RESOURCE: Trump's cabinet picks
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In 2017, offices in key government departments sat empty. Two months in, Trump had not been able to fill senior posts in departments like the Pentagon, the State Department, the Treasury, and Health and Human Services. A former State Department official called the “slowest transition in decades.”
This time, Trump is determined to handle things differently, and that means he has been rapid-fire nominating his most loyal allies to top Cabinet positions. Many of them require Senate approval, but not all.
We’ve created a resource to help you keep track of the nominees. This article doesn’t have space for everyone, so expect the second installment soon.
None of these people have been approved yet by the Senate yet — that will come after the inauguration.
Secretary of Agriculture: Brooke Rollins
Brooke Rollins is the founder, CEO, and president of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank. The group was started in 2021 by former Trump administration officials. For 15 years, Rollins ran a conservative think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation and during Trump’s first term, Rollins was chosen to lead the White House Domestic Policy Council, which focuses on the president's domestic agenda.
Rollins has less experience with agriculture policy than some of the other people on Trump’s short list, and some lawmakers have expressed surprise at this pick, but it’s unlikely at this juncture that she will have a difficult time being confirmed.
The Secretary of Agriculture oversees farm, ranching, and forestry industries, and plays a role in regulating food quality, nutrition labeling, and food safety. They also oversee the nation’s anti-hunger program called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) which currently provides food aid benefits to more than 40 million Americans.
Secretary of the US Army: Daniel Driscoll
Daniel Driscoll served in the Army for three and half years and was deployed to Iraq in 2009. When he returned to the States, he attended Yale Law School, where he befriended JD Vance.
He ran for representative in North Carolina in 2020 but lost in the Republican primary to Rep. Madison Cawthorn. Driscoll previously worked in venture capital and private equity before becoming a senior adviser to Vance.
The Army is the biggest military branch in the US, and if confirmed Driscoll would oversee more than a million active-duty soldiers.
Secretary of Commerce: Howard Lutnick
Howard Lutnick is co-chair of Trump’s transition team and runs the brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald. Lutnick has been an advocate for tariffs, saying they “are an amazing tool for the president to use — we need to protect the American worker.”
A tariff is a tax on any good that is imported from another country. Tariffs are paid by the importing company, not by the foreign government.
Lutnick has been a big political donor over the years, giving to both Democrats and Republicans, but more recently became a major donor for Trump. He hosted a $15 million fundraiser for Trump this summer and has vocally supported Trump’s plans for tax cuts and cryptocurrency policies.
So far, there is no reason as to why he wouldn’t be confirmed by the Senate.
The Department of Commerce oversees aspects of the president’s economic agenda, as well as the National Weather Service and the Census Bureau.
Secretary of Defense: Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth a former Fox News host and military veteran. He served in the National Guard from 2002 to 2021 as an infantry officer and deployed three times: once to Guantanamo Bay in 2004, Iraq in 2005, and Afghanistan in 2011. He began contributing to Fox News in 2014.
Hegseth is facing an uphill, but not impossible, battle to get confirmed. He has been accused of sexual assault, inappropriate behavior and financial mismanagement, including:
Allegations while working at two veterans nonprofits
Allegation of rape
His mother accused him of mistreating multiple women over the years
I wrote extensively about Hegseth’s nomination here. But he has been working hard at gaining support, and still has the support of Trump, meaning he could still clinch the nomination.
The Secretary of Defense is the largest and oldest department, overseeing 1.3 million active duty US soldiers, and is in charge of all military forces that protect and serve our country.
Secretary of Education: Linda McMahon
Linda McMahon and Trump have a long history. Together with her husband, Vince, McMahon founded World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), one of the largest and most well-known wrestling companies in America. She later became a major financial supporter of various candidates, including Trump in 2016. She donated $6 million to his campaign that year, and later as president, Trump chose her to run the Small Business Administration.
She will likely face tough questions during her confirmation because she has no academic or practical background in teaching or school administration. She is also named alongside her husband as defendants in a lawsuit that alleges they knowingly allowed a former WWE ringside announcer to sexually exploit and abuse “ring boys.” Ring boys were young men who would help with preparing for wrestling matches.
Trump has promised to shut down the Education Department (this would need approval from Congress) so it is unclear what role McMahon will play in the department. Currently, the Department of Education oversees education policy and any federal assistance to schools.
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Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright
Chris Wright is the CEO of a Denver-based company, Liberty Energy and sits on the board at Oklo, a nuclear startup. He donated significantly to Trump’s campaign this year. The Federal Election Committee reports he gave nearly $229,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, and $41,300 to the Republican National Committee.
Wright will also serve on a new National Energy Council along with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. According to Trump, the council will: “oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation.”
So far, there is nothing to block Wright’s confirmation.
The Department of Energy is in charge of energy security (making sure the nation’s grid is reliable and secure), nuclear security, scientific research, and technological innovations.
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the son of late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy. RFK Jr. He initially ran for the Democratic nomination for president before switching to be an independent, but he dropped out this summer and endorsed Trump. He then spent a lot of time campaigning for Trump around the country.
Kennedy is a vaccine skeptic and has drawn considerable scrutiny for his claims about fluoride and how AIDs isn’t caused by the HIV virus. He is the face of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, and blames much of the nation’s health woes on the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries.
I dug deep into RFK Jr in another article in The Preamble.
Secretary of Homeland Security: Kristi Noem
Kristi Noem has been the governor of South Dakota since 2019. She was once on the shortlist to be Trump’s vice president, but she didn’t get the role after negative press surrounding her book. In the book, she talks about shooting her dog. She previously represented South Dakota in the House of Representatives.
The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of, among other departments: Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Scott Turner
Former Texas state representative Scott Turner played for the NFL for nine years before entering politics. He ran for Congress in California, but lost in 2006 and then won a seat in the Texas Legislature in 2012. He served under Trump’s first administration as the leader of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.
The stated purpose of the council was to encourage public and private investment (in return for federal tax incentives) in “opportunity zones” or financially disadvantaged areas that suffered from high unemployment and poor housing.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development focuses on housing needs around the states, as well as community development programs.
Secretary of Labor: Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022, one of the first two Latinas elected to represent Oregon. She lost her reelection campaign this year. She is one of the few Republicans in Congress who supported and co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, legislation that would make it easier for workers to unionize and strike.
She will face a lot of questions about her pro-union stance from Republicans but is more likely to have support from Democrats than other nominees because of these beliefs. She has started to meet with Senators to drum up support.
The Labor Secretary is responsible for laws and policies surrounding the workplace, unions, and business-employee relationships.
Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard served for more than 10 years in the Army National Guard. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for participating in combat operations while under hostile enemy fire. She was 21 when she was elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat but left after one term when her unit was sent to Iraq. She ran for president as a Democrat but dropped out, became an independent in 2022, and became a Trump supporter in recent years.
Her nomination has sparked controversy, and she is going to have a tough confirmation battle. For starters, she has no background in intelligence, which is a highly specialized position. She has also spread conspiracy theories and misinformation from foreign countries, including Russia and Syria (and took an unauthorized trip to Syria in 2017).
The role would put her in charge of leading the entire intelligence community and advising the president on intelligence issues.
Secretary of Interior: Doug Burgum
Billionaire Doug Burgum became governor of North Dakota in 2016, and he briefly ran for president before dropping out and supporting Trump. He was on the short list of vice presidential candidates as well. Before entering politics, Burgum was involved in the software, real estate, and venture capital industries.
Democrats worry about Burgum’s close ties to the oil industry and his support of Trump’s campaign promise to “drill baby drill.”
The Department of the Interior manages around 500 million acres of public lands and coastal waters. The department also controls national parks, wildlife refuges, and oversees protection of endangered species. The secretary is also in charge of the government’s relationship with Native American tribes.
Secretary of US Navy: John Phelan
John Phelan is a businessman and the founder of the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC. He is a former board member of Spirit of America, a nonprofit that says it is dedicated to supporting troops and diplomats worldwide. He was a major donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Phelan has no military experience. If confirmed, he would be the first person in 15 years to be in charge of the Navy without having served in any military branch. Twenty of the last 26 people to be Navy Secretary were veterans of a branch of the military. This lack of experience will likely affect his confirmation hearings, though it's unclear if it will block him.
The Navy Secretary oversees the US Navy, including the building and repair of all ships and naval equipment, deciding and implementing naval policies, and working with other military branches.
Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
Florida Senator Marco Rubio is currently the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and was also a potential vice presidential candidate. He is currently serving his third term as senator and was part of the Florida House of Representatives before that. He ran for president in 2016.
He has strong support for the role from Republican colleagues and he has foreign policy experience, making it likely that he will win confirmation.
As Secretary of State, which is the top position in the State Department, he’ll be responsible for advising Trump on foreign policy and representing the US on trips abroad, where he will meet with foreign officials and leaders.
Secretary of Transportation: Sean Duffy
Sean Duffy served in the House of Representatives for nine years, starting in 2011. Before joining Congress, he served as district attorney in Ashland County, Wisconsin. Duffy previously made a name for himself by appearing on reality shows including MTV’s The Real World and Road Rules: All Stars.
He resigned and joined Fox News as a contributor and co-host of a show on Fox Business.
The Department of Transportation has a budget of more than $100 billion and oversees the nation’s roads, rail and aviation systems, and ports.
Secretary of the Treasury: Scott Bessent
Scott Bessent is well known on Wall Street, and has worked with some of the top investors around the world. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, founder and president of the Yale Chief Executive Institute, called Bessent “reasonable and pragmatic.” Bessent was previously a seven-figure Trump donor.
His history of supporting both parties, along with his reputation for being credible and stable will likely help ease his Senate confirmation process.
If the Senate confirms Trump’s choice, Bessent could become the first openly gay Senate-confirmed Cabinet member in a Republican administration.
The Treasury Department is responsible for enacting the president’s economic agenda and is the president’s key adviser on all things financial.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Doug Collins
Doug Collins is a lawyer and a veteran who served in Iraq in 2008. He currently works as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves (he is a Baptist minister). The department oversees various programs for more than 16 million veterans, including education, home loans, health care, disability compensation, and more. He previously served as a Georgia representative from 2013 to 2021.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is in charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs, which offers education, rehabilitation, compensation for disabilities, and health care to our nation’s veteran community, or about 8.3 million people. The agency has about 285,000 employees, oversees 172 hospitals and 1,138 health care facilities.
Currently, I'm a retired teacher (21 years in the classroom), but before that, I spent 20+ years in the retail industry (16 years in management). I remember my first management position, and the interview process that preceded my hiring. After a mere four years working as a grocery store box boy, then a couple of years as a department manager within a big box store, another company decided to take a chance on me. However, the personal interview (with the corporate V.P. of personnel himself) was, in a word, *grueling*. Then, after passing that part of the process, I filled out several forms in order that an extensive background check could be administered. There were also 'tests' involved. Three weeks later, I received an offer. From my perspective--at the time--I remember thinking this was an awful lot to put someone through for a "Manager Trainee." It was later explained to me that within a week of being on the job, I would be scheduled to 'close' the store. This meant that for the last four hours of the day, I would be the only person on-site from the management team. I would be responsible for a 60K sq.ft. store; the employees on duty; $2mil. of inventory (that was a lot at the time); and approximately $10K of cash on-hand. After that explanation--I felt sorely UN-qualified for the position. And, if I were to tell you the whole story of this particular job...let's just say that it didn't last long, nor end well for me. I did gain a wealth of experience, but the company also learned that anyone with my (lack of) experience is simply not ready.
All this to say...WTH is Trump thinking?! People with no (literally NO) experience? Others with VERY little experience. From the two careers that I've had in my life (retail and education), allow me to offer these analogies: 1) It's like promoting a school custodian to district superintendent. 2) It's like promoting a box-boy to CEO.
"It's hard to fly like an eagle when you surround yourself with turkeys." I guess, however, it does stoke your ego.
Thanks for this! I know there’s a lot of research that went into this. Except,
“Tulsi Gabbard served for more than 10 decades in the Army National Guard.”
I think there’s something wrong with this sentence …