U.S President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration is more than two months away but he has already handpicked his trusted lieutenants for the most coveted posts.
Early Picks
The early picks are the first woman Chief of Staff of the White House, the National Security Adviser, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and border in charge.
Barely two days after his Presidential victory over Democratic Party Vice-President candidate, Kamala Harris, the 78 year- old President-elect began forming his star team.
First Woman Chief Of Staff Of The White House
Trump rewarded Susie Wiles, one of his campaign managers by naming her as Chief of Staff of White House within two days of winning the election.
The Chief of Staff typically wields great influence.
The person manages White House staff, organizes the President’s schedule, and maintains contact with government departments and lawmakers.
Who Is Susie Wiles?
Susie, 67, is credited with running a successful campaign.
“Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected,” Trump said in a statement
He added, “I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”
Who Is Tom Honman?
On Sunday night, Trump announced that Tom Honman, the former Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement from his first administration, will be in charge of the country’s borders.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that Honman will be “in charge of our nation’s borders (“The Border Czar”).
Honman To Execute Trump’s Aggressive Immigration Plan
The 62 year- old veteran immigration official, has already promised to execute His Master’s will of cracking down on illegal immigrants.
Trump’s Signature Pledge
Besides mass deportations, this promise was central to Trump’s campaign.
He said that he would prioritize deporting immigrants in the U.S. illegally who posed safety and security threats and those working at job sites.
Who Is Lee Zeldin?
On the same day, Trump announced the appointment of former Congressman Lee Zeldin of New York state as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Zeldin, 44, a staunch Trump ally, served in Congress from 2015 to 2023, said he had accepted the role.
Who Is Elise Stefanik?
The following day, Trump named Elise Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman and his strong supporter, as U.S.Ambassador to the United Nations.
“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump said in a statement.
In a statement, Trump described Elise as an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.
A U.S. representative from New York state and House Republican conference chair, Stefanik, 40, took a leadership position in the House of Representatives in 2021.
Stefanik is a staunch supporter of Israel.
Who Is Mike Waltz?
Ending speculation about the National Security Adviser’s post, Trump named Mike Waltz as NSA on Tuesday.
A combat-decorated Green Beret, Mike has served as a Special Forces officer with multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa.
Mike Waltz is a fierce China critic.
During his tenure as the head of India caucus, Mike advocated for advancing U.S. defence and security cooperation with India.
Who Is Kristi Noem?
Trump also named South Dakota’s first woman Governor Kristi Noem to serve as the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Kristi, 52, is serving her second term as Governor.
She was also once seen as a possible running mate for Republican Trump.
Who Will Be The Secretary of State?
The guessing game however continues as Trump is yet to announce his choice for the high offices of the Secretary of State, Commerce Secretary and Treasury Secretary.
Although there are many contenders for the post of Secretary of State, the top contenders are Robert O’Brien, Richard Grenell, Bill Hagerty and Marco Rubio.
Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida, is also a top Secretary of State contender.
He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010.
In April 2015, Rubio launched a presidential bid instead of seeking reelection.
He suspended his campaign for the presidency on March 15, 2016, after losing to Donald Trump in the Florida Republican primary.
Marco Rubio Likely To Be Secretary of State
The New York Times reported that Trump seems to have made up his mind on Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
If this happens, Rubio will be the first Latino to serve as the nation’s top diplomat.
Interestingly, former NSA Robert C O’Brien’s post on X seems to indicate that Marco Rubio is already in as Secretary of State.
Brien’s post read, “POTUS @realDonaldTrump is assembling an All-Star foreign policy & national security team: @EliseStefanik UN Permanent Rep; @marcorubio SecState; @michaelgwaltz NSA; Tom Homan Border Czar; and, more to come.”
Selection Of The Ideal Candidate
While Robert C O’ Brien was Trump’s fourth and final National Security Adviser during his first term, Richard Grenell is among Trump’s closest foreign policy advisers.
During Trump’s first four-year term, Grenell served as acting director of national intelligence and U.S. Ambassador to Germany.
Who Will Be The Treasury Secretary?
Other names doing the rounds for the post of the Treasury Secretary are of Bessent, John Paulson, Larry Kudlow, Robert Lighthizer and Howard Lutnick.
Scott Bessent, a key economic adviser to Trump, is widely seen as a top candidate for Treasury Secretary.
Paulson is a billionaire hedge fund manager and major Trump donor.
Larry Kudlov who is Fox News network personality, served as Director of the National Economic Council for much of Trump’s first term.
Like Trump, Lighthizer is a trade skeptic and a firm believer in tariffs.
A loyalist, he served as Trump’s U.S. trade representative for essentially the then-president’s entire term.
Lutnick has uniformly praised the President-elect’s economic policies, including his use of tariffs.
He is also considered close to Trump’s most influential supporter, Elon Musk.
Who Will Lead The Department Of Commerce?
Professional wrestling magnate, Linda McMahon is seen as the frontrunner to lead Trump’s Department of Commerce.
She is a major donor and was an early supporter of the Republican president-elect when he first ran for the White House almost a decade ago.
Chances Of Kash Patel
He Who Pays Calls The Tune
This maxim holds good for Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who played a huge role in Trump’s comeback.
Musk is reported to have donated more than 130 million USD towards Trump election efforts this year.
Today, Musk has emerged as the second most powerful man in U.S. politics.
How Can Trump Pay Back the World’s Richest Man?
CNN reported that Musk is having his voice heard on social media on key staffing deliberations.
Musk is using the X social media platform, which he owns, to promote his political vision, CNN said.
On Sunday, Musk endorsed Republican Senator Rick Scott for U.S. Senate majority leader.
After Trump announced Elise Stefanik’s role, Musk voiced concerns on his X platform about how this could impact the Republicans’ potentially slim majority.
What Influence Will Musk Wield In The Trump Administration?
ABC News reported that Musk was present for at least two phone calls that the President elect had with world leaders.
Musk Does Not Want To Be Part Of The Cabinet
In an interview with Maria Bartimoro, Trump said that Musk would not hold a formal cabinet position.
“He doesn’t want to be in the cabinet. He just wants to be in charge of cost-cutting.”
Thanksgiving
In his 25-minute victory speech, Trump showered praise on Musk, called him a super genius and declared “a star is born—Elon!”
Analysts say that Trump will continue to rely on Musk’s wisdom and business acumen.
