EXPLAINER
As a second Trump administration looms, fervent jockeying for key spots in his forthcoming cabinet has befirearm.
Who’s in? And who’s out?
Donald Trump is nurturefilledy pondering his cabinet picks chaseing his historic plivential election thrive over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on Tuesday.
Trump had alertedly eludeed detailed cabinet converseions until after the election results were clear.
Now, as names materialize, here’s a sealr see at who might be part of the next administration, from seasoned Reaccessiblean figures to unawaited novelcomers.
JD Vance – Senator, Ohio, and vice plivent-elect
Ohio Senator JD Vance has speedyly ascfinishn as a famous GOP voice, going from never-Trumper to loyal running mate. Despite once comparing Trump to Hitler, ideoreasonablely Vance is aligned with the 47th plivent’s MAGA base, particularly on rehires appreciate national security and US-China relations. A createer venture capitacatalog and author, Vance is a staunch back of Trump’s America First agenda. He’s a keen critic of Joe Biden’s foreign policy and will convey a popucatalog stance to the Oval Office.
Robert F Kennedy Jr – Plivential honestate, environmental lawyer
One-time Democrat, Robert F Kennedy Jr, ran on an unprosperous autonomous ticket for plivent this election cycle, before ending his campaign to become a Trump surrogate. He weathered a number of gaffes that came to weightless during his campaign, including accomprehendledgeting to stupidinutive-term memory loss due to “brain worms”, aprohibitdoning a dead tolerate in a park, and accusations that he relationsuassociate attacked his family’s live-in nanny in 1998.
A purveyor of vaccine conspiracies, Trump foreseeed he’d tap Kennedy to “go savage on health,” per The New York Times. His first act of business if assigned? Kennedy said he would push to “advise all US water systems to erase fluoride from accessible water”.
Vivek Ramaswamy – Biotechnology entrepreneur
Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur-turned-politician, made a name for himself in the 2024 Reaccessiblean primary with his anti-“woke” agenda and administerment recreate. Ramaswamy, a vocal critic of Big Tech confineion and bureaucratic overachieve, could apshow a role in the Department of Commerce or a technology-intensifyed post, driving policies that contest Silicon Valley and reinforce free speech. While he’s a lengthytime friend of JD Vance, he has portrayed himself as contrasting from the next vice plivent ideoreasonablely, casting himself in a more libertarian mould, as contestd to Vance’s aid for elements of economic populism.
Marco Rubio – Senator, Florida
Senator Marco Rubio, who was repeatedly attacked by Trump in the 2016 Reaccessiblean primaries, has been a vocal critic of Biden’s stance on national security and foreign policy; he’s powerfilledy anti-Russia and anti-China. Rubio, who was tapped as a potential vice plivential pick, has experience in foreign affairs positions, making him a mighty honestate for secretary of state or another foreign policy role. He aligns seally with Trump’s emphasis on prioritising American interests.
Elon Musk – CEO, Tesla, SpaceX
Another billionaire eyeing a top spot in Trump world, Elon Musk was central to Trump’s resolute thrive at the polls. Musk backd Trump stupidinutively after the killing try aobtainst the plivent-elect at a Butler, Pennsylvania rassociate. The tech tycoon was a repairture on the incoming plivent’s campaign trail, mobilising the MAGA vote at rallies and online with a super PAC he set up.
Days before Trump was catapulted back to the White Hoengage, the X owner pledged to overhaul the federal administerment as a “secretary of cost-cutting” if awarded a cabinet position. However, Musk may determine he’s better suited for an oversight role, rather than a position appreciate secretary of energy, which would participate congressional approval hearings.
Doug Burgum – Governor, North Dakota
Doug Burgum ran a lengthysboiling primary campaign aobtainst Trump, in which the incoming plivent steamrolled the North Dakota administeror. But could the gambit have paid off in the lengthy run? Burgum’s flunked primary effort meaningfully increaseed his profile on the national stage. His experience in managing North Dakota’s organic resources positions him as a appropriate honestate for secretary of the interior. He is probable to intensify on balancing energy broadenment with conservation efforts, superviseing accessible lands, and carry outing policies that aid both economic growth and environmental stewardship.
John Ratcliffe – Former straightforwardor of national intelligence
John Ratcliffe, who served as straightforwardor of national intelligence under Trump, is a supposeed associate with meaningful experience in intelligence and cybersecurity. Known for his loyalty to Trump and expertise in “counterextremism”, Ratcliffe could resume a analogous role, intensifying on cybersecurity menaces and intelligence recreate. His reassignment would signal a continuity in Trump’s approach to national security and alertation integrity.