Now that Donald Trump has won the presidential election in 2024, the rumors about who he will appoint to the various Cabinet positions have been kicked up another notch. Trump is expected to name a Cabinet full of people who are loyal and on his team, individuals who will carry out his agenda and have experience in handling the intricate job. Following are some of the top candidates for Cabinet positions.
Secretary of State
One of the most critical roles in every administration is the Secretary of State. A few have been mentioned and named to be considering the position, including the following:
- Marco Rubio: The senator from Florida and former presidential candidate himself, Rubio is an attractive candidate. A past member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio has been critical on national security matters, and it is said he is interested in serving in the Administration.
- Bill Hagerty: Another well-acknowledged name is Hagerty; he was, until recently, the U.S. ambassador to Japan under Trump. These make him a likely candidate because of his already acquired diplomatic experience and consistency with foreign policy promoted by Trump.
- Richard Grenell: A former U.S. ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence, Grenell is also being considered for the post because of his close relation with Trump and international relationship knowledge that he possesses.
Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense requires a heavyweight military background combined with political acumen; it is believed that:
- Mike Waltz: Waltz is a combat-decorated Green Beret and Congressman from Florida, boasting deep defense policy experience.
- Christopher Miller: The former Acting Secretary of Defense towards the tail end of Trump’s first term is also in consideration, especially in light of his prior performance in that position.
Secretary of the Treasury
Economic policy will be one of the top priorities in the second term of Trump, making this position so pivotal:
- Scott Bessent: A hedge fund billionaire and economic advisor to Trump, Bessent has been aggressively pursuing this position touting fiscal responsibility.
- John Paulson: Yet another billionaire investor with strategic financial acumen, he has said that he is willing to work closely with Trump on economic reform initiatives, including tax policies.
- Robert Lighthizer: A former U.S. Trade Representative under Trump, he holds particular merit for his experience with trade negotiations.
Chief of Staff
The position of Chief of Staff plays an integral role in maintaining the operations of the White House:
Susie Wiles was named as Trump’s Chief of Staff less than a week after he won the election also documented in this article, Who is Susie Wiles, Trump’s new White House chief of staff? What does the chief of staff do? She arrives with solid political credentials and played an important role in Trump’s campaign itself. She will be the first woman to hold this position in U.S. history.
Health and Human Services
Health policy remains one of the most contentious areas of American politics:
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: While the name might be familiar, Kennedy is most known for his largely anti-science and anti-vaccine views. It has also been mentioned that Trump has promised him a role in his cabinet as specified here, Can Elon Musk and Robert Kennedy be in the Trump cabinet? These are the positions that could be held by the new president’s supporters. He has been mentioned as a potential pick to head HHS, but since that has yet to happen, the consequences of his unique perspective on public health policy would be drastically different under Trump.
- Tulsi Gabbard: The former Congresswoman has expressed interest in holding a national security position, but since her bipartisan appeal is great enough, she could fall under every category for health positions as well.
Other notable candidates
Aside from the positions named above, a number of the following are said to be considered for key positions:
- Linda McMahon: The head of the Small Business Administration under the administration of former President Barack Obama, he would be expected to be a shoo-in for Commerce Secretary due to his closeness to Trump.
- Howard Lutnick: A businessman and member of Trump’s transition team, he is said to win an economic role in consideration of his contribution to Trump’s campaign.
- Stephen Miller: Hardline immigration policies are Miller’s calling card, so his return may indicate that immigration reform will have a new impetus in Trump’s second term.
- Elon Musk: Musk played a crucial role in Trump’s campaign and vocalized his support for Trump from the get go. Although there might be limitations for Musk to join Trump’s cabinet because of his dual citizenship, there would be no surprises if Trump were to give him a slot in his administration.
With Trump returning to office, he will have to get down to bringing Cabinet members in tune with his priorities, balancing them with the task of governance. He is expected to apply the yardstick of loyalty as part of efforts to evade the mess created with some appointments during his first term in office. The fact is that these speculations will be seen materializing into concrete appointments in the coming weeks.
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