Donald Trump’s top team: firebrands and stalwarts

Florida Senator Marco Rubio 2L), US former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (2L), Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (2R) and Son of Former US President Donald Trump, Eric Trump attend the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON — US President-elect Donald Trump is building his administration ahead of retaking the White House in January, handing top roles to a mixture of political allies, outright firebrands and a few relatively conventional figures.

These are the key nominations so far, some requiring potentially difficult Senate confirmations — unless Trump can circumvent scrutiny through a process called recess appointments.

Government Efficiency: Elon Musk

Musk, the world’s richest man, has been named to lead a newly created entity called the Department of Government Efficiency, along with another wealthy Trump ally, Vivek Ramaswamy.

READ: ‘First Buddy’: Elon Musk takes unusual star role with Trump 

Musk says he is targeting $2 trillion in cuts from the federal government’s $7 trillion budget, without explaining how.

There has also been no explanation of how the Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink boss would navigate conflicts of interest arising from his position as a major US government contractor.

Secretary of State: Marco Rubio

Trump tapped the Florida senator as top diplomat, with an eye to intensifying the US power struggle with China.

Rubio has said China “doesn’t just seek to be the most powerful nation in the world, they seek to reorient the world.”

READ: Trump set to name Marco Rubio secretary of state – NYT

He is a fervent supporter of Israel and longtime critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth

Fox News host and National Guard veteran Hegseth was nominated to lead the world’s most powerful military, despite a slim CV.

Hegseth joined Fox News — Trump’s favorite network — in 2014 and is a host on Fox and Friends Weekend and Fox Nation. The Pentagon employs some 2.9 million people and has a budget close to three quarters of a trillion dollars.

National Security Advisor: Mike Waltz

Congressman and former special forces officer Waltz has been tapped as Trump’s top White House foreign policy advisor.

Waltz is critical of both China, which he calls an “existential” threat, and Russia, but backs winding down support for Ukraine.

CIA director: John Ratcliffe

Ratcliffe, director of national intelligence at the tumultuous end of Trump’s first term, is tapped to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

He is close to Trump and defended him during his first impeachment trial for allegedly blackmailing Ukraine’s president. But he is seen as somewhat of an institutionalist and a relatively safe pair of hands at the CIA.

Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard

Gabbard, a former Hawaii congresswoman, switched sides from the Democrats to back Trump’s reelection. She has long held isolationist foreign policy views and made comments supportive of US adversaries, including Putin’s Russia.

As director of national intelligence, she would oversee coordination of the 18 intelligence agencies.

Attorney General: Matt Gaetz

Trump’s announcement of Gaetz for the top law enforcement post stirred instant controversy. A pro-Trump firebrand in Congress, Gaetz is subject to a House ethics probe into alleged sex trafficking.

The Justice Department, which he would head, announced last year that it would not bring charges in the same case, after a lengthy inquiry.

Homeland Security Secretary: Kristi Noem

A longtime Trump loyalist and South Dakota governor, Noem would play a key role in any Trump effort to restrict immigration and deport undocumented migrants.

Noem became famous for admitting that she shot an “untrainable” pet dog, saying this showed her ability to make tough choices.

Veteran immigration official Tom Homan is set to be the country’s “border czar.”

UN ambassador: Elise Stefanik

New York congresswoman Stefanik is a vocal Trump ally and pro-Israel stalwart.

Ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee

Trump says the former Arkansas governor, a Christian pastor-turned-politician, “loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him.”

Others

Environmental Protection Agency: Lee Zeldin.

White House chief of staff: Susie Wiles.

Treasury Secretary: no announcement yet, but one of the names flagged in US media is billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent.