From Elon Musk to Richard Grenell, VOA: These could be the names of Donald Trump's new cabinet

After the election victory, another race began immediately for President-elect Donald Trump, the 11-week sprint to choose the new administration, which will have to be ready to take over the country on January 20, 2025.

A president's administration includes thousands of appointees, but in the first few weeks after the election, attention has focused on the composition of his cabinet.

Traditionally, it includes the vice president and the heads of 15 departments of the executive branch, such as the State, Justice, or Treasury Department.

In addition to the cabinet members, there are about 10 other officials who serve in positions considered to be at the level of a cabinet member, such as the US trade representative, the director of national intelligence and the White House chief of staff.

Except for the vice president and chief of staff, all cabinet-level appointees must be confirmed by the Senate.

On Thursday evening, Mr. Trump announced that Susie Wiles, one of the two top managers of his successful election campaign, will be his White House chief of staff. She thus becomes the first woman to serve in this position.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump has offered little information on the names that will make up his new cabinet.

Many who served in his first administration have since severed ties with the president-elect. Some of them even went so far as to support his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. However, a significant number of Mr Trump's former officials have maintained good relations with him and could re-emerge in important roles in the next administration.

Among those he may place in key positions are current and former members of Congress, as well as well-known figures from the business world who supported his campaign, such as SpaceX founder Elon Musk.

The transition team

Presidential candidates usually create transition teams well before the end of the election to move quickly with the process that follows.

Jo-Anne Sears, a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, served on the transition teams for former President George W. Bush and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

She told VOA that she has been in contact with members of Mr. Trump's transition team and expects the selection to be made among a large number of names under consideration.

"From what I'm hearing from the officials who are dealing with the transition issues is that they really want to bring the best and the brightest to Washington," Ms. Sears said. "That means they're going to come from different parts of the country and it's not just going to be from New York or Washington."

"I think he's going to try to bring in people who are real experts in their fields, whether it's national security, technology-related issues, or government efficiency, which I think will be one of his goals. " said Mrs. Sears.

Former Trump cabinet appointees

Some of the notable picks for top jobs in Mr. Trump's second administration are individuals who held top positions in the first administration that required Senate confirmation.

Robert Lighthizer served as trade representative for much of Mr. Trump's first term. He may re-emerge in the new administration in a higher role, such as that of Treasury Secretary.

Mike Pompeo, who served as CIA director and Secretary of State at separate times in Mr. Trump's first administration, could return to one of those posts, or to that of Defense Secretary.

John Ratcliffe served as Mr. Trump's Director of National Intelligence during the final year of his first term. He may be appointed to a senior intelligence-related post, or to that of the Attorney General (as the post of Attorney General is known in the US).

Linda McMahon, the former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, a professional wrestling company, served as head of the Small Business Administration in Mr Trump's first term. She is currently one of the leaders of Mr. Trump's transition team and her name is being discussed for the post of Commerce Secretary.

Richard Grenell, who served as Mr Trump's ambassador to Germany and then briefly in 2020 as acting director of National Intelligence, is believed to be in the running for secretary of state. However, Mr. Grenell, an extremely combative figure, may run into difficulties in the Senate confirmation process. He may also be a candidate for National Security Advisor, a non-Cabinet-level position that does not require Senate confirmation.

Robert O'Brien, Mr. Trump's former national security adviser, who also served as hostage envoy, could also get a top job in the new administration, possibly that of secretary of state.

Stephen Miller, who was a senior adviser to Mr Trump during his first administration, could also return to the White House. However, even Mr. Miller may face confirmation difficulties in the Senate.

Current and former members of Congress

Congressmen and former congressmen are also being considered as possible names for the new administration, including Utah state Sen. Mike Lee.

A lawyer and staunch supporter of Mr. Trump who helped to overturn the 2020 election, Mr. Lee is believed to be a front-runner for attorney general.

Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee is believed to be under consideration for various senior positions. He served as Mr. Trump's ambassador to Japan before being elected to the Senate. His name has been mentioned for positions related to trade and diplomacy.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who has gone from a fierce critic to an ardent supporter of Mr Trump, whose name was floated as a vice-presidential candidate last year, is already being considered for the position of Secretary of State.

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina is one of Mr. Trump's best-known supporters in the African-American community. He is being considered among other names for the post of secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, an Army veteran and strong supporter of national defense, is being considered for the post of Defense secretary.

Another name being considered for the top job at the Pentagon is Mike Waltz, a former Army Special Forces member and National Guard colonel who has served in Congress representing the state of Florida.

Mr. Waltz has been one of the strongest voices in defense of Mr. Trump in the media.

Tennessee lawmaker Mark Green, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, is seen as a possible choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

New York lawmaker Elise Stefanik has been mentioned as a possible ambassador to the United Nations.

Business leaders

Elon Musk played a major role in financing Mr. Trump's campaign and has signaled that he is open to serving on some kind of commission aimed at making the federal government more efficient, but his inclusion in an official Cabinet position seems unlikely. .

Mr. Musk currently serves as CEO of several companies that have multibillion-dollar contracts with the federal government, including rocket company SpaceX.

This creates a great opportunity for potential conflicts of interest, which would make it difficult to confirm him in the Senate.

John Paulson, a billionaire who runs companies that manage investment funds and has supported Mr. Trump since his first presidential campaign in 2016, is said to be being considered for the post of Treasury Secretary.

Also under consideration for the post is Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager and adviser to Mr. Trump's campaign.

One of Mr. Trump's transition team leaders, Howard Lutnick, chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, is a possible candidate for the economic policy post.

For a long time there have been rumors that Jamie Dimon, executive director of the JPMorgan Chase bank, is being considered for the post of Secretary of the Treasury. However, recent reports have suggested that he is not interested in such a thing.

The RFK Jr. factor.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy and the son of former attorney general Robert Kennedy, started the campaign as an independent candidate for president, but then withdrew and threw his support behind Mr. Trump.

In return, Mr. Trump has offered him a role in shaping public health policy.

During a late-campaign phone call with supporters, Mr Kennedy said Mr Trump had "promised" him control of the Department of Health and Human Services - which includes the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health , or as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

However, there are questions about whether Mr. Kennedy can survive Senate confirmation for a Cabinet-level position. Once an environmental activist, in recent decades he has become a well-known vaccine skeptic and advocate of conspiracy theories, so lawmakers may be reluctant to put him in charge of an agency concerned with public health.

Likewise, the long list of names under consideration for the new Trump administration may also include his former primary opponents, now turned supporters, Doug Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. / VOA