Trump Cabinet picks: Who could fill positions like secretary of state, attorney general?
Editor's note: Follow here for updates on Trump's Cabinet on Monday, Nov. 11.
President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House for a second term, and the soon to be President has made two decisions about his Cabinet in the wake of his victory
Trump announced Susie Wiles as his chief of staff Thursday, making her the first woman to hold the position.
Trump said Saturday that neither former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will have a role at the start of the new administration.
"I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation," Trump said on Truth Social. "I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country."
Questions remain about the roles high-profile supporters such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate who endorsed him after dropping out of the race, and billionaire Elon Musk, who donated more than $118 million to his Trump-backing PAC, will play in the next administration. Trump has previously said he would give Musk a cost-cutting role in his administration while allowing anti-vaccine activist Kennedy to "go wild on health."
With a Republican Senate majority in place, Trump expects to have little resistance in confirming his Cabinet picks. Here are some of the potential nominees for Trump's cabinet.
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Who could be nominated for Secretary of State?
These are some of the contenders for secretary of state, according to media reports. The secretary of state is the president's chief foreign affairs advisor and head of the State Department.
Richard Grenell: Grenell is considered one of Trump's closest advisors on foreign affairs, with Washington Post reporting that Trump refers to him as, "my envoy." Reuters reported that when Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in September, Grenell sat in on the private meeting.
Bill Hagerty: The Tennessee senator worked on Trump's 2016 transition team and is well positioned to be confirmed by a Republican Senate, according to Reuters. Politico notes that he has used his role on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to stake a hawkish position on China.
Robert O'Brien: O'Brien was Trump's final national security advisor during the first term and has maintained close ties to the president-elect, according to Reuters, who reported that O'Brien met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in May. Politico notes that O'Brien is more friendly to NATO and Ukraine than other potential Secretary of State choices.
Marco Rubio: The Florida senator would likely have an easy path through the Senate, according to Politico. Reuters notes that Rubio was in consideration to be Trump's 2024 running mate and has similar foreign policy positions to the president-elect.
Who could be nominated for treasury secretary?
These are some of the contenders for secretary of the treasury, according to media reports. The treasury secretary's responsibilities involve formulating and advising financial, economic and tax policy both domestically and internationally:
Scott Bessent: The longtime hedge fund investor is among the top candidates for treasury secretary, according to Politico. Two sources close to Trump told Reuters that Bessent met with the president-elect on Friday.
John Paulson: The hedge fund manager and founder of New York investment management firm Paulson & Co. is also a contender for the role, according Reuters. The Wall Street Journal previously reported Paulson as a candidate to lead the Treasury Department, with the billionaire investor adding he would work with Musk to slash spending if he claimed the role.
Larry Kudlow: The Fox Business financial commentator could also have shot at the position, per Reuters and Politico. He previously served as director of the National Economic Council between 2018 to 2021, and Politico reported he served on an outside group promoting Trump's policies ahead of a second administration.
Robert Lighthizer: The attorney and former trade leader's name was also in the mix for the role, according to Reuters and Politico. Having served under Trump's first administration as the U.S. trade representative, he helped oversee Trump's aggressive use of tariffs and efforts to deal with China, Canada and Mexico.
Who could be nominated for attorney general?
After Trump's many accusations that the Justice Department was persecuting him, he is now tasked with selecting an attorney general to lead the department. He is expected to choose someone highly loyal to him, experts previously told USA TODAY, and the following people are in consideration:
Sen. Mike Lee: The Utah Senator is being considered most prominently
John Ratcliffe: Trump’s former Director of National Intelligence and a former GOP House member from Texas
Jeffrey Clark: Former assistant attorney general
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon: Trump-appointed judge who dismissed charges that he mishandled classified documents after leaving the White House
Mike Davis: Former counsel for nominations on the Senate Judiciary Committee
Mark Paoletta: Former 10-year counsel to a House committee and a White House veteran.
Stephen Miller: senior adviser in Trump’s White House.
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What we know about Trump's Cabinet so far:
Chief of Staff: Trump named his senior campaign adviser Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff, the first woman in history to hold the title. The Florida political consultant largely stays out of the spotlight but has been credited with helping Trump's political comeback.
What are the Cabinet positions?
The Cabinet advises the president on issues related to their respective offices.
These are the Cabinet positions from the 15 executive departments, which must be confirmed by the Senate:
Secretary of State
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Secretary of Treasury
The Cabinet and presidential advisers also include the vice president, the chief of staff, the ambassador to the United Nations, the director of National Intelligence, the U.S. trade representative, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, the head of the Office of Management and Budget, the head of the Council of Economic Advisors, the head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the head of the Small Business Administration.
Contributing: Victor Hagan, Bart Jansen, Kinsey Crowley, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Riley Beggin, Michael Collins, USA TODAY, Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump Cabinet picks: Latest news on State, Treasury and AG contenders