Donald Trump could begin the process of choosing a cabinet and selecting other high-ranking administration officials in the coming weeks. The top contenders for some of the key posts are:
Treasury secy: Scott Bessent
A key economic adviser to Trump, Scott Bessent is widely seen as a top candidate for treasury secretary. A longtime hedge fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, Bessent has a warm relationship with the president-elect. While Bessent has long favoured the laissez-faire policies that were popular in the pre-Trump Republican Party, he has also spoken highly of Trump’s use of tariffs as a negotiating tool. He has praised the president-elect’s economic philosophy, which rests on a scepticism of both regulations and international trade.
NSA: Richard Grenell
Richard Grenell is among Trump’s closest foreign policy advisers. Grenell’s private dealings with foreign leaders and often-caustic personality have made him the centre of multiple controversies. Among the policies he has advocated for is setting up an autonomous zone in eastern Ukraine, a position Kyiv considers unacceptable.
Secy of state: Robert O’Brien
Robert O’Brien was Trump’s fourth and final national security adviser during his first term. He has maintained close ties with foreign leaders since Trump left office, having met with Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel in May. He is a proponent of banning TikTok.
Marco Rubio, senator from Florida and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, is also a top secretary of state contender whose policies hew closely to those of Trump. He was a contender to be Trump’s 2024 running mate. Rubio has long been involved in foreign affairs in the Senate, particularly as it relates to Latin America.
Defence secy: Mike Waltz and Mike Pompeo
A former Army Green Beret who is currently a US congressman from Florida, Mike Waltz has established himself as one of the foremost China hawks in the House of Representatives. Among the various China-related bills he has co-sponsored are steps designed to lessen US reliance on critical minerals mined in China. Mike Pompeo, CIA director and secretary of state during Trump’s first term, is also a top contender for the post. He stands out as possibly the fiercest defender of Ukraine among Trump’s allies, a position that puts him at odds with most high-ranking figures in the camp.
DHS boss: Chad Wolf
Chad Wolf, who served as Trump’s acting secretary of homeland security for roughly 14 months during his first term, may have a shot at heading back to DHS. Wolf loyally carried out Trump’s hardline immigration policies, and he deployed agents to Portland to control protests during the riots that followed the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer. He may have some strikes against him: He quit on Jan 11, 2021, just days after the Jan 6 Capitol attack.
Attorney General: Mike Lee
Though the former prosecutor declined to vote for Trump during the 2016 election, he later became an unwavering ally. A senator, Lee was a key figure in attempts by Trump to overturn his 2020 loss, and has spread conspiracy theories about the Jan 6 attack.
