Trump’s second term Cabinet: Here’s who may fill key roles

President-elect Trump’s transition team has already started vetting potential candidates to serve in key administration posts once he takes office for a second time in January.

The process is likely to emphasize loyalty to Trump and his vision for the country, and the president-elect and his team have identified a handful of close allies who will likely be either nominated for Cabinet posts or find an appointed role in his White House.

“As he chooses the best people to join his team and best policies to pursue, his transition team will ensure the implementation of President Trump’s common sense agenda starting on Day 1,” transition co-chairs Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick said in a statement.

Here’s a look at some of the names expected to fill out top jobs for Trump.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk became one of Trump’s most vocal supporters this election season, and he is set to reap the benefits by being an influential figure in the next administration.

Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of the social media platform X, is not expected to have a Cabinet position, and it’s still unclear if he will have a formal government title. He has said he would be interested in serving on a commission to cut back government spending.

Regardless, he is expected to have Trump’s ear on issues like immigration, electric vehicles and regulation. The New York Times reported Musk has recommended some employees from one of his companies, SpaceX, for government jobs.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Trump has spoken openly about giving Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a large portfolio in a new administration dealing with “health,” “food” and “women’s health.”

“He wants to do some things, and we're gonna let him go to it,” Trump said Wednesday morning as he declared victory.

That job is not expected to be a Cabinet post, one source said, but rather an appointment to a czar-type position overseeing health and food regulation.

People taking Cabinet roles must be confirmed by the Senate, and that could be difficult for Kennedy even with a GOP majority.

Kennedy has already signaled how he might seek to dramatically reshape public health policy, regardless of his role. He has said a Trump administration will call for the removal of fluoride from the country’s drinking water, a decision typically made at the local level.

He has said “entire departments” of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be eliminated and that he will seek more data on vaccines, though he has said he won’t seek to take away vaccinations. Kennedy has long drawn criticism for his anti-vaccine comments.

Susie Wiles

The early front-runner to be Trump’s chief of staff is Susie Wiles, the low-profile but widely respected Florida operative who helped steer Trump’s campaign for the past two years.

Wiles is a behind-the-scenes operator who has largely avoided the spotlight, but she navigated the largely male-dominated Trump campaign without making enemies.

Trump went through four chiefs of staff during his first term in office.

A chief of staff is not a Cabinet position, but historically it has been seen as the second most powerful role in Washington, behind the presidency itself. Like other White House positions, it does not require confirmation.

Stephen Miller

Stephen Miller served as a senior adviser to Trump throughout his first term in office, and he is once again expected to join the White House in a similar capacity.

Miller was the architect of some of Trump’s first-term immigration policies, including family separation and an order to ban travel into the U.S. from several majority-Muslim countries.

Sources said he will have a key role as the president-elect looks to follow through on his promises to carry out mass deportations, wind down protected status for some groups and severely restrict the flow of migrants into the country.

It will likely be a role that does not require confirmation by the Senate.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

Marco Rubio is in the mix for secretary of State, according to multiple sources.

He has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He was a finalist to be Trump’s running mate, and while some members of Trump’s base may view the senator skeptically, he would have no trouble getting confirmed by his Senate colleagues.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum

Trump has at times telegraphed that Doug Burgum, the North Dakota governor, will be his choice to run the Energy Department.

The former president previously told a rally crowd the governor “probably knows more about energy than anybody I know.” When Trump called Burgum to inform him he wasn’t picking the governor as his running mate, the former president greeted him on the phone as “Mr. Secretary.”

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.)

Bill Hagerty served as Trump’s ambassador to Japan during his first term and is viewed as a likely administration pick out of the Senate.

He could be tapped to lead the State Department, the Treasury Department or the Commerce Department.

Prior to serving as an ambassador and a senator, Hagerty worked as an economic adviser in the George W. Bush White House and later as a top economic official in Tennessee.

Robert O’Brien

Robert O’Brien is considered a serious candidate to lead the State Department or to take on another senior role as part of Trump’s national security team.

He previously served as Trump’s top hostage negotiator and later as his national security adviser.

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.)

Mike Waltz is an Army veteran who has been open about his willingness to serve in the Trump administration.

He could be tapped for Defense secretary or to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Richard Grenell

Richard Grenell is a top Trump ally who previously served as ambassador to Germany and acting director of intelligence. This time around, he could be poised for a larger job, as sources said he is in the mix to potetially lead the State Department.

Grenell joined Trump during a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and was an active presence on the campaign trail.

John Paulson

John Paulson is reportedly among those under consideration for Treasury Secretary. Paulson is a hedge fund manager who has contributed to each of Trump's three campaigns for the White House.

This is the top economic position in an administration and is a part of the Cabinet. Steve Mnuchin served as Trump’s Treasury secretary in his first administration.

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.)

Eric Schmitt is well liked by Trump and his allies and could be the choice to serve as attorney general.

Schmitt, who served as his state’s attorney general, aided Trump with debate prep ahead of his June showdown with President Biden.

The attorney general leads the Justice Department, where investigations of Trump were launched over the last four years. Trump is likely to see loyalty as the most important trait for his new attorney general.

Trump ended up on the outs with his first attorney general, former Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), early in his administration after Sessions recused himself from investigations into Russia’s attempted interference in the 2016 elections.

Trump’s last attorney general, Bill Barr, also frustrated him when he found there was no evidence of widespread election fraud in the 2020 election.

Other names to watch

There are a slew of other names who could make their way into the Trump White House or administration jobs, depending on their interest and what positions are available.

One Trump ally said James Blair, who oversaw the campaign’s political operation, could be in line for a White House job if he wanted one, and that campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung could end up in a communications role. Margo Martin, who served in the press office in Trump’s first administration and was part of his team since he left office, is expected to have a role in his second term.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Trump, has said he’s “ready and willing” to accept an agriculture role in the next administration.

Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic presidential candidate who became a staunch Trump supporter, could be considered for an administration job. So could Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who Punchbowl News has reported could be in the mix to serve as ambassador to the United Nations.

Brooke Rollins, who previously served as Trump’s head of domestic policy during his first term, leads the influential America First Policy Institute and is among those who could fill a senior White House role.

One name that won’t pop up for any White House job is Donald Trump Jr. A source familiar with the matter told The Hill that the president-elect’s oldest son does not have interest in joining the administration.