Now that it’s clear President-elect Donald Trump will return to for a second White House term, speculation into who he’ll select for his Cabinet has commenced.
Trump quickly ended suspense over who his chief of staff would be, announcing the first woman to hold the position on Thursday following his victory early Wednesday. Now many are wondering who could will fill positions from treasure secretary to attorney general.
Among the names who could join Trump’s staff are supporters Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate who endorsed him after dropping out of the race, and X owner Elon Musk, who donated more than $118 million to his Trump-backing PAC. Trump has previously said he would give the tech mogul a cost-cutting role in his administration while allowing anti-vaccine activist Kennedy to “go wild on health.”
With a Republican Senate majority in place, Trump expects to have little resistance in confirming his Cabinet picks. Here is what we know so far.
GOP trifecta: What to expect in a Republican-controlled White House and Congress
Who could fill in as treasury secretary?
These are some of the contenders for secretary of the treasury, according to media reports. The treasury secretary’s responsibilities involve formulating and advising financial, economic and tax policy both domestically and internationally:
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Scott Bessent: The longtime hedge fund investor is among the top candidates for treasury secretary, according to Politico. Two sources close to Trump told Reuters that Bessent met with the president-elect on Friday.
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John Paulson: The hedge fund manager and founder of New York investment management firm Paulson & Co. is also a contender for the role, according Reuters. The Wall Street Journal previously reported Paulson as a candidate to lead the Treasury Department, with the billionaire investor adding he would work with Musk to slash spending if he claimed the role.
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Larry Kudlow: The Fox Business financial commentator could also have shot at the position, per Reuters and Politico. He previously served as director of the National Economic Council between 2018 to 2021 and Politico reported he served on an outside group promoting Trump’s policies ahead of a second administration.
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Robert Lighthizer: The attorney and former trade leader’s name was also in the mix for the role, according to Reuters and Politico. Having served under Trump’s first administration as the U.S. trade representative, he helped oversee Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs and efforts to deal with China, Canada and Mexico.
Who could fill in as attorney general?
After Trump’s many accusations that the Justice Department was persecuting him, he is now tasked with selecting an attorney general to lead the department. He is expected to choose someone highly loyal to him, experts previously told USA TODAY, and the following people are in consideration:
What we know about Trump’s Cabinet so far:
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Chief of Staff: Trump named his senior campaign adviser Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff, the first woman in history to hold the title. The Florida political consultant largely stays out of the spotlight but has been credited with helping Trump’s political comeback.
What are the Cabinet positions?
The Cabinet advises the president on issues related to their respective offices.
These are the Cabinet positions from the 15 executive departments, which must be confirmed by the Senate:
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Secretary of State
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Secretary of Defense
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Attorney General
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Secretary of the Interior
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Secretary of Agriculture
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Secretary of Commerce
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Secretary of Labor
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Secretary of Health and Human Services
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Secretary of Transportation
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Secretary of Energy
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Secretary of Education
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Secretary of Veterans Affairs
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Secretary of Homeland Security
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Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
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Secretary of Treasury
The Cabinet and presidential advisers also include the vice president, the chief of staff, the ambassador to the United Nations, the director of National Intelligence, the U.S. trade representative, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, the head of the Office of Management and Budget, the head of the Council of Economic Advisors, the head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the head of the Small Business Administration.
Contributing: Bart Jansen, Kinsey Crowley, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Riley Beggin, Michael Collins, USA TODAY, Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati EnquirerThis article was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump Cabinet picks: Latest news on treasury secretary, AG contenders
