Now that it’s clear President-elect Donald Trump will return for one second term in the White Housespeculation has begun about who he will select for his cabinet.
Trump quickly ended the tension over who was his chief of staff would be, announcing the first woman to hold this position on Thursday after his win early Wednesday. Now many are wondering who holds the positions from Treasurer Secretary to attorney general.
Among the names who could join Trump’s staff are supporters Robert F. Kennedy Jr.the independent presidential candidate who endorsed him after he dropped out of the race, and X owner Elon Muskwho donated more than $118 million to his Trump-backed PAC. Trump has previously said he would give the tech mogul a cost-cutting role in his administration, while giving anti-vaccine activist Kennedy the chance to “get away from health.”
Immediately Republican majority in the Senate is presentTrump expects to encounter little resistance in confirming his cabinet choices. Here’s what we know so far.
Who could fill the position of Minister of Finance?
According to media reports, these are some of the contenders for the post of Finance Minister. The responsibilities of the Minister of Finance include formulating and advising financial, economic and fiscal policies, both nationally and internationally:
- Scott Bessent: The longtime hedge fund investor is among the top candidates for the office of Minister of Finance Politics. Two sources close to Trump say this Reuters that Bessent met with the president-elect on Friday.
- Johannes Paulson: The hedge fund manager and founder of the New York investment management firm Paulson & Co. is also a contender for the role, according to him Reuters. The Wall Street Journal Paulson previously reported Paulson as a candidate to lead the Treasury Department, with the billionaire investor adding that he would work with Musk to cut spending if he were to claim the role.
- Larry Kudlow: Fox Business’ financial commentator could also have shot at the position, according to Reuters and Politics. He served as director of the National Economic Council between 2018 and 2021, and Politico reported that he was a member of an outside group that promoted Trump’s policies ahead of a second administration.
- Robert LichthizerAccording to Reuters and Politico, the lawyer and former trade executive’s name was also in the mix for the role. After serving as U.S. trade representative under Trump’s first administration, he helped oversee Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs and his efforts to deal with China, Canada and Mexico.
Who could fill the position of attorney general?
After Trump’s many accusations that the The Justice Department prosecuted himhe is now charged with selecting an attorney general to lead the department. He is expected to choose someone fiercely loyal to him, experts previously told USA TODAY, and the the following people are eligible:
What we know so far about Trump’s cabinet:
- Chief of Staff: Trump appointed his senior campaign adviser Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff, the first woman in history to hold that title. The Florida political consultant largely stays out of the spotlight but is credited with helping Trump political comeback.
What are the cabinet’s positions?
The cabinet advises the President on issues related to their respective offices.
These are the cabinet positions of the 15 executive departments, which must be confirmed by the Senate:
- State Secretary
- Minister of Defense
- Attorney General
- Minister of the Interior
- Minister of Agriculture
- Minister of Commerce
- Minister of Labor
- Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Minister of Transport
- Minister of Energy
- Minister of Education
- Minister of Veterans Affairs
- Secretary of Homeland Security
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Minister of Finance
The Cabinet and presidential advisers are also there the Vice President, the Chief of Staff, the Ambassador to the United Nations, the Director of National Intelligence, the United States Trade Representative, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, the head of the Office of Management and Budget, the head of the Council of economic advisors, the head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the head of the Small Business Administration.
Contributors: Bart Jansen, Kinsey Crowley, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Riley Beggin, Michael Collins, USA TODAY, Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati researcher
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