cut $2 trillion in spending from the federal budget to save taxpayer funds. 

He told the roughly 20,000 attendees of Trump’s MSG rally: ‘Your money is being wasted. We’re going to get the government off your back and out of your pocket book.’ 

Howard Lutnick – chairman and CEO of financial services company Cantor Fitzgerald, who also helms the Trump 2024 Transition Team – introduced the X owner to the stage at the conclusion of his speech.

Lutnick said Musk would soon become the head of a newly-created Department of Government Efficiency, an agency whose initials spell out DOGE, the cryptocurrency Musk once promoted.

Musk’s cuts would shrink the budget by nearly a third and would be more than this year’s deficit spending.

In maybe the clearest sign of Musk’s sway with Trump, when the president elect spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his win, he handed the phone to the tech billionaire, according to the New York Times.

As the owner of SpaceX, which oversees the space-based internet provider Starlink that has been widely credited with helping Ukraine in its war against Russia, Musk has worked closely with Zelensky.

Vivek Ramaswamy was named as the co-chief of the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk

On Tuesday night, the former presidential candidate was named as the co-chief of the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk. 

Ramaswamy is a Yale Law-educated entrepreneur who started Roivant Sciences Ltd. a decade ago, which uses technology to aid drug development and other healthcare needs.

He wrote a popular book on the right: Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam.

Ramaswamy started out the 2024 election cycle by running for president himself – though stayed complimentary of the ex-president.

Unlike candidates like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Rep. Will Hurd, who were decidedly anti-Trump in the 2024 Republican primary, Ramaswamy touted the 78-year-old’s accomplishments in office.

When Trump appeared to be the runaway favorite ahead of the early primaries, Ramaswamy never turned on the former president, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley, allowing him to have a comfortable place to land in the Trump 2.0 White House.

Ramaswamy came in fourth place in the Iowa caucuses, suspending his campaign immediately afterward and endorsing Trump.

Both Musk and Ramaswamy are billionaires – but Musk’s net worth is estimated to be 304 billion and Ramaswamy is worth only one billion dollars.

Rep. Mike Waltz – National Security Advisor 

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., speaks outside the hush money criminal case of former president Donald Trump in New York, May 16, 2024

Donald Trump has asked Florida Rep. Mike Waltz to be his White House National Security Advisor, sources familiar with the decision tell DailyMail.com. 

Waltz, a former Army Green Beret, has established himself as one of the foremost China hawks in the House and was selected following Trump’s busy day of firming up his Cabinet. 

Among the various China-related bills Waltz has co-sponsored are measures designed to lessen U.S. reliance on critical minerals mined in China. He’s also known as a NATO skeptic amid its work during the war in Ukraine.

Waltz, the first Green Beret to serve in Congress, had been considered a candidate for Secretary of Defense, as well. 

Trump announced the pick on his Truth Social platform Tuesday.

‘I am honored to announce that Congressman Mike Waltz (R-FL) is hereby appointed to serve in my Cabinet as my National Security Advisor. Mike is the first Green Beret to have been elected to Congress, and previously served in the White House and Pentagon,’ Trump posted. 

‘Mike served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years where he was deployed multiple times in combat for which he was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two with Valor…’

Waltz, like other advisors to the White House, would not require Senate confirmation as heads of departments do. Trump has already signaled he will bypass the Senate through recess appointments. 

Trump had varying luck with four National Security Advisors during his first term in office. Michael Flynn, H.R. McMaster, Robert O’Brien and John Bolton all served in the position.

Donald Trump watches as U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) speaks during a campaign rally at the J.S. Dorton Arena on November 04, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina

The Florida senator has gone from being denigrated by Trump as ‘Little Marco,’ a heated campaign rival, to perhaps the most coveted of all Cabinet posts after coming around on Trump and campaigning fervently for the MAGA Republican even after being passed over for vice president on the ticket. 

Rubio, who was elected to the Senate in 2010, is considered a foreign policy hawk who has taken hard lines on China, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba, and will lead Trump’s prowess on the world stage as his Secretary of State.

He currently serves as the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee and was considered to be on Trump’s shortlist for vice president earlier this year.

As Secretary of State, Rubio would be a key Trump envoy to press Ukraine to find a way towards a settlement with Russia in their years-long conflict.

In 2019, Rubio pushed Trump to adopt the harsh sanctions he ultimately deployed against Venezuela to try to unseat its authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., praised Trump’s selection of Rubio.

‘Congratulations to our very own SECRETARY OF STATE — who will be the highest serving Hispanic in American History!’ he wrote on X.

Sen. Bill Hagerty, who was considered to be on the short list for the position, congratulated Rubio Monday evening.

‘Congratulations to my friend on being nominated for Secretary of State! I have no doubt that he is ready to implement President Trump’s America First, peace-through-strength agenda around the world.’

Rubio will follow Trump’s former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 

Gov. Kristi Noem – Homeland Security Secretary

Donald Trump speaks with moderator and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem during a town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania, on October 14, 2024

South Dakota Gov. Kristin Noem has been selected to serve as Donald Trump’s head of Homeland Security. 

In the top Cabinet role, the staunch Trump loyalist – whose vice presidential hopes were dashed when she admitted to shooting her puppy – will implement Trump’s promises to clean up the mess at the southern border and deport millions of illegal migrants.

She joins Trump loyalists Stephen Miller, who was appointed as deputy chief of staff, and Tom Homan, who will serve as ‘border czar.’ The Department of Homeland Security has a $60 billion budget.

In addition to the puppy controversy, Noem also generated negative headlines over a dubious claim in her memoir that she met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Still, Trump dismissed the controversies over that claim and her anecdote about putting down the puppy as her having ‘a bad week.’

‘I think she’s terrific,’ Trump said in May. ‘A couple of rough stories, there’s not question about it. And when explained – the dog story – people hear that and people from different parts of the country probably feel a bit differently, but that’s a tough story.’

‘She had a bad week. We all have bad weeks,’ the ex-president added.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., departs after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 23

President-election Donald Trump named controversial Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz as his nominee for U.S. Attorney General in a move that is bound to outrage Democrats and even shock many Republicans in Washington.

Gaetz is a MAGA Republican firebrand who has taken aim at both GOP House members and Democrats alike as he has remained a close ally of the ex-president.

‘It is my Great Honor to announce that Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The Attorney General of the United States,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

‘Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice,’ he continued.

‘Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,’ he went on.

Gaetz, who led the controversial and politically bloody ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has been the subject of an ongoing Ethics Committee investigation into alleged drug use and sexual misconduct.

Gaetz has called the investigation ‘frivolous’ and accused McCarthy of being behind it. 

The controversial lawmaker was also brutally mocked online after debuting a very fresh-faced new look at the Republican National Convention – sparking rumors that he’s undergone Botox or surgery.

In Judiciary Committee hearings, Gaetz has railed against the prosecutions of Trump. He has also accused the Justice Department under AG Merrick Garland and the FBI of targeting the president and other conservatives.

Trump tapping Gaetz for the top law enforcement post has sparked fears he will indeed seek to use the Justice Department to carry through on his campaign trail threats to go after his adversaries, like special counsel Jack Smith, among others. 

Mike Huckabee – Ambassador to Israel

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at a campaign event with Donald Trump at the Drexelbrook Catering & Event Center, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania

Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, the president-elect announced Tuesday.

Huckabee, a Baptist minister and father of former Trump press secretary and current Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is a staunch defender of Israel.

Though he has no official foreign affairs experience, he would be at the center of efforts to carry through on Trump’s promise to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel’s interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups.

‘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!’

Huckabee hosted an eponymous show on Fox News from 2008-20015, served as governor from 1996-2007 and vied for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016.

Huckabee favors home-spun language, and frequently turns up on Fox News ads selling products including sleep aids.

President-elect Donald Trump announced that his former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe is his choice to lead the CIA – citing his credentials battling the ‘fake Russian collusion’ narrative

President-elect Donald Trump announced that his former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe is his choice to lead the CIA – citing his credentials battling the ‘fake Russian collusion’ narrative.

Trump announced the loyalist pick, which had been floated, with a statement on a day when he announced he would tap former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as U.S. ambassador to Israel .

Once again, Trump used language suggesting it was a done deal, although the newly Republican Senate will have to confirm the selection.

‘I am pleased to announce that former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),’ Trump said.

‘From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI ’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public. When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden ’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People.’

Trump’s statement makes clear that the reason the MAGA-aligned Ratcliffe was selected in part due to his loyalty. Trump has railed ever since he entered the White House about the Russia probe, which began during the 2016 campaign as a probe of contacts between Trump advisors who had Russia ties.

He has long said the probe hobbled his administration from the outset. He said in 2020 he was ‘probably entitled to another four’ year term because of ‘the way we were treated.’

Tulsi Gabbard arrives before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at PPG Paints Arena, Nov. 4, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Donald Trump has nominated former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard to be his Director of National Intelligence.

The former Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, who served Hawaii in the House of Representatives, was tapped for the senior national security role after becoming a Trump ally – and officially switching from Democrat to Republican down the campaign stretch.

The 43-year-old formally announced that she joined the Republican Party at a campaign rally alongside Trump last month.

She became co-chair of Trump’s transition team after his historic presidential election victory on Nov. 6.

Gabbard has been vocal about her criticism of the ‘weaponization’ of the intelligence community – especially under President Joe Biden’s administration against Trump and his circle.

She claims that Democrats believe the intelligence arms of the U.S. are able to act without oversight and ‘screw’ Americans with whom they disagree.

Ben Carson – Health & Human Services

Ben Carson speaks before Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at a faith event at the Concord Convention Center, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Concord, N.C.

Dr. Ben Carson is the favorite to be nominated as Donald Trump’s Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS) in the battle for a spot in his cabinet, multiple people familiar with the selection process tell DailyMail.com.

The 73-year-old retired neurosurgeon wants to return to the White House for a second stint after serving as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Trump’s first administration.

Carson was one of the few people who stayed in Trump’s orbit and said he deserved the chance to be re-elected after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot sparked a slew of resignations and defections.

He was a wild card in the race for vice president, with sources confirming that some closest to Trump’s inner circle pushed his selection. And he has been a consistent presence on the campaign trail as the president-elect’s National Faith Chairman. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also being touted for a role focused on healthcare under the banner of Trump’s slogan ‘Make America Healthy Again’.

But it is still unclear in which role he may land.

The HHS Secretary requires Senate confirmation, which could pose complications for RFK Jr. due to his skepticism on vaccinations and other traditional medicines.

But some Democrats might also oppose Carson because he expressed preference for a nationwide ban on abortion after Roe v. Wade was overturned. 

Carson has shown his loyalty by defending Trump throughout his third run for the White House.

He predicted the Republican nominee would see the surge in African-American support that helped propel him to an historic win over Vice President Kamala Harris.

During a storied medical career, he completed the first successful separation of conjoined twins who were attached by the back of the head.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Senior Health Advisor 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign rally for Donald Trump at Macomb Community College on November 01, 2024 in Warren, Michigan

Trump rival-turned-endorser Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is all but certain to get a role in the new West Wing, if not the cabinet.

While Kennedy might be a tough sell for confirmation through the Senate – even with a GOP majority – due to his staunch anti-vaccine stance, he is sure to have oversight over some aspect of health policy for Trump.

Kennedy said the weekend before the election that Trump had ‘promised him’ control of the ‘public health agencies.’

‘The key, which President Trump has promised me, is control of the public health agencies, which is HHS and its sub-agencies, CDC, FDA, NIH and a few others,’ RFK Jr. said on a Zoom call with supporters.

One of his first policies, Kennedy said, would be to advise all public water systems in the U.S. to remove fluoride from its water.

At his rallies, Trump has touted Kennedy’s focus on healthy food and said he would let the former independent presidential candidate ‘go wild’ with his oversight. 

Trump ally and former veep candidate Sarah Palin made it quite clear she wants RFK Jr. as HHS secretary, posting a muscle-laden photo of the Kennedy scion on her Instagram story.

Kennedy, a former Democrat, has been touted for various Health-leading roles in the new administration.

RFK Jr. tweeted that, if appointed, he would ‘advise all US water systems to remove fluoride from public water.’

In a post on X, Kennedy, the staunch anti-vaxxer, said: ‘Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.’

William McGinley – White House Counsel

Veteran lawyer William J McGinley will become Trump’s new White House counsel

William ‘Bill’ McGinley was named as Trump’s White House counsel on Tuesday. 

McGinley is a veteran Republican lawyer who served as Trump’s Cabinet secretary during his first administration. 

During the 2024 election, he worked as the Republican National Committee’s ‘outside counsel’ for ‘election integrity’.

McGinley’s former roles, both in politics and the legal profession, bring a host of useful connections: in D.C., he made partner at two of the city’s top firms, and served as a lawyer for the Republican Party for years. 

‘Bill is 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,’ Trump said in a statement. 

‘Bill has served as General Counsel at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has been a partner at two international law firms, and will work with me as we Make America Great Again!’

Steven Witkoff – Special Envoy to Middle East

Steve Witkoff speaks at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on October 27

Trump named real estate investor Steven Witkoff as his special envoy to the Middle East on Tuesday.

Witkoff, a friend and golfing partner of the president-elect, fills a new role having made a foray into politics this January as co-chair of Trump’s inauguration.

He went on to speak at the Republican National Convention in July, and was with Trump when a suspected assassin entered the Trump International Golf Club in September.

Witkoff owns a large property portfolio in New York and other US cities and was a donor for Trump’s campaign before his appointment.

He has no experience in diplomacy or the Middle East.

It is unclear what the role of Middle East special envoy will cover under Trump. Witkoff is Jewish and was described as a ‘pro-Israel donor’ by the Jerusalem Post.

Biden appointed Lise Grande and David Satterfield as special envoys to the region, focusing on humanitarian issues.

‘Steve is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous,’ Trump said in a statement.

‘Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud.’

Robert Lighthizer – U.S. trade representative 

Trump trade representative Robert Lighthizer speaks at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on U.S. trade on Capitol Hill, on June 17, 2020

Lighthizer is set to reprise his role from the first administration as Trump relaunches his trade war with China, according to the Financial Times.

Trump has vowed to impose 10-percent tariffs on imported goods, particularly those from China, to raise tax revenue and help boost American manufacturing. 

Reuters cast doubt on the FT report that Lightizer is coming back as Trump’s trade chief, with sources saying he had not been asked for a return.

But Lighthizer was one of the leading figures during Trump I in imposing hefty tariffs on Chinese imports as well as the renegotiation of NAFTA with Mexico and Canada.

And the Wall Street Journal reported this week that Trump has told aides he wants him to be a czar, which, the paper said, would likely give Lighthizer oversight of trade policy across the administration, including at the Commerce Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. 

The position would not require Senate confirmation. 

Dan Scavino – Deputy Chief of Staff

Dan Scavino, incoming Deputy Chief of Staff and senior advisor to President-elect Trump at a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena on November 05, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan

A longtime Trump loyalist dating back to the first administration and campaign, Scavino had long been Trump’s social media chief, handling many of his postings both on Twitter, then Truth Social and now on X.

He was the director of social media for the 2016 presidential campaign and has worked alongside the president-elect ever since, including serving as the White House’s director of social media in Trump’s first term in office and as a political advisor since he left office. 

Stephen Miller, former White House senior advisor for policy, during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, US, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024

The so-called architect of Trump’s mass deportation plan for the new administration and of the immigration clampdowns in Trump I, Miller will serve as a key West Wing staffer.

His titles are Assistant to the President, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor.

Miller has previously said that a second Trump administration would see a ten-fold increase in the number of migrants deported. 

In a September post on X responding to Mark Cuban, Miller floated some of the immigration policies that Trump’s team wants to implement once the president-elect is sworn in come January.

Miller promised then that there will be a 100 percent ‘perfect’ deportation rate under Trump.

‘Deploying Title 42/Safe 3rds/Remain in Mexico/Asylum Bars to achieve a one hundred percent perfect deportation rate at the border, finishing the wall, significantly enhancing criminal penalties for human smuggling and trafficking, and launching a DOD embargo of drug vessels from South America,’ Miller wrote.

Other West Wing appointments

JAMES BLAIR – Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs.

Blair was the Trump 2024 political director and then became political director for the Republican National Committee after the former president became the party’s nominee.

He previously worked on Trump’s 2020 campaign in Florida and was a top aide for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

TAYLOR BUDOWICH – Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel

Budowich was CEO of the pro-Trump Super PAC, Maga Inc. before he began working as a campaign staffer.

After Trump left office, Budowich served as his spokesman while working for Trump’s political action committee, Save America. 

Who is OUT of the running to be in Trump’s cabinet

Trump announced on Saturday that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley would not be in his cabinet.

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has also ruled himself out and is eyeing a senior role in the new Senate majority. He appears to have the votes locked down to be the next chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the body’s No. 3 role, according to reports.

Missouri GOP Sen. Eric Schmidt, a former state attorney general, is also believed to have pulled himself out of the running for attorney general.

And Trump son Don Jr. confirmed he will not be taking a role in his dad’s White House. Donald Trump Jr.’s next career move is joining a venture capital firm focused on investing in conservative businesses, a source close to the president-elect’s son confirmed to DailyMail.com.

Take a look at some of the other contenders HERE.