President-elect Donald Trump is wasting no time as he starts naming people to shepherd his second term in the White House, including Cabinet positions and key advisory roles.
The Cabinet serves as an advisory board for the President in their subject area of expertise and duties and generally have the most influence on presidential decisions and actions.
According to news reports, Elon Musk has been very close to Trump playing an influential role in advising Trump and staffing decisions for his new administration. He’s even been present for his calls with foreign leaders such as with Ukraine’s President Volodymer Zelenskyy, however he has not been named for any particular position within his cabinet as of yet.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a descendent of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy. He made a run for the 2024 presidential election as an independent and eventually threw his endorsement behind Trump. While he has not been named for any cabinet position, he claims Trump has asked him to reorganize agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Cabinet includes the Vice President and 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General.
Here are the picks that Trump has chosen so far for his administration and what we know about them.
Who are Trump’s Cabinet picks?
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Susie Wiles, 67, has been chosen for Chief of Staff. She was a senior advisor to Trump’s 2024 presidential election and the first major decision that Trump announced after his win. Although not a Cabinet position, this is a key role in the White House.
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Mike Waltz, 50, has been chosen for National Security Advisor. He is a Florida Congressman, a retired Army National Guard officer and combat-decorated Green Beret. This position reports to the Secretary of Defense.
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Tom Homan, 62, has been tapped as ‘border czar’ to oversee border control, again. He previously acted as Trump’s head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will join his new administration. Homan will report to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
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Elise Stefanik, 40, has been chosen for United Nations ambassador. She is a New York congresswoman and has served as House Republican Conference chair since 2024 and would fill Trump’s first U.N. ambassador role. Nikki Haley held this post in the last Trump administration. Though not a Cabinet position, ambassadors report to the Secretary of State.
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Stephen Miller, 39, has been chosen to return as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. He served as a senior advisor in Trump’s first administration and White House director of speechwriting. This is a key advisory role outside of the Cabinet.
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Lee Zeldin, 44, has been chosen to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. He is a former New York congressmen and officer in the United States Army Reserve. EPA administrator is not in the Cabinet, but is seen as a Cabinet-level role.
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Kristi Noem, 52, has been picked to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. She is the Governor of South Dakota and is described as a “loyalist” that will be key to his domestic agenda.
It is expected that Marco Rubio will be tapped for Secretary of State although no official announcement has been made as of yet.
What positions make up the president’s White House Cabinet?
The president gets to make his choices for the 15 Cabinet positions and the Senate must them approve them with a majority vote. These roles also follow an order of succession to the Presidency of the United States:
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Vice President of the United States – JD Vance
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Department of State
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Department of the Treasury
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Department of Defense
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Department of Justice
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Department of the Interior
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Department of Agriculture
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Department of Commerce
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Department of Labor
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Department of Health and Human Services
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Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Department of Transportation
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Department of Energy
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Department of Education
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Department of Veterans Affairs
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Department of Homeland Security – Kristi Noem
The following positions have the status of Cabinet-rank:
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White House Chief of Staff – Susie Wiles
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Environmental Protection Agency – Lee Zeldin
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Office of Management & Budget
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United States Trade Representative
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United States Ambassador to the United Nations – Elise Stefanik
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Council of Economic Advisers
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Small Business Administration
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Director of National Intelligence
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Office of Science and Technology Policy
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Donald Trump’s Cabinet: Who are his picks for key White House roles?
