Billionaires, Fox News personalities, and staunch loyalists.
These are the people president-elect Donald Trump has so far chosen to run the United States as part of his incoming 2025 administration.
In one case, he has already created a new department — the Department of Government Efficiency, to be headed by tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
In his announcement, Mr Trump said the new department would drive “drastic change” from outside of government.
The 78-year-old has also already insisted via posts on his Truth social media site that Senate Republicans surrender their vetting powers when it comes to his choices.
The president-elect now has 68 days to build out his team before Inauguration Day arrives on January 20, including filling around 4,000 government positions with political appointees, people who are specifically tapped for their jobs by Trump’s team.
That includes everyone from the secretary of state and other heads of cabinet departments to those selected to serve part time on boards and commissions.
Vice-President: JD Vance
The election win has made Ohio Senator JD Vance one of the youngest vice-presidents in US history.
When Mr Trump was first elected in 2016, Mr Vance labelled him “an idiot”, “reprehensible” and “America’s Hitler”, but has since transformed himself to become one of the president-elect’s most vocal supporters.
The former Marine grew to prominence in conservative circles with his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, sharing his story of growing up poor in rural Ohio, which was later made into a movie.
In 2021, according to the New York Times, Mr Vance personally apologised to Mr Trump for his past comments during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Mr Trump ultimately endorsed his Senate bid the following year.
“I would not have won that race without Donald Trump’s endorsement,” he told Fox News earlier this year.
He has gone on to align himself with Mr Trump on everything from immigration and abortion laws to the war in Ukraine.
National Security Adviser: Michael Waltz
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Michael Waltz is a former Green Beret and Florida congressman, who has previously called for Europe to do more to support Ukraine and for the US to pull back its own support in the fight against Russian invasion.
The 50-year-old was a member of the Armed Forces and of Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees, and served as a counterterrorism adviser to Vice-President Dick Cheney.
His wife, Julie Nesheiwat, was Mr Trump’s homeland security adviser during his first administration.
He has also been outspoken in his opposition to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Immigration: Tom Homan
Tom Homan was the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Mr Trump’s first term, serving from January 2017 to June 2018.
The former police officer and border patrol officer stepped down from the job and took up a job as a Fox News analyst on the border.
Donald Trump has dubbed him the new “border czar”.
He has been an outspoken advocate of tough border restrictions and mass deportation, including during a speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
“[Donald Trump] created the most secure border in our history, that’s a stone cold fact, the data proves it,” he told the crowd.
“As a guy who spent 34 years deporting illegal aliens, I got a message [for them] … you better start packing now. Because you’re going home.”
At a Washington conference in July, he suggested he would be willing to run the “biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen”.
Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010, and has previously taken a hard stance on China, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba.
He was also considered a top pick to become Mr Trump’s vice-president until Senator JD Vance was announced as the president-elect’s running mate.
According to the New York Times, he has become one of the most outspoken senators when it comes to the need for the US to be more aggressive in its dealings with China.
He was co-chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and sponsored a bill trying to stop importation of goods made using forced Uyghur labour.
Following the election win, Mr Rubio said the US was in for “pragmatic foreign policy”.
“Adversaries are uniting,” he told CNN.
Homeland Security: Kristi Noem
South Dakota’s Governor Kristi Noem has been tapped to lead Homeland Security, the same organisation that oversees multiple entities including the Coast Guard and the Secret Service.
She has been a fierce critic of immigration policy.
In his announcement, Mr Trump said Ms Noem would be “very strong on border security”.
As governor, Ms Noem sent National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border to assist Texas Governor Greg Abbott in policing it.
She called the Biden administration’s immigration policy “wilful inaction”.
“Across the country, crime rates, drug overdoses, and human trafficking have all skyrocketed because our border remains a war zone,” she said in 2023.
CIA Director: John Ratcliffe
The former Texas congressman was also the director of national intelligence during Mr Trump’s first term.
He helped to pursue investigations into Hunter Biden and criticised investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
According to the New York Times, the new role would make him the most influential voice on intelligence in the incoming administration.
Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and Ohio Republican Mike Turner said Mr Ratcliffe would “counter the serious threats posed by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea”.
Mr Trump, in the announcement, called Mr Ratcliffe “a warrior for truth and honesty with the American public”.
Defence: Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth is a Fox News host and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as well as a staunch Trump loyalist during his first term.
The move takes the Princeton graduate from the co-host of Fox & Friends and the network’s New Year’s broadcast, to the man running the Pentagon.
He will lead more than a million active-duty US troops in the role.
Announcing his pick, Mr Trump called Mr Hegseth “tough, smart, and a true believer in America First”.
“With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice,” he said.
“Our military will be great again, and America will never back down.”
Department of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk
Tech billionaire Elon Musk became one of the most high-profile Trump supporters and MAGA influencers on the campaign trail.
Speaking to reporters last month, Mr Musk said he had a goal of slashing government spending by trillions of dollars.
Mr Musk owns Tesla, SpaceX, X and Neuralink, along with having ownership of and involvement in other companies.
The department’s acronym, DOGE, could be a play on Mr Musk’s crypto-currency, Dogecoin, which he regularly promotes.
After the announcement, the memecoin spiked in value by 20 per cent, according to CNBC.
Department of Government Efficiency: Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek Ramaswamy, who declared himself a Republican presidential candidate early on in the election race, endorsed Mr Trump for the role in January.
On his own campaign trail, he promised to eliminate the FBI and the Department of Education along with other agencies.
He also released a draft legal framework he said would allow a US president to eliminate federal agencies at will.
In 2014 he founded pharmaceutical company Roivant Sciences.
His investment firm, Strive Asset Management, raised about $US20 million ($30.60 million) from outside investors, including soon-to-be vice-president JD Vance.
Environmental Protection Agency: Lee Zeldin
Lee Zeldin, a former New York congressman, ran a failed campaign to become the state’s governor in 2022.
He previously voted to protect one of Long Island’s major waterways from sediment dumping, but also voted to end clean air legislation.
He has been a strong supporter of Mr Trump since his first impeachment in December 2019.
In a statement, Mr Trump said Mr Zeldin would “ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions” that would “unleash the power of American businesses”.
At the same time, he added, they would maintain “the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet”.
UN Ambassador: Elise Stefanik
Elise Stefanik is chair of the House Republican Conference, a position that makes her the fourth most senior Republican in the House.
The New York congresswoman has been one of Mr Trump’s staunchest defenders, but has little foreign policy experience.
Announcing his pick, Mr Trump said in a statement Ms Stefanik was a “strong, tough, and smart America First fighter”.
However, she has repeatedly accused the United Nations of suffering from “anti-Semitic rot”.
Earlier this month, she called on the United States to cut off funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides aid to Palestinian refugees, claiming in a statement on her official website the organisation instilled “anti-Semitic hate in Palestinians”.
Last month, she suggested the Biden administration should consider a “complete reassessment” of the United States’ funding for the UN if a push to revoke Israel’s membership continued.
Chief of Staff: Susie Wiles
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Susie Wiles was the president-elect’s campaign co-manager from 2021 onwards, and will be the first female White House chief of staff.
Ms Wiles is a veteran Florida political adviser who helped Governor Ron DeSantis win his first term and who, according to the Washington Post, convinced Mr Trump he could mount a political comeback.
Announcing her role, Mr Trump labelled her “tough, smart, innovative” and “universally admired and respected”.
Deputy Chief of Staff: Stephen Miller
Stephen Miller has been one of Mr Trump’s top immigration advisers during the campaign, and was his lead speechwriter during his first term.
When President Joe Biden was elected, Mr Miller started an advisory group called America First Legal and contributed to Project 2025, the same controversial conservative blueprint Mr Trump has repeatedly said he knows nothing about.
In recent months he has become increasingly visible on the campaign trail, being seen both alongside the president-elect and as a speaker at various events.
Speaking to Fox News, he supported starting mass deportations as soon as possible.
“They begin on Inauguration Day, as soon as he takes the oath of office,” he said.
Last year, speaking to the New York Times, Mr Miller said the military would build detention centres to house immigrants facing deportation “in Texas near the border”.
Ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee would be the first non-Jewish person to hold the position of US ambassador to Israel since 2011.
Mr Huckabee is a Baptist minister and political commentator who has hosted his own talk show, first on the Fox News Channel and then on Christian broadcaster Trinity Broadcasting Network, for more than a decade.
Mr Huckabee has criticised President Joe Biden for pressuring Israel to moderate its conduct of the Gaza war and has opposed the current Democratic administration’s calls for a ceasefire there.
“If a person is pro-Israel, how can you be pro-Biden because the Biden administration has made it very clear they will make concessions to Hamas,” he said in an interview in March on News Nation.
Mr Huckabee has led paid tour group visits to Israel for years, frequently advertising the trips on conservative-leaning news outlets.
“He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him.” Mr Trump said in a statement.
Middle East Envoy: Steven Witkoff
Steven Witkoff is a real estate executive, and was playing golf with Mr Trump and other friends during his second apparent assassination attempt earlier this year.
He also testified as an expert witness during Mr Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York.
“Steve is a highly respected leader in business and philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous,” Mr Trump said in his announcement.
“Steve will be an unrelenting voice for peace, and make us all proud.”
