President-elect Donald Trump has announced where tech-billionaire Elon Musk will land in the new administration among a slate of choices announced Tuesday.
Trump announced that the South African Tesla and X CEO will helm a so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” along with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The announcement said that the venture will “provide advice and guidance from outside the government.” There is currently no such department, and a new department would require an act of Congress to be created.
Trump also announced the selections of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Defense secretary and former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Trump’s late Tuesday picks are a break from previous mainstream Republican choices for the new administration, rewarding campaign loyalists.
Here are the latest selections for the Trump administration.
Musk and Ramaswamy to lead outside venture to cut government
Musk floated the idea of the so-called “DOGE” − an acronym matching the cryptocurrency the Tesla tycoon often promotes − during the campaign, including on an appearance on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in the race’s final days.
Trump first proposed the creation of a government efficiency commission in a Sept. 5 speech to the Economic Club of New York.
“At the suggestion of Elon Musk, who has given me his complete and total endorsement … I will create a government efficiency commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for drastic reforms,” Trump said the time.
The announcement provided no details on the size or budget of the venture beyond the leadership of Musk and Ramaswamy but said that the work will be completed by July 4, 2026.
Musk was a major backer of Trump, giving more than $100 million to the campaign, including controversial $1 million daily payments to registered voters in seven battleground states. Musk also promoted the campaign, along with far-right accounts, on X, the social media platform he owns.
Trump’s picks so far: What we know
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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.
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Deputy chief of staff for policy: Long-standing Trump adviser, Stephen Miller has been tapped for deputy chief of staff for policy in Trump’s next administration. The 39-year-old served as senior adviser to Trump and director of speechwriting during the Republican’s first term in the White House and is credited with shaping Trump’s immigration policies.
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Ambassador to the UN: Trump nominated Elise Stefanik, a five-term Republican representing a northern New York district, as his pick for UN ambassador. She is the House Republican Conference Chair and a former contender for Trump’s running mate.
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‘Border czar’: Trump has appointed Tom Homan to oversee deportation policy and aviation security. Homan was a Border Patrol agent for 34 years and served in Trump’s first administration as acting ICE director. He drew controversy for strict immigration enforcement, including the “zero-tolerance” policy which separated families of undocumented immigrants.
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EPA head: Trump has appointed Lee Zeldin as The Administrator of The United States Environmental Protective Agency (EPA). Zeldin was a Congressman for parts of Long Island, New York and ran but lost against Kathy Hochul in the 2022 gubernatorial race.
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National security adviser: Trump has named Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as his national security adviser. Waltz has held civilian positions at the Pentagon, was on the House Armed Services Committee and has supported Trump’s isolationist view of foreign relations.
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U.S. ambassador to Israel: Trump announced he is nominating former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as his U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a Baptist minister and former Fox News host, who has run for the Republican presidential nomination twice, unsuccessfully. His daughter is Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary during Trump’s first presidency.
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Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: Trump designated his former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as CIA director. Ratcliffe previously was a House member from Texas before serving as director of national intelligence at the end of Trump’s first presidency.
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Secretary of Defense: Trump named Fox News host Pete Hegseth to Defense secretary. Hegseth served in the U.S. Army National Guard and had led veteran’s advocacy groups.
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Secretary of Homeland Security: Trump announced his choice of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. The pick puts the hardline conservative governor, who sent the state’s National Guard to the southern border, in a key role on immigration.
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White House Counsel: Trump tapped William McGinley to serve as his White House counsel. McGinley, a partner at the Washington-based law firm Holtzman Vogel, worked as White House cabinet secretary during Trump’s first presidency.
South Dakota Gov. to lead Homeland Security
Republican presidential nominee former U.S. President Donald Trump and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem react during a town hall campaign event in Oaks, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 14, 2024.
Trump praised Noem in the announcement for sending the South Dakota National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border. The choice puts her in a key role in managing the number of immigrants who enter the country without permission.
A rancher, farmer and small-business owner, the 52-year-old Noem was briefly under consideration as Trump’s vice presidential running mate earlier this year. But her bid quickly crumbled amid a public backlash after Noem acknowledged in a memoir earlier this year that she shot and killed her dog Cricket for being “untrainable.”
Notably, Noem was on stage during a bizarre campaign town hall where Trump stopped taking questions to sway to music that some Democrats pointed to as a sign of cognitive decline for the now president-elect.
Trump’s announcement is an indication that he intends to nominate Noem for Senate approval, however Trump has floated the demand that Republican Senate leadership allow for recess appointments as an end-around of the confirmation process.
Trump picks: Trump announces South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to head Homeland Security Department
Fox News host tapped to be Defense Secretary
U.S. President Donald Trump is interviewed by Fox and Friends co-host Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, U.S. April 6, 2017.
The announcement of the nomination of Pete Hegseth to Defense secretary was a surprise move in elevating a conservative TV personality to Trump’s Cabinet.
Hegseth, 44, is largely known for his eight years on Fox News and for writing the book “The War on Warriors.” Trump praised the book in his announcement, saying the book revealed, “the leftwing betrayal of our Warriors, and how we must return our Military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence.”
An Army Times article notes Hegseth’s experience is “radically different” from recent secretaries who had long active-duty military careers and came to the position as high-ranking officers.
Trump’s announcement is an indication that he intends to nominate Hegseth for Senate approval, however Trump has floated the demand that Republican Senate leadership allow for recess appointments as an end-around of the confirmation process.
Trump administration: Trump taps conservative media pundit Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary
Trump names former intelligence chief to head CIA
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., December 3, 2020.
Trump named former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency on Tuesday, adding a member of his previous administration to his new staff.
Trump announced the choice in a statement that aired continuing grievances over Trump’s connections to Russia and the handling of Hunter Biden’s prosecution.
Democrats accused Ratcliffe of politicizing his intelligence post by contradicting career civil servants about Russian election interference on Trump’s behalf.
Ratcliffe served five years in the House before Trump named him director of national intelligence during his last year in office. Previously, he was U.S. attorney for eastern Texas in 2007 and 2008.
Ratcliffe previously appeared to be a potential pick for Attorney General.
Trump transition: Donald Trump names former intelligence chief John Ratcliffe to CIA director
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 the Interior
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Secretary of Health and Human Services
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Secretary of Transportation
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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)
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: Tom Vanden Brook, David Jackson, Savannah Kuchar, Victor Hagan, Bart Jansen, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Riley Beggin, Michael Collins, Joey Garrison, Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY; Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Musk, Noem, Fox host among latest Trump picks for positions
