Donald Trump has made several contentious hires in his new administration, notably in the health, defence and justice departments.
Ahead of his return to the White House on 20 January 2025, the president-elect named Florida congressman Matt Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general.
He has named Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and military veteran, as his pick for defence secretary. And he wants RFK Jr to be health secretary.
Marco Rubio is a safer pick as the next secretary of state. And billionaire supporter Elon Musk will play a role in cost-cutting.
Here is a closer look at the posts he’s named replacements for, and the names in the mix for the top jobs yet to be filled.
We will start with the Cabinet roles – these require approval from the Senate. If four Republican senators and all the Democrats disagree to any individual then that nomination will fail.
A graphic showing who Donald Trump has picked for the top roles in his new Cabinet: Marco Rubio as Secretary of State; Pete Hegseth as defence secretary; Matt Gaetz as Attorney General; Doug Burgum as Interior secretary; Robert F Kennedy Jr as Health and Human Services secretary; Doug Collins as Veterans Affairs secretary; and Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary.
Secretary of state – Marco Rubio
Getty Images Marco Rubio, wearing a suit, gestures with the index finger of his right hand, as he speaks at a Trump rallyGetty Images
Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been picked for US secretary of state, the president’s main adviser on foreign affairs who acts as America’s top diplomat when representing the country overseas.
Rubio, 53, takes a hawkish view of China. He opposed Trump in the 2016 Republican primary but has since mended fences.
He has long been courting the job of the nation’s top diplomat and if approved, he will be the first Latino secretary of state in US history.
Defense secretary – Pete Hegseth
Reuters Donald Trump is interviewed by Fox and Friends co-host Pete Hegseth at the White House Reuters
Pete Hegseth, a veteran and Fox News host who has never held political office, has been nominated to be the next defence secretary.
His appointment is one of the most highly anticipated in Trump’s cabinet as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza rage on.
“Nobody fights harder for the troops,” Trump said.
Attorney general – Matt Gaetz
Getty Images Matt Gaetz, wearing a suit, gestures with his first hand while sitting and speaking at a microphone during a hearing Getty Images
No personnel decision may be more critical to the trajectory of Trump’s second term than his appointee to lead the Department of Justice.
After tumultuous relationships with both Jeff Sessions and William Barr, the attorneys general during his first term, Trump was widely expected to pick a loyalist who will wield the agency’s prosecutorial power in the manner of an “attack dog”.
He did just that with Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, whose confirmation is likely to be difficult, as members of both US parties are not fans of him.
Department of the Interior – Doug Burgum
Getty Images Doug Burgum, with salt and pepper hair, and wearing a black suit with a red tie, smiles for the camerasGetty Images
Doug Burgum
Trump announced during a speech at Mar-a-Lago that he would ask Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, to lead the Department of the Interior.
A software entrepreneur who sold his small company to Microsoft in 2001, Burgum briefly ran in the 2024 Republican primary before dropping out, endorsing Trump and quickly impressing him with his low-drama persona and sizeable wealth.
If confirmed, Burgum will oversee an agency that is responsible for the management and conservation of federal lands and natural resources.
Health and Human Services – Robert F Kennedy Jr
Reuters RFK Jr, who has grey hair, wears a grey suit, with a white shirt and navy patterned tie, as he waves at crowds at a Trump rally in MichiganReuters
RFK Jr, as he is known, an environmental lawyer, vaccine sceptic and the nephew of former President John F Kennedy, is Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Despite having no medical qualifications, Kennedy, 70, would have broad remit over US federal health agencies – including those that oversee approval of vaccines and pharmaceuticals.
There has been speculation about his inability to pass a background check for security clearance due to past controversies, including dumping a bear carcass in New York’s Central Park.
Veteran Affairs – Doug Collins
Getty Images Doug Collins Getty Images
Former Georgia congressman Doug Collins has been chosen to lead the US Department of Veteran Affairs, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform.
Collins was a Trump loyalist when he served in Congress from 2013-21. He was an outspoken advocate for the president-elect during both impeachment hearings.
An Iraq war veteran who now serves as a chaplain in the US Air Force Reserve, Collins left Congress for an unsuccessful bid for the Senate in his home state of Georgia.
Homeland security – Kristi Noem
Getty Images Kristi Noem, wearing a silvery-white dress, looks out during a speech at the Calvin Coolidge Foundation conference Getty Images
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been nominated for the key role of overseeing US security, including its borders, cyber-threats, terrorism and emergency response.
The agency has a $62bn (£48bn) budget and employs thousands of people. It incorporates a wide variety of agencies under its umbrella, ranging from Customs and Border Protection to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Commerce secretary
Getty Images Linda McMahon, who has short blonde hair and is wearing a black dress with a thick golden necklace, gestures with both hands in her seat during a Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) panelGetty Images
Linda McMahon
The woman co-chairing Trump’s transition team, Linda McMahon, is tipped as a key contender to represent US businesses and job creation in his cabinet – after previously serving as small business administrator during his first term.
Others who could fill this vacancy include Brooke Rollins; Robert Lighthizer; and Kelly Loeffler, a wealthy businesswoman who briefly served in the US Senate.
Treasury secretary
Getty Images Robert Lighthizer, who has grey hair and is wearing a suit and tie, gestures during a 2017 Senate hearingGetty Images
Robert Lighthizer
Trump is reportedly considering Robert Lighthizer, a free trade sceptic who led the tariff war with China as the US trade representative, as his chief financial officer.
But at least four others may be under consideration for the role, including Scott Bessent, a billionaire hedge fund manager who has become a major fundraiser and economic adviser to the president-elect; John Paulson, another megadonor from the hedge fund world; former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Jay Clayton; and Fox Business Network financial commentator Larry Kudlow, who ran Trump’s national economic council during his first term.
Outside of the 15 department heads who make up the core of the Cabinet, there are several other roles that are often given Cabinet-rank, like the FBI director and the head of the Environment Protection Agency.
These roles will also require the nominees to be confirmed by the Senate.
However, there will be other key roles in the Trump administration that will not require Senate confirmation and the people filling these roles (like Elon Musk) will not have to be vetted in the same way.
A graphic showing who Donald Trump has picked for some of the top roles outside of the 15 departmental heads in Cabinet: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in government efficiency; Tom Homan as border tsar; Lee Zeldin as head of the Environmental Protection Agency; Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the UN; John Ratcliffe to head the CIA; Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence; Mike Waltz as national security adviser; Steve Witkoff as special envoy to the Middle East; Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel; Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general; Dean John Sauer as Solicitor General.
Department of Government Efficiency – Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy
Getty Images Side by side image of Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Muk Getty Images
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been tapped to lead what Trump has termed a Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) alongside one-time presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy.
The department – known as “Doge” in a nod to a cryptocurrency promoted by Musk – will serve in an advisory capacity to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies”, Trump said.
It is unclear what approval process will be necessary for these roles.
Border Tsar – Tom Homan
Reuters Head and shoulders pic of Tom Homan with his chin resting on his handsReuters
This is a critical job because it includes responsibility for Trump’s mass deportations of millions of undocumented migrants, which was a central campaign pledge.
Homan is a former police officer who was acting director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) in Trump’s first term and has advocated a zero-tolerance stance on the issue.
“I will run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen,” he said in July.
Head of Environmental Protection Agency – Lee Zeldin
Getty Images Man sits with his hands folded while wearing a blue tieGetty Images
Lee Zeldin, a former New York congressman, has agreed to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, both he and Trump said. The Senate will still need to confirm his appointment.
He will be in charge of tackling America’s climate policy in this role.
While serving in congress from 2015 to 2023, Zeldin voted against expanding a number of environmental policies. He has already said he plans to “roll back regulations” from day one.
United Nations ambassador – Elise Stefanik
Getty Images Elise Stefanik, with her black shoulder-length hair do
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