Trump taps Gaetz for AG, picks Rubio and Gabbard for key posts It’s been a week since the 2024 election, and Donald Trump has already named several people who will play roles in the White House. Here are their responsibilities »

It’s been a week since the 2024 election, and the administration of President-elect Donald Trump is taking shape. Trump has already named several people who will play key roles, including secretary of state (Sen. Marco Rubio), director of national intelligence (former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard) and attorney general (Rep. Matt Gaetz). Other picks for his Cabinet and West Wing are said to be imminent.

Here is what Trump’s incoming administration looks like so far:

Secretary of state

Responsibilities: The secretary of state is the nation’s top diplomat who serves the interests of the United States and U.S. citizens around the world. This position requires Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Sen. Marco Rubio

Rubio — a former Trump critic who was once dubbed “Little Marco” when he ran against Trump for the 2016 GOP nomination — has become a fierce defender of the president-elect. And the longtime Florida senator was on the shortlist of candidates to serve as Trump’s 2024 running mate.

Director of national intelligence

Responsibilities: The director of national intelligence (or DNI) traditionally serves as the head of the U.S. intelligence community and acts as the principal advisor to the president, National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council. This position requires Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate who served Iraq and Kuwait as a member of the Army National Guard, became a Trump supporter after leaving the Democratic party for the GOP.

“As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican!” Trump said in a statement. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!”

Attorney general

Responsibilities: The attorney generalI is the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, guiding the Department of Justice and all of its agencies (including the FBI) in enforcing federal laws and advising the president on legal matters related to them. This position requires Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Rep. Matt Gaetz

The far-right Florida congressman has for years been one of Trump’s most vocal defenders on Capitol Hill, and one of the leaders of the so-called MAGA-movement.

In a post on Truth Social announcing the pick, Trump said that Gaetz “has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice.”

White House chief of staff

Responsibilities: Often considered the president’s gatekeeper, the chief of staff is traditionally the president’s closest adviser in the White House, overseeing such things as his daily schedule and access to the Oval Office. This Cabinet-level position does not require Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Susie Wiles

Wiles, who served as the de facto manager of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, was credited with guiding his successful bid. (In his election night speech, Trump referred to Wiles as “the ice maiden.”) Trump went through a record four chiefs of staff during his first administration. Wiles will be the first woman ever to serve in the position.

• Read more about her (via Reuters) here: In Susie Wiles, Trump picks quiet competence for chief of staff

Deputy chief of staff

Responsibilities: The deputy chief of staff usually assists the president and chief of staff on staffing as well as implementing key policies. This position also does not require Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Dan Scavino

Once Trump’s golf caddy, Scavino is a long-time ally to the president-elect and served as a communications adviser during Trump’s first term. The House voted to hold Scavino in contempt of Congress after refusing to cooperate with a probe following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, but the Justice Department declined to indict him.

Deputy chief of staff for policy

Responsibilities: The deputy chief of staff for policy is one of multiple deputy roles, and assists the president and chief of staff on staffing as well as implementing key policies. This position also does not require Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Stephen Miller

An immigration hardliner who served as a senior adviser during the first Trump administration, Miller was a central figure in crafting some of its controversial immigration policies, including a travel ban targeting people from majority-Muslim countries and the separation of migrant children from their parents at the southern border. Trump has yet to formally announce Miller for the position, which does not require Senate confirmation, but Vice President-elect JD Vance appeared to confirm his selection in a post on X.

Miller, who was among Trump’s most visible surrogates during the 2024 campaign, is also the lead architect of Trump’s plan for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. In an interview with Fox News, Miller said that the deportations would “begin on Inauguration Day, as soon as he takes the oath of office.”

• Read more about Miller via CNN here: Trump expected to announce Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy

‘Border czar’

Responsibilities: In a Truth Social post, Trump said the “border czar” will be in charge of “policing and controlling” the nation’s borders as well as the “Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin.” This role does not require Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Tom Homan

Homan, who served as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first Trump administration, has long been a vocal supporter of its immigration policies — including the controversial “zero tolerance” program that separated parents from their children at the border.

In July, Homan said he was willing to help run the “biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.”

• Read more about Homan via ABC News here: Trump says former ICE Director Tom Homan will be ‘border czar’

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

Responsibilities: The ambassador serves as the senior U.S. diplomat at the United Nations and is in charge of advancing U.S. interests on the world stage. This Cabinet-level position requires Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Rep. Elise Stefanik

Stefanik, a congresswoman from New York, serves as chairwoman of the House Republican Conference and is one of Trump’s fiercest supporters on Capitol Hill. But Stefanik has relatively little foreign policy experience.

She has also been sharply critical of the United Nations itself, calling it a “cesspool of antisemitism” for passing a resolution demanding that Israel ends its war in Gaza. Stefanik even proposed that the United States withdraw its membership from the United Nations if it does not enact unspecified reforms sought by Trump.

• Read more about Stefanik via NBC News here: Trump chooses Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

U.S. ambassador to Israel

Responsibilities: The job of the ambassador to advance the interests of the United States and to serve and protect U.S. citizens in Israel.

Trump’s pick: Mike Huckabee

Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and two-time Republican presidential candidate, has been a staunch defender of Israel amid its ongoing war in Gaza.

“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years,” Trump said in a statement. “He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”

Environmental Protection Agency administrator

Responsibilities: The administrator oversees all environmental regulations, including those protecting clean air and water. Trump has said his administration will focus on deregulation, including plans for the U.S. to withdraw, once again, from the Paris climate accord. The Cabinet-level post requires Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Former Rep. Lee Zeldin

Zeldin, a former New York congressman, is a longtime Trump backer with little experience in environmental policy.

“We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI,” Zeldin said in a post on X after Trump announced his appointment overseeing the EPA. “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”

National security adviser

Responsibilities: The national security adviser is a senior aide who typically serves as the principal adviser to the president on all issues related to national security, often coordinating with the secretaries of state and defense on strategies that are then presented to the president. This position does not require Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Rep. Mike Waltz

Waltz is a three-term Florida Republican congressman and Trump loyalist who served as a Green Beret in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa. Waltz previously worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser during the George W. Bush administration. Like many congressional Republicans, Waltz has criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia. He was also among the Trump supporters who publicly defended the president-elect outside his criminal hush money trial in New York earlier this year.

• Read more about Waltz via CNN here: Trump asks Mike Waltz to serve as his national security adviser

CIA director

Responsibilities: “The role of the Director of the CIA (D/CIA) is to manage the Agency’s intelligence collection, analysis, covert action, counterintelligence, and liaison relationships with foreign services,” the U.S. spy agency says on its website. This position requires Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: John Ratcliffe

Ratcliffe, a former House member from Texas, served in the Trump administration as director of national intelligence. During his tenure, he was criticized for ignoring assessments generated by his own agency in favor of promoting positions favored by the president.

Special envoy to the Middle East

Responsibilities: Typically, the duties of the special envoy to the Middle East focus on helping to normalize relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, as well as to promote a peace agreement between the Israeli government and Palestinian leadership

Trump’s pick: Steven Witkoff

Witkoff is a Trump donor and a real estate investor with “no known expertise in diplomacy or the Middle East,” the Times of Israel reported. In a statement posted to X, Trump called Witkoff “a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” and said he would be “an unrelenting Voice for PEACE.”

Secretary of defense

Responsibilities: “The secretary of defense oversees the Defense Department and acts as the principal defense policymaker and adviser,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense website. This position requires Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Pete Hegseth

For the past 10 years, Hegseth has worked as a host and commentator on Fox News, often espousing his support for Trump’s policy stances. A staunch conservative and the author of four books, Hesgeth was also a reserve officer in the U.S. National Guard, serving a tour at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the latter two deployments for which he was twice awarded the Bronze Star.

Homeland security secretary

Responsibilities: The homeland security secretary oversees that department’s “efforts to counter terrorism and enhance security, secure and manage our borders while facilitating trade and travel, enforce and administer our immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, build resilience to disasters, and provide essential support for national and economic security — in coordination with federal, state, local, international and private sector partners,” according to the DHS website. This position requires Senate confirmation.

Trump’s pick: Kristi Noem

The governor of South Dakota since 2019, Noem previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019 and as a state representative in her home state from 2007 to 2011. She will be tasked with overseeing an enormous agency that includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Secret Service.

White House counsel

Responsibilities: The White House counsel advises the president on legal aspects of foreign policy, signing or vetoing legislation, financial disclosures and potential conflicts of interest, among other duties.

Trump’s pick: William McGinley

A lawyer who worked in the first Trump administration, serving as White House Cabinet secretary, McGinley also served as general counsel for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. In a statement posted to social media, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.”

Co-leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency

Responsibilities: Because this is a newly formed agency, it remains to be seen what the responsibilities will entail. But in a statement posted to social media, Trump said the role “will provide advice and guidance from outside the Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” The position does not currently require Senate approval and it is unclear whether it will draw a government salary.

Trump’s picks: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy

The co-founder and CEO of Tesla Motors and Space X, and the owner of the social media platform X, Musk threw his support behind Trump in the 2024 presidential campaign. His business ties with China could complicate an official government role. Ramaswamy founded the pharmaceutical company Roivant Sciences and ran for president in 2024 before endorsing Trump.

Other Cabinet positions

Trump has reportedly made picks for at least one other prominent post, choosing Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida for secretary of state. His selections are expected to be formally announced in the coming days.

Cover thumbnail photo: Evan Vucci/AP

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