Trump cabinet: Who dey in and who fit dey road dey come?

Wetin we call dis foto, Elise Stefanik, Tom Homan and Susie Wiles

11 November 2024

New Informate 12 November 2024

Donald Trump don make di first official hires of im incoming administration, naming im chief of staff, border tsar, ambassador to di United Nations and one environmental protection agency head.

Di president-elect transition team dey vet oda candidates ahead of im return to di White House on 20 January 2025.

Susie Wiles, wey bin head im campaign, become di first female chief of staff, while Tom Homan, wey serve for di first Trump term, go play a critical role on border and immigration.

President dey responsible for about 4,000 political appointments – process wey fit take months. Dis na a closer look at di posts wey don already dey filled, and di names wey dem dey mention for di top jobs.

National secuity adviser – Mike Waltz

President-elect Donald Trump dey expected to select Florida congressman Michael Waltz as di next national security adviser, sources don tell CBS News, BBC US news partner.

Di national security adviser advise di president on various threats to US and Waltz go likely get to help navigate di US position on di wars for Israel, and for Ukraine and Russia.

E dey considered to be influential role and no require Senate confirmation.

Border tsar – Tom Homan

Dis na ogbonge job because e include responsibility for Trump mass deportations of millions of undocumented migrants, wey be a central campaign pledge.

Trump make di announcement on Truth Social, calling Homan a “stalwart” on border control.

Di former police officer be acting director of di US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) for Trump first term and e don advocate for a zero-tolerance stance on di issue.

“Trump dey come back in January, I go dey on im heels coming back,” e tok for July. “And I go run di biggest deportation force dis country don ever see.”

United Nations ambassador – Elise Stefanik

Media reports – wey dey confirmed by BBC US partner CBS News – say di New York congresswoman don dey offered di UN ambassador job.

Stefanik don make national headlines with her sharp questioning for congressional committees, first for Trump 2019 impeachment hearings and again dis year quizzing college leaders about anti-semitism on campus.

For im statement to di New York Post, Trump describe her as “an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter”.ugh, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement to the New York Post.

Certain political appointments for di US – including di UN ambassador job – require di approval of di US Senate. But Trump don demand say make di next Senate leader let am make appointments without traditional confirmation votes.

Stefanik become di youngest woman eva wey dey elected to Congress for 2014, wen she be 30. She continue to represent New York 21st District.

Afta she enta politics, di fourth-ranking House Republican bin position herself as a moderate and criticise Trump – but later become im loyal defender.

Di UN ambassador role dey crucial to global cooperation and security, and Stefanik nomination come as conflicts continue to spread for Ukraine and di Middle East.

Stefanik na supporter of Israel and she also dey criticise di UN for wetin she say na lack of sufficient backing for di war against Hamas.

If dem confam her, Stefanik go replace UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a career diplomat wey don work for di US Foreign Service for 35 years.

Di New York Congresswoman get small experience for foreign policy and national security.

She don serve for di House Armed Services Committee and di House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Since Hamas 7 October attack, she become one of di most outspoken supporters of Israel for Congress. She also lead congressional hearings about university presidents wey handle protests for college campuses.

Before Trump announce Stefanik, she don rise to become di highest ranking woman for House Republican leadership.

Dem born and raise her for upstate New York. Stefanik na di first member of her family to earn a college degree afta graduating from Harvard University in 2006.

Soon afta, she enta politics to serve as a White House domestic policy adviser under President George W Bush and eventually become a senior aide to Bush chief of staff Joshua Bolten.

Stefanik later become a top campaign adviser for Paul Ryan wen e run for vice-president alongside Mitt Romney.

Her appointment go leave di 21st Congressional District seat for New York open. Dis go lead to a special election.

Head of Enviornmental Protection Agency – Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin, a former New York congressman, don agree to lead di Environmental Protection Agency, both im and Trump tok. Di Senate go still need to confirm im appointment.

E go dey in charge of tackling America climate policy for dis role.

“We go restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make US di global leader of AI,” Zeldin tok for statement on X, formerly Twitter. “We go do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”

Zeldin don for long be Trump pady-pady – and e be one of 126 Republican members of Congress wey sign onto a brief to di Supreme Court wey contest di 2020 election results.

While serving in congress from 2015 to 2023, Zeldin vote against expanding a number of environmental policies. E don already say e plan to “roll back regulations” from day one.

E never earn high marks from environmental groups for im voting record on environmental issues.

Chief of staff – Susie Wiles

Susie Wiles and campaign co-chair Chris LaCivita be di masterminds behind Trump victory over Kamala Harris.

For im victory speech, Trump call her “the ice maiden” – as e refer to her composure – and say she like to stay in di background. Wiles be di first appointment for Trump top team.

Di chief of staff na most times di president top aide, overseeing daily operations for di West Wing and managing di boss staff.

Wiles, 67, don work inside Republican politics for years, from Ronald Reagan successful 1980 presidential campaign to electing Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis as governors of Florida.

Republicans don say she command respect and get di ability to manage di big egos of those for Trump orbit, wey fit enable her to impose a sense of order wey none of im four previous chiefs of staff fit do.

Attorney General

Wetin we call dis foto, Ken Paxton bin dey impeached on corruption charges but bin dey acquitted

No personnel decision fit dey more critical to di trajectory of Trump second term dan im appointee to lead di Department of Justice.

After di relationships wey no too smooth with both Jeff Sessions and William Barr, di attorneys general during im first term, Trump dey widely expected to pick a loyalist wey go use im prosecutorial power in di manner of an “attack dog”.

Among di names wey dey float for di cabinet post na Aileen Cannon, di Trump-nominated federal judge wey throw out im classified documents case; ex- justice department lawyer Jeffrey Clark, wey dey alleged to support Trump efforts to overturn di 2020 election results; Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, wey don dey both indicted and impeached like Trump; Matthew Whitaker, di man wey take over for three months as acting attorney general afta Sessions step down for Trump request; Mike Davis, wey be right-wing activist wey once clerk for Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and don issue bombastic threats against Trump critics and journalists; and Mark Paoletta, wey serve for Trump budget office and argue say no legal requirement dey for a president to stay out of justice department decisions.

Secretary of State

Di US secretary of state na di president main adviser on foreign affairs, and dey act as America top diplomat wen representing di country overseas.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio – wey most recently dey under consideration to be Trump vice-president – na a major name wey dey go round for di key cabinet post.

Rubio, 53, get a hawkish view of China. E oppose Trump for di 2016 Republican primary but don since settle with am. E be a senior member of di Senate foreign relations committee and vice-chairman of di chamber select intelligence panel.

Oda contenders for di job include biotech entrepreneur and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy; Trump former national security adviser Robert O’Brien; Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty, wey previously be Trump ambassador to Japan; and Brian Hook, di hawkish special envoy to Iran for Trump first term and di man wey dey lead di transition effort for di State Department.

One dark horse for di nomination, na Richard Grenell, a loyalist wey serve as ambassador to Germany, special envoy to di Balkans and acting national intelligence chief. Grenell, 58, wey dey heavily involved in Trump efforts to overturn im 2020 election defeat and e even dey im private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for September.

Intelligence/national security posts

Grenell combative style fit make am a better fit for national security adviser – position wey no require Senate confirmation – dan secretary of state.

Also in line for major posts for a second Trump term na former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe; Keith Kellogg, wey be national security adviser to Trump first Vice-President Mike Pence; former defence department official Eldridge Colby; and Kash Patel, loyalist wey staff di national security council and become chief of staff to di acting secretary of defence for Trump final months in office.

Patel, 44, wey help block di transition to di incoming Joe Biden administration for di latter role, na pesin wey tok-tok say fit become the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief.

Trump don also say e go fire Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) Director Chris Wray, wey e nominate for 2017 but wey e don since fall out with. Jeffrey Jensen, a former Trump-appointed US attorney, dey under consideration to replace Wray.

Defence secretary

Trump don previously single out Christopher Miller, im final acting defence secretary, as a candidate wey fit dey nominated to lead di military.

Miller, wey be retired Army Special Forces colonel, run di National Counterterrorism Center and – more recently – write di defence chapter of di controversial Project 2025 wish list for a second Trump term, though Trump don distance himself from the document.

Other names dem dey discuss include Michael Waltz, Florida lawmaker wey dey di armed services committee for di US House of Representatives, and Robert O’Brien.

Treasury secretary

Reports say Trump dey consider Robert Lighthizer, a free trade sceptic wey lead di tariff war with China as di US trade representative, as im chief financial officer.

But at least four others fit dey under consideration for di role, including Scott Bessent, wey be billionaire hedge fund manager wey don become a major fundraiser and economic adviser to di president-elect; John Paulson, anoda megadonor from di hedge fund world; former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Jay Clayton; and Fox Business Network financial commentator Larry Kudlow, wey run Trump national economic council during im first term.

Commerce secretary

Di woman co-chairing Trump transition team, Linda McMahon, na im reports say be a key contender to represent US businesses and job creation for im cabinet – after previously serving as small business administrator during im first term.

Others wey fit fill dis vacancy include Brooke Rollins; Robert Lighthizer; and Kelly Loeffler, a wealthy businesswoman wey briefly serve for di US Senate.

Interior secretary

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem – wey dem pass over from becoming Trump running mate partly sake of di mata about her admission say she kill her pet dog – fit see her loyalty to am pay off with di leadership of di interior department, wey dey manage public land and natural resources.

She fit compete with North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum for di role.

Energy secretary

Doug Burgum also be a contender to lead di energy department, where e go implement Trump pledges to “drill, baby, drill” and overhaul US energy policy.

A software entrepreneur wey sell im small company to Microsoft for 2001, Burgum briefly run for di 2024 Republican primary before dropping out, endorsing Trump and quickly impressing am with im low-drama persona and sizeable wealth.

Former energy secretary Dan Brouillette also dey in di running according to reports.

Press secretary

Karoline Leavitt, 27, wey impress Trump as im campaign national press secretary, don already serve as assistant White House press secretary and fit be di administration spokesperson.

Robert F Kennedy Jr

RFK Jr, as e dey known, na environmental lawyer by trade, a vaccine doubter by fame and di nephew of former President John F Kennedy.

E dey on a shortlist to run di health and human services department, multiple people close to di president-elect campaign tell CBS.

Despite having no medical qualifications to im name, Kennedy, 70, dey expected to become a kind of “public health tsar” for di Trump administration.

Speculation dey ground about im inability to pass one background check for security clearance due to past controversies, including dumping deadi bodi of bear for New York Central Park.

Besides a new job for di health and human services department, Kennedy fit also influence policy for di agriculture department, di Environmental Protection Agency, di Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and di Food and Drug Safety Administration (FDA).

Elon Musk

Di world’s richest man pour millions of dollars into re-electing Trump and critics say e go now get di power to shape di regulations wey affect im companies Tesla, SpaceX and X.

Both im and Trump don focuse on di idea of am leading a new “Department of Government Efficiency”, where e go cut costs and streamline wetin e cals a “massive, suffocating federal bureaucracy”.

Di agency acronym – DOGE – na playful reference to one “meme-coin” cryptocurrency wey Musk bin previously promote.

But Musk, 53, fit also play a role for global diplomacy. E participate for Trump first call with Ukraine’ Zelensky on Wednesday.

Who no go make di cut?

On Saturday, Trump announce ontop im Truth Social platform say e “no go invite former [UN] Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo” to work for am again.

E come one day after long-time padi-padi Roger Stone identify di two as “neocons” likely to form “evil fifth column” against di Trump agenda. Haley also challenge, and harshly criticise, Trump during di 2024 Republican primary. Pompeo bin dey considered as a top contender to be defence secretary.

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton don rule imself out for a job as e expect to hold di third-highest rank for di new Senate Republican majority.

Also rumours say Utah Senator Mike Lee dey in di running, e tell Deseret News “I get di job I want” and Republicans must “take full advantage” of dia return to power for Washington.