Who could be in Trump’s Cabinet? Contenders for new top team from RFK Jr to Elon Musk
Now Donald Trump has won the 2024 presidential election, all eyes are on who he appoints as his top team.
The individuals selected for Cabinet positions are meant to be the president’s close allies, ideally with some interest or experience in the department they head.
But the former president has made it clear his priority will be appointing loyalists rather than those best suited for a position – a takeaway from his first administration where he faced record Cabinet turnover.
It is worth noting that being chosen for Trump’s cabinet is no guarantee of longevity or success - far from it. Some of his first term administration ended up being charged with crimes or serving time in prison.
That being said, here are some of Trump’s potential Cabinet picks as he looks towards taking office again in 2025.
Chief of Staff
Brooke Rollins
Rollins is a loyal Trump ally who currently serves as the CEO of the America First Policy Institute – the right-wing think tank expected to have a large influence on Trump’s administration.
A lawyer who served as the White House domestic policy adviser in Trump’s final year in the White House, Rollins was generally considered one of Trump’s more moderate advisers while in office.
Policies she supported during Trump’s first term were criminal justice reforms that lessened prison sentences for some relatively minor offenses.
Secretary of State
Richard Grenell
Grenell espouses the same rhetoric and values as the former president, helping push false claims of election interference after the 2020 election and is noticeably combative toward skeptics and critics.
He was the first openly gay holder of a Cabinet position during the first Trump administration and served as Acting Director of National Intelligence, Ambassador to Germany and Special Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations.
Several people close to Trump told the New York Times that Grenell has a good chance of becoming Secretary of State or holding another top foreign policy position.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Since dropping his own independent bid for president, Kennedy fully joined Team Trump with the president-elect confirming he will take a leading role in health during the campaign.
Kennedy is often criticized for sharing health-related conspiracy theories and has pushed misinformation about vaccines and HIV/AIDS denialism.
His other concerning ideas include removing fluoride from drinking water and potentially banning certain vaccines.
Secretary of Defense
Marco Rubio
Rubio, a Florida Senator, has historically backed Trump’s foreign policy and current skepticism toward Ukraine military funding, making him another potential Secretary of Defense option.
The former GOP presidential candidate has long been involved in foreign affairs in the Senate, particularly as it relates to Latin America, and he has solid relationships throughout the party.
Tom Cotton
Cotton is an Army veteran and MAGA-aligned Senator from Arkansas whose name has been floated around for Secretary of Defense thanks to his hawkish views.
He has favored taking a more aggressive approach to foreign policy with Iran and China and is a strong supporter of Israel.
Bill Hagerty
A U.S. senator from Tennessee who worked on Trump’s 2016 transition effort, Hagerty is considered a top contender for secretary of state.
Aligning with Trump’s strong offensive position to China and Iran, Hagerty is not afraid to take a less popular position in the name of maintaining a hawk-like attitude making him a viable candidate for a Cabinet position, eight people with knowledge of the matter told Politico.
Before becoming a MAGA-aligned Tennessee Senator, Hagerty served as Trump’s ambassador to Japan.
Attorney General
Ken Paxton
Former senator Paxton has been Texas attorney general since 2015.
Perhaps one of the more well-known state attorney generals, Paxon has made a name for himself fighting for Texas’s strict abortion ban, aggressive anti-immigration policies and defeating his own set of impeachment charges.
Earlier this year, Trump called Paxton “talented” and told reporters he was considering him for attorney general.
Mike Lee
Utah senator Lee is a Trump-critic turned ally. He refused to endorse Trump during the 2016 Republican primaries but changed his tune in 2020 and 2024. He led the effort to acquit his impeachment charges and supported Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Having become a close confidant of Trump in recent years – even launching an X account dedicated to sharing MAGA views – Lee could also be a top contender for AG.
Secretary of Energy
Doug Burgum
Billionaire businessman Burgham is one of the wealthiest politicians in the US. During his short-lived presidential campaign, Burgum made energy a pillar of his proposed policies and even focused his Republican National Convention speech on energy.
Trump has praised the North Dakota governor’s knowledge of energy. In July, Burgum told CNN that during a conversation with Trump, the former president referred to him as “Mr. Secretary” – hinting at a potential Cabinet position.
Secretary of Homeland Security
Stephen Miller
Trump’s senior advisor Miller has been a familiar face on the campaign trail, frequently opening for his boss at rallies with a torrent of anti-immigrant rhetoric.
To carry out his mass deportation plan, Trump may rely on familiar faces who helped shape his immigration policies during his first administration like Miller – one of the staunchest anti-immigration supporters.
He was among those who strongly supported separating families at the border, banning Chinese students from studying in the U.S. and more.
Other high-profile figures
Other Trump supporters who could be considered for Cabinet positions are former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and New York Representative Elise Stefanik.
And although Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been a major supporter of Trump during the campaign, he may not have a formal role during his second term.
While he could play a role in Trump’s administration, and has discussed his enthusiasm for cost-cutting, the former president said it would not be a Cabinet position because Musk himself does not want that.