Who Has Trump Tapped For His Cabinet?
On Wednesday, returning president-elect Donald Trump announced he would be tapping Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his Secretary of State, thereby handing one of the more coveted cabinet positions to a competitor-turned-ally and the first Latino who would ever fill the role (if confirmed). With Rubio, Trump is picking a supporter but also long-time Washington insider. Other choices he made yesterday and in the days prior were more controversial, as the president-elect announced candidates with much less experience for ministerial roles. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-1) is Trump's pick for Attorney General, which turned some heads as Gaetz has recently been embroiled in ethics investigations and even resigned from Congress after the nomination. The 42-years old has served nearly two full terms in the House.
Trump also picked Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. The TV host, Fox News contributor, author, veteran and Army National Guard officer has no political experience but had reportedly also been considered for Trump's first cabinet. Military insiders told Politico the unusual choice caught them off guard.
Trump picked some more well-known Republicans for cabinet-level roles as well. Tulsi Gabbard is set to serve as Director of National Intelligence. The former Democratic Congresswoman, National Guard member, veteran and former presidential candidate hails from Hawaii. Governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem, was tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21) is another relative newcomer in Washington and is slated as the U.S. embassador to the UN. Noem and Stefanik have made names for themselves as firebrands in the Republican Party. More moderate picks are Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor and John Ratcliffe as CIA director, while Lee Zeldin as EPA administrator stands for Trump's push for deregulation of the agency. Trump also announced that he would create a new department for government efficiency, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former Republican candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy at the helm.