As of publication, there have been 27 individuals that president-elect Donald J. Trump has nominated or assembled to serve in his cabinet, or in other senior positions during his second term. Here are the confirmed and prospective nominees for each of the positions.
JD Vance – Vice President
Prior to his nomination as President-elect Trump’s choice of vice president, Vance had been serving as senator in Ohio since the 2022 elections. At only 40 years old, the junior senator was the first millennial pick on the presidential train. On his social media platform, Truth Social, Mr. Trump announced “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the great state of Ohio.”
Susie Wiles – Chief of Staff
Nominated as President-elect Trump’s chief of staff, Wiles originally served as his Florida campaign director in 2016 to his senior campaign adviser for the 2024 election. Succeeding a long line of previous chief of staffs in the previous Trump administration, Wiles is said to be “tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected,” by the President-elect himself. Trump further shares, “It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”
Thomas Homan – Border Czar
Returning to serve in the second Trump administration, Homan who had previously served as senior immigration official is once again in charge of borders and security as the “border czar.” Not much information was provided about the position on Trump’s announcement on Truth Social, where he shared, “I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our borders. Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all deportation of illegal aliens back to their country of origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for job.”
Michael Waltz – National Security Advisor
Fl. Representative Michael Waltz was the second House member to be selected for the Trump administration. As national security advisor, Waltz would be navigating various international conflicts, such as the Ukraine-Russia wars. Touting experience as a combat-decorated Green Beret who served across the Middle East, Waltz will succeed four other national security advisors from Trump’s first administration. Holding a steadfast stance on the Ukraine-Russia war, Waltz commented, “Stopping Russia before it draws NATO and therefore the U.S. into war is the right thing to do. But the burden cannot continue to be solely on the shoulders of the American people, especially while Western Europe gets a pass.”
Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy – Government Efficiency
Former Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Tesla and X owner Elon Musk were turned to by President-elect Donald J. Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency. Designating Musk and Ramaswamy as leaders of this era’s “Manhattan Project,” they are set to “provide advice and guidance from outside of the government.” While no such department exists at the moment, this department is said to be the catalyst of change “throughout the government with major cuts and new efficiencies in bloated agencies in the federal bureaucracy by July 4, 2026.”
In a statement, Trump shared, “a smaller Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence.” However, he did not address how Musk would handle this position without issues of conflicts of interest, as Musk would be overseeing and managing agencies that regulate his own companies.
In addition to these individuals, there are a handful of other cabinet and senior positions that require no confirmation. These include: James Blair, Taylor Budowich, Stephen Miller and Dan Scavino for deputy chief of staff, Bill McGinley as White House Counsel, Steven Cheung as communications director, Karoline Leavitt as press secretary, Will Scharf as staff secretary and Sergio Gor as personnel.
As of now, there are 12 positions announced that require Senate confirmation. These positions will begin to be confirmed beginning January.
Fl. Senator Marco Rubio was nominated for secretary of state, Fl. congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, S.D. Gov. Kristi Noem for homeland security secretary, former TX congressman John Ratcliffe, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, former congressman Lee Zeldin for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, House member Elise Stefanik for United Nations ambassador, Robert F. Kennedy for health and human services secretary, N.D. Gov. Doug Burgum for interior secretary, former Ga. house representative Doug Collins for veterans affair secretary and Chris Right for energy secretary.
