It’s been almost three months since Election Day, and more than a week since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. Along with the more noticeable changes— like who will be sitting in the Oval Office— Trump’s return to power also means the selection of new members to the Cabinet. This article will give a quick rundown of all of his picks, with an additional section featuring Elon Musk’s new Department of Government Efficiency.
Secretary of State
Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, was officially nominated on January 20, 2025, although Trump confirmed this pick back in November. Previously a Senator from the state of Florida, Rubio is the first Hispanic to serve as Secretary of State. As Senator, he served in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations as well as the Senate Intelligence Committee, with his main area of experience being foreign policy. Rubio is most known for his hawkish foreign policy approaches, particularly when it comes to countering China. His confirmation as the Secretary of State was fairly uncontroversial, with support from both Republicans and Democrats. He was confirmed by a vote of 99-0.
Secretary of the Treasury
Trump confirmed his nomination of hedge fund CEO Scott Bessent on November 22, 2024. On January 27, 2025, Bessent was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 68-29. Bessent is most known for his success as an investor and hedge fund manager, having founded Key Square Group, a global macro investment firm and been a partner at Soros Fund Management. He also played a major role in Trump’s presidential campaign as a donor, fundraiser, and economic advisor. Policy-wise, he is in support of tariffs, tax cuts, and tougher economic policies against China and Russia. Bessent is the second openly gay man to serve in the U.S. Cabinet, after previous Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
Secretary of Defense
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was nominated by Trump on November 12, 2024, and confirmed by the Senate on January 25, 2025. Hegseth is an Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was a political commentator on Fox News prior to his new role as Secretary of Defense. Hegseth’s bid for the position was marked with far more controversy than other nominees like Marco Rubio, with concerns about accusations regarding instances of sexual assault, marital infidelity, drunkenness, abuse, and financial mismanagement, as well as a general lack of qualifications for the role. These concerns came from both Republicans and Democrats, but following Trump’s decision to stick with his nomination, most Republicans chose to support Hegseth. He was confirmed by a vote of 51-50, with three Republicans— Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins— voting against him. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie breaking vote.
Attorney General
Another equally controversial Cabinet pick of Trump’s was Matt Gaetz, the former representative from Florida’s 1st congressional district. Gaetz’s nomination was announced on November 13, 2024, but it was met with significant backlash from both Republicans and Democrats because of his record of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. As a result, Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. On November 21, 2024, Trump announced Pam Bondi would be his new pick for attorney general. Bondi is the previous attorney general of Florida, a staunch Trump supporter, and one of his defense lawyers in the president’s first impeachment trial. She has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Secretary of the Interior
Doug Burgum is Trump’s pick for Secretary of the Interior. He is the former governor of North Dakota, succeeded by fellow Republican Kelly Armstrong. As the potential Secretary of the Interior, Burgum will mainly focus on energy— indeed, Trump has named him as the new “energy czar” and directed Burgum to drill at a massive scale. For this reason, Burgum’s nomination has prompted criticism from environmental groups. Burgum has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Secretary of Agriculture
A former White House aide and director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council during Trump’s first term, Brooke Rollins was nominated for Secretary of Agriculture on November 23, 2024. Rollins is also the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative pro-Trump think tank. She has not yet been confirmed by the Senate, but if she is, she will be the second woman to serve as Secretary of Agriculture.
Secretary of Commerce
Howard Lutnick is a billionaire and the CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald. A major fundraiser for Trump’s last two campaigns, he was nominated as Secretary of Commerce on November 19, 2024. Policy-wise, Lutnick is a strong supporter of high tariff policies. He has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Secretary of Labor
The first Republican woman to represent Oregon in the House of Representatives, Lori Chavez-DeRemer is a former representative from Oregon’s 5th congressional district. She was nominated by Trump on November 22, 2024. Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination was praised by Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, mainly because of her support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), which would weaken right to work laws, and help workers in organizing or joining unions. However, this has led to some opposition against her from certain business interest groups. Chavez-DeRemer has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Arguably the most controversial of Trump’s Cabinet picks is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.), who himself ran for president in 2024 as an independent, later dropping out and endorsing Trump. Now, RFK Jr. is Trump’s pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services. The main concern with Kennedy is his outspoken position on vaccines and his role in spreading healthcare misinformation— for instance, the scientifically disproved claim that vaccines are linked to autism. In December 2024, more than 75 Nobel Laureates urged the Senate to oppose his nomination because Kennedy would “put the public’s health in jeopardy.” Further, over 17,000 doctors and 80 organizations have also urged the Senate to oppose his nomination, citing similar reasons such as Kennedy’s lack of qualifications and his role in spreading false claims and conspiracy theories that have undermined U.S. healthcare. RFK Jr. has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Scott Turner was selected as Trump’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on November 22, 2024. Turner is a former NFL player, and served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term. He has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Secretary of Transportation
The former representative for Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district, Sean Duffy was picked to be Trump’s Secretary of Transportation in November 2024. He was confirmed by the Senate on January 28, 2025, by a vote of 77-22. Before becoming a member of Congress, Duffy was a reality television star and district attorney in his home state of Wisconsin. Upon leaving Congress in 2019, he became a lobbyist.
Secretary of Energy
Chris Wright is Trump’s pick for Secretary of Energy. He is the CEO of Liberty Energy, which is a hydraulic fracturing (fracking) company, and was also a major donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Being a fossil fuel executive and a staunch opponent to efforts to combat climate change, Wright has sparked controversy among climate activists, leading to protestors showing up and disrupting his confirmation hearing with the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Wright has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Secretary of Education
Most well known as the founder and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) along with her husband, Linda McMahon was nominated to be Secretary of Education on November 19, 2024. She and her husband are long-time friends of Trump, and are one of his biggest donors. During Trump’s first term, she served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration. As Secretary of Education, McMahon has said that she will support school choice and charter schools. Her nomination has also been met with some criticism, mainly rooted in her lack of qualifications as well as Trump’s goal to eliminate the Department of Education— the very department McMahon will lead.
Secretary of Veteran Affairs
Doug Collins is Trump’s pick for Secretary of Veteran Affairs. Collins is a veteran himself, having served in the Air Force, and was a representative from Georgia’s 27th and 9th congressional districts, respectively. During Trump’s first term, Collins was the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, and defended Trump during his first impeachment hearing. He has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Secretary of Homeland Security
The former governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem was selected by Trump to be the Secretary of Homeland Security on November 12, 2024. She was confirmed on January 25, 2025, by a vote of 59-34. Prior to being elected governor in 2018— a race where she was endorsed by Trump— Noem served as a U.S. representative for eight years. She has attracted criticism for her handling of COVID-19 as governor, where she refused to issue a statewide mask mandate and South Dakota subsequently faced a dramatic increase in COVID cases, as well as the contents of her autobiography “No Going Back,” where she falsely claimed she had met Kim Jong Un and recounted killing a young family dog.
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
Along with the traditional Cabinet positions, Trump has also announced the creation of a Department of Government Efficiency, which would be a governmental advisory body aiming to “slash current regulations” and “cut wasteful expenditures.” On November 12, 2024, billionaire Elon Musk was named to be the leader of this department, with fellow Republican and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy set to be the co-leader. However, Ramaswamy left this role on January 20, 2025— possibly to focus on a 2026 run for governor of Ohio, and possibly due to friction between other DOGE leadership: namely, Elon Musk. This follows the controversy surrounding H1-B visas, where Ramaswamy faced heavy backlash from many Republicans for calling American workers “mediocre.” This has left Musk as the sole administrator of DOGE. Most well known as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and now the owner of Twitter (now X), Musk is currently the wealthiest individual alive. In the last presidential election, he was a significant donor to Trump’s campaign, being Trump’s largest 2024 campaign donor as well as the largest individual donor of the 2024 election as a whole. As a result, many have criticized Musk’s role in the Trump administration as a case of Musk buying his way into power, and shaping policies disproportionately favoring the rich.
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