Who has Trump picked for his Cabinet so far? Dr. Mehmet Oz among latest picks
Editor's note: For the latest updates on Trump's Cabinet picks, follow along here.
Donald Trump continues to paint a clearer picture of his incoming Cabinet with more nominations Tuesday.
The president-elect chose physician and TV star Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as the administrator of the U.S Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Wall Street billionaire Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary. He later revealed WWE co-founder Linda McMahon is his pick for education secretary.
And on Monday, he picked Fox Business host and fellow former reality TV star Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation and Brendan Carr to head the Federal Communications Commission.
Meanwhile Trump stood by his decision Tuesday to nominate former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general, saying he would not reconsider the pick, according to Reuters.
This comes as files containing witness statements with damaging testimony against Gaetz were hacked on Monday, according to an email obtained by the USA TODAY Network. This included a unredacted deposition of a woman who reportedly claimed she had sex with the congressman when she was 17. Gaetz has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Here's the latest on Trump's latest choices.
Matt Gaetz: Trump's Cabinet picks are already roiling Congress – including some Republicans.
Dr. Oz to tackle 'illness industrial complex' with RFK Jr.
Trump said he plans to nominate physician and television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator.
The agency operates under the Department of Health and Human Services, which Trump announced last week would be led by 2024 independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has previously spread misinformation about vaccines and the COVID-19 virus.
"America is facing a healthcare crisis, and there may be no physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again," Trump said in a statement. "Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake."
Oz worked as a heart surgeon until appearing as a health expert on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in the 1990s and by 1999 starring in "The Dr. Oz Show" for 13 seasons. The physician has offered insight on various health sectors, including vitamin companies.
Howard Lutnick picked as commerce secretary
Trump said he plans to nominate Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick to serve as commerce secretary under his second administration.
The Wall Street billionaire is expected to offer insight relating to job creation and economic growth, pending Senate approval. Lutnick, 63, has already been working to fill 4,000 political positions in the federal government alongside Trump transition team co-chair Linda McMahon.
The president-elect also said Lutnick would lead his tariff and trade agenda, campaign promises that were central in his White House bid. Lutnick has said he agrees with the president-elect’s policies on immigration, cryptocurrency and tariffs on imported goods.
He also said he agreed to increase his involvement in the Republican's presidential campaign following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people, and the abduction of more than 250 hostages.
Linda McMahon picked as education secretary
Trump also named former wrestling executive Linda McMahon to be his new secretary of education.
Pending Senate approval, the former head of the Small Business Administration would lead the Education Department, which administers federal student aid programs, offers some funding for public schools and collects data on U.S. education. Trump said he aims to close the department and redistribute most services to state-level education officials.
"We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort," Trump said in the statement Tuesday.
From 2017 to 2019, McMahon served as administrator of the Small Business Administration under the original Trump administration. In 2010, she ran as the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Connecticut before losing to current Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
A longtime Trump ally, she served as chair of the board for conservative think tank America First Policy Institute, which was founded in 2021. She also co-led Trump's transition team alongside Howard Lutnick.
Trump's picks so far: What we know
Here are Trump's picks for key positions in his administration.
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.
Attorney General: Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has been nominated as the next Attorney General overseeing the Justice Department, that he has long criticized.
Secretary of State: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is nominated as the next Secretary of State. He will bring foreign policy experience through his roles in the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A Cuban-American, he is set to be the first Latino person to be Secretary of State.
Director of National Intelligence: Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is nominated as the director of national intelligence. The former Democratic presidential candidate-turned Republican represented Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District from 2013-2021.
Ambassador to the United Nations: Trump nominated Elise Stefanik, a five-term Republican representing a northern New York district, as his pick for UN ambassador. She is the House Republican Conference Chair and a former contender for Trump's running mate.
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Trump has named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The 2024 independent candidate has previously criticized vaccines and questioned the origin of the COVID-19 virus. He is arguably best known for spreading unfounded claims about a link between childhood vaccines and autism.
Secretary of Defense: Trump nominated former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to Defense secretary. A Fox News commentator, Hegseth served in the U.S. Army National Guard and had led veteran's advocacy groups.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Trump has appointed Lee Zeldin as the administrator of The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Zeldin was a Congressman for parts of Long Island, New York and ran but lost against Kathy Hochul in the 2022 gubernatorial race.
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: Trump designated his former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as CIA director. Ratcliffe previously was a House member from Texas before serving as director of national intelligence at the end of Trump's first presidency.
Secretary of Homeland Security: Trump announced his choice of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. The pick puts the hardline conservative governor, who sent the state's National Guard to the southern border, in a key role on immigration.
Secretary of Interior: Trump has nominated Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to be his secretary of Interior coordinating federal policy to several territories. Burgum previously ran to be Republican presidential nominee before dropping out in December and has long been vocal about fossil fuels and energy issues.
Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Trump has nominated former Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Collins to be his secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. He served as a congressman representing Georgia's 9th district from 2013 to 2021. A trusted Trump loyalist, he is a chaplain of the United States Air Force Reserve Command and served in the Iraq War in 2008.
Secretary of the Department of Energy: Trump is nominating oil industry executive Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy and 2024 campaign donor to lead the Department of Energy. Wright, who has expressed skepticism about climate change science, would join a Trump administration that campaigned to roll back climate change policies and clean energy spending ushered in during President Biden's term.
Deputy chief of staff for policy: Long-standing Trump adviser Stephen Miller has been tapped for deputy chief of staff for policy in Trump's next administration. The 39-year-old served as senior adviser to Trump and director of speechwriting during the Republican's first term in the White House and is credited with shaping Trump’s immigration policies.
'Border czar': Trump has appointed Tom Homan to oversee deportation policy and aviation security. Homan was a Border Patrol agent for 34 years and served in Trump's first administration as acting ICE director. He drew controversy for strict immigration enforcement, including the "zero-tolerance" policy which separated families of undocumented immigrants.
National security adviser: Trump has named Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as his national security adviser. Waltz has held civilian positions at the Pentagon, was on the House Armed Services Committee and has supported Trump's isolationist view of foreign relations.
U.S. ambassador to Israel: Trump announced he is nominating former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as his U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a Baptist minister and former Fox News host, who has run for the Republican presidential nomination twice, unsuccessfully. His daughter is Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary during Trump's first presidency.
White House Counsel: Trump tapped William McGinley to serve as his White House counsel. McGinley, a partner at the Washington-based law firm Holtzman Vogel, worked as White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first presidency.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York: Trump has nominated Jay Clayton as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Clayton has previously served as chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump's first term.
Deputy attorney general: Trump has decided lawyer Todd Blanche will serve as deputy attorney general. Blanche is known for aggressively representing the president-elect in his New York hush money trial and in two federal criminal cases.
White House Communications Director: Trump named Steven Cheung to be his communications director in his second term. Cheung worked as the rapid response director for Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and was perhaps the most adversarial of the candidate's spokespersons, describing opponents and "snowflakes" and "cucks" who suffered from "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
White House Press Secretary: Trump named Karoline Leavitt as his second-term White House press secretary. She's expected to be the youngest to ever hold the position.
Secretary of Transportation: Trump has named former reality TV star Sean Duffy as his pick for Secretary of Transportation. Once a cast member on MTV's "The Real World," he later served as a congressman from Wisconsin's 7th congressional district from 2011 to 2019 and went on to co-host "The Bottom Line" on Fox Business.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman: Trump tapped Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission. The senior Republican commissioner at the FCC authored a chapter of Project 2025, the 900-page "presidential transition project" released by the Heritage Foundation.
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 can 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: James Powel, Aysha Bagchi, Zac Anderson, Darren Samuelsohn, Dan Morrison, Karen Weintraub, Alyssa Goldberg, Tom Vanden Brook, David Jackson, Savannah Kuchar, Victor Hagan, Bart Jansen, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Riley Beggin, Michael Collins, Joey Garrison; Kaycee Sloan, the Cincinnati Enquirer; Jim Little; Pensacola News Journal.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who are Trump's Cabinet picks so far? Dr. Mehmet Oz among latest