Former US President Donald Trump will return to the White House in January. Although negotiations have not yet begun to form his new cabinet, rumors and speculation about who might occupy positions in the Republican administration have circulated between his plane trips, political rallies and appearances at the television.
Elon Musk
Now a full-fledged Trumpist, the owner of social network X has contracts with the US government worth billions of dollars. Musk was apparently seeking a position that would give him responsibility for the regulators who oversee his companies. Trump appears to have ruled out the possibility of Musk holding a position in his cabinet, but has said he wants the tech billionaire in his administration to play some type of role that he has not specified. Musk, the richest person on the planet, proposed the creation of a Department of Government Effectiveness.
Mike Pompeo
Trump’s ally and loyalist, Mike Pompeo served as CIA director and secretary of state during his first term. After deciding not to compete for the Republican nomination with his former boss, Pompeo is seen by many as a key candidate for important positions in the new administration. A staunch supporter of Israel and staunch enemy of Iran, his name is being considered for the post of Secretary of Defense.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
During the presidential campaign, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reached 10% voting intentions. After throwing his support behind Trump, the son of assassinated Bobby Kennedy and nephew of JFK seriously believes he has a chance at winning a Republican cabinet post.
Trump’s campaign has ruled out Kennedy getting a job at the Health Department, but the president-elect has said that if he gets into the White House, he will be allowed to “do whatever he wants” in health care for women, while I would. let him “let off some steam” with food and medicine.
Richard Grenell
The former contributor to the right-wing Fox News channel is one of Trump’s closest foreign policy advisors. He will most likely be in the running to lead the State Department or other relevant foreign policy and national security positions. During the Republican’s first term, he served as U.S. ambassador to Germany and a staunch overseas advocate of “America First,” Trump’s credo. He has advocated the creation of an autonomous zone in eastern Ukraine to end the war, a position kyiv considers unacceptable.
Tom Cotton
In the final weeks of Trump’s running mate selection process, far-right Arkansas Republican and Sen. Tom Cotton emerged as a surprise candidate with a chance at the vice presidency. In “Send the Army,” a widely read opinion piece he published in 2020 in The New York TimesCotton assimilated the movement’s protests Black lives matter to a rebellion. Relying on the Insurrection Act, he called on the government to deploy the army against the protesters. He is very popular among Trump donors and his name is also among the candidates for Secretary of Defense.
Ben Carson
Retired neurosurgeon and Housing Secretary during the first Trump administration, Ben Carson called for a national ban on abortion, a position that is not shared by the majority of Americans and even by Trump himself. When he ran for the Republican nomination in 2016, he sparked controversy by comparing abortion to slavery and saying he wanted to see an end to Roe v. Wade (who guaranteed the right to abortion in the United States since the 1970s). .XX until 2022). When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision, Carson said it was a “crucial correction.” Trump could nominate Carson as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Scott Bessent
Manager of the macro-venture capital fund Key Square, Scott Bessent is an ally of JD Vance and one of Trump’s top economic advisors. Considered a possible Cabinet candidate, the Wall Street investor and prominent campaign fundraiser praised Trump’s negotiating strategy with the threat of tariffs.
Mike Waltz
A former U.S. military man and current Florida congressman, Michael Waltz has cemented his reputation in the House of Representatives as one of the leading advocates for a tougher policy toward China. He played a leading role in sponsoring laws reducing American dependence on minerals of Chinese origin.
We know that he maintains a strong friendship with Trump. While he expressed support for military assistance to Ukraine, he also advocated for better oversight of U.S. taxpayer funds earmarked for Ukraine’s defense. The American media have mentioned him as a possible Secretary of Defense or Secretary of State.
Robert Lighthizer
Robert Lighthizer is the highest-ranking trade official on Trump’s team. A strong supporter of tariffs, he was one of the main figures in Trump’s trade war against China. “The best American trade representative in American history,” Trump said of him. It seems almost certain that Lighthizer will return to the firm.
Scott Bessent and billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson both have a better chance than he does of becoming Treasury secretary, but Lighthizer has other options: returning to his old role as U.S. trade representative and becoming the new Commerce secretary.
Brooke Rollins
A former White House domestic policy advisor, Brooke Rollins maintains a close personal relationship with Trump. Considered one of the Republican’s most moderate advisers, she supported the penal code reform undertaken by the former president during his first term, reducing prison sentences for several relatively minor offenses. She is considered a leading candidate for chief of staff.
Susie Wiles
Susie Wiles could compete with Rollins for chief of staff. Although the political views of this Trump campaign co-director remain somewhat ambiguous, the overall impression is that she ran an agile and effective presidential campaign. His supporters believe he could introduce an element of organization and discipline often absent during Trump’s first term, during which there were several changes to the chief of staff position.
Donald Trump Jr.
In this campaign, he had less importance than in previous ones, but the eldest son of the president-elect remained active behind the scenes and contributed to the nomination of his friend JD Vance as vice president. He gained loyal Maga followers through his podcast “Triggered” and, along with his brother Eric Trump, took on a role in the transition process. Those who will officially lead the transition are Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald; and Linda McMahon, the former wrestling industry executive who, during Trump’s first term, led the Small Business Administration.
Stephen Miller
The man who was a high-ranking political adviser at the start of the first Trump administration will return to the White House for a second term during which, according to the president-elect, the largest mass deportation in the history of the United States will take place. be carried out. Stephen Miller, an anti-immigration extremist and principal architect of the anti-Muslim veto, is the founder of America First Legal, an organization he describes as the right’s “long-awaited answer” to the American Civil Liberties Union. He is already contributing to Trump’s plans for a second term.
With information from the Reuters agency. Translation of Francisco de Zárate
