Donald Trump’s Cabinet: Who Has the President-Elect Picked So Far?

President-elect Donald Trump has been vocal about his plans to do things differently in his second administration, moving quickly to assemble a cabinet of individuals he expects to be loyal.

While speaking to podcaster Joe Rogan, Trump said that his biggest mistake during his first term was trusting “bad or disloyal people,” pointing to former Chief of Staff John Kelly and National Security Advisor John Bolton as key examples.

With much of the old GOP guard gone from Washington, Trump has so far emphasized selecting aides and allies who were among his strongest backers.

Here’s a look at who he’s selected so far.

Kristi Noem, Homeland Security

Trump has selected South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, CNN reports.

Noem, 52, has served as governor of South Dakota since 2019 and was previously a U.S. Representative from 2011 to 2019. Known for her strong support of Trump’s policies, she has been an outspoken advocate for strict immigration enforcement and enhanced border security. With a Republican majority in the Senate, her confirmation is expected to proceed smoothly.

As a staunch supporter of Trump’s immigration agenda, Noem is anticipated to play a significant role in advancing policies aimed at reducing illegal immigration and strengthening border security. Her leadership at DHS is seen as critical for these initiatives.

In choosing Noem, Trump has selected a loyal ally to lead an agency responsible for border protection, immigration oversight, disaster response, and the U.S. Secret Service.

Throughout his campaign, Trump pledged to undertake the largest deportation operation in U.S. history if elected to a second term.

Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff

Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager.

Wiles has a background in Florida politics. She helped Ron DeSantis win his first race for Florida governor. Six years later, she was key to Trump’s defeat of him in the 2024 Republican primary.

Wiles’s hiring was Trump’s first major decision as president-elect, and considering their close relationship, it could be a defining test of his incoming administration. Wiles is said to have earned Trump’s trust partly by guiding the most disciplined of Trump’s three presidential campaigns.

Wiles was able to help keep Trump on track as few others have, not by criticizing his impulses but by winning his respect by demonstrating his success after taking her advice.

Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser

Trump asked Florida Representative Mike Waltz, a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, a person familiar with the matter said Monday.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before Trump made a formal announcement.

The move would put Waltz at the forefront of a litany of national security crises, ranging from the ongoing effort to provide weapons to Ukraine and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah.

Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and worked as a policy adviser in the Pentagon when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs.

He is considered hawkish on China and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its ongoing mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population.

Tom Homan, ‘Border Czar’

Tom Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority: carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history.

Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign.

Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump’s policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to “run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.”

Democrats have criticized Homan for defending Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border.

Elise Stefanik, United Nations Ambassador

New York Representative Elise Stefanik has been one of Trump’s most steadfast defenders since his first impeachment.

Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was chosen by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference Chair in 2021 after former Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney was removed for publicly criticizing Trump’s false claims of winning the 2020 election.

Stefanik, now 40, has served in this role as the third-ranking member of House leadership.

Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents regarding antisemitism on their campuses contributed to two of these presidents resigning, further raising her national profile.

The congresswoman has been particularly vocal on foreign policy concerning Israel. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, she has focused on criticizing the United Nations, accusing it of antisemitism over its criticism of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, which has reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 43,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

While Trump has yet to fully outline his foreign policy approach for the coming term, his stance is framed as “peace through strength,” and Stefanik would likely represent American interests in ending the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump’s priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump’s first administration.

Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump’s policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families.

Throughout the campaign, Trump argued that deporting people who are in the United States illegally would meet the nation’s economic, national security, and social priorities.

Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security.

Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency

Trump has chosen former New York Representative Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues but is a longtime supporter of the former president.

The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X, “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.”

He added, “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water. “

During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration’s promotion of electric vehicles and incorrectly referred to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. He also frequently told his audiences that his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration.

Under Zeldin’s leadership, the EPA is expected to begin a lengthy process of repealing and replacing various standards established during the Biden administration. Key regulations at risk include stringent methane emission standards for the oil and gas industry, which Biden’s EPA implemented to reduce climate-changing pollutants.

In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.”

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State (Pending Confirmation)

Florida Senator Marco Rubio is poised to secure a top role in the Trump cabinet as Secretary of State, according to multiple sources.

Rubio, 53, currently serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Rubio is known for his firm stances on China and Venezuela and brings significant foreign policy experience to the position.

With Republicans set to assume control of the Senate in January, his confirmation is expected to proceed smoothly with support from GOP colleagues.

As the son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio will be the first Latino to serve as America’s top diplomat when the Republican president-elect takes office in January. Earlier this year, he was also considered for Trump’s vice presidential nomination and has since developed a strong working relationship with the former president following their 2016 primary race.

A key question is whether Rubio would deprioritize U.S. interventions in certain regions to focus more on countering China. Such an approach would align with Trump’s “America First” doctrine but could contrast with some of Rubio’s previous positions.