Politics
Trump administration takes shape: President-elect completes top 15 Cabinet picks
President-elect Trump has rounded out his picks for the top 15 positions within his Cabinet, handpicking an array of establishment and unconventional officials for top posts in just three weeks.
Trump has moved at a rapid pace to shape his upcoming administration, which stands in contrast to his first run at the presidency in 2016.
The president-elect’s picks have diverse ideologies united under Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
From Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s pro-choice stance to Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s pro-union stance and former George Soros adviser Scott Bessent, Trump’s Cabinet reflects a new era for Republican presidents.
GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. waves to the crowd at a campaign rally for former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
1. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – Secretary of Health and Human Services
Kennedy, a former Democrat, has been open about his pro-choice stance, much to the chagrin of conservative Republicans.
The former presidential candidate shared a video on social media this summer, writing in a post, “I support the emerging consensus that abortion should be unrestricted up until a certain point.”
He suggested that this limit should be “when the baby is viable outside the womb.” Viability is understood to occur around 24 weeks gestation.
Kennedy will likely be asked in his upcoming hearing the extent of his pro-choice stance. Several Republicans are wary of Trump’s pick for HHS, while others expressed confidence he would act in line with the administration.
“I would fully expect any of Trump’s nominees to be pro-life, as is President Trump,” Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “It does need to be addressed.”
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“I believe what he’s going to do is do the right thing,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said of Kennedy.
Trump’s softening stance toward abortion was a notable point during his campaign. Trump has said he would leave abortion to the states after of Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Trump notably opposes a federal abortion ban but has remained opposed to late-term abortions. In July, the Republican Party abandoned its long-standing position of advocating for abortions.
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., participates in a House Transportation Committee hearing June 27. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
2. Lori Chavez-DeRemer – Labor Secretary
Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination received strong support from unions, which once stood at odds with Republican ideology.
The president-elect lauded her for working “tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America.”
“I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand Training and Apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our Manufacturing jobs,” Trump said in an Friday announcement.
During her short stint as a House Republican, Chavez-DeRemer championed labor rights. She co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which increased penalties for employers who break labor law and makes it easier to unionize. She also co-sponsored the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which would expand the powers of public sector unions.
Her candidacy for the post was backed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, whose president thanked Trump for the pro-labor pick.
“North America’s strongest union is ready to work with you every step of the way to expand good union jobs and rebuild our nation’s middle class,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien wrote on X. “Let’s get to work!”
Similarly, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler praised Chavez-DeRemer for having “built a pro-labor record in Congress.”
“But Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States — not Rep. Chavez-DeRemer — and it remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda,” Shuler said.
Scott Bessent, founder and CEO of Key Square Group LP, at an interview during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee July 16. (Vincent Alban/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
3. Scott Bessent – Treasury Secretary
President-elect Trump nominated Bessent as his top economic official to implement “Trumponomics.”
Bessent made a name for himself at Soros Capital Management, where he worked as chief investment officer from 2011 to 2015. Following his work with Soros, he founded hedge fund Key Square Capital Management and was a key economic policy adviser and fundraiser for the Trump campaign.
He has been an advocate for economic policies like lower taxes, spending restraint and deregulation that have long made up the core of the Republican Party’s platform and has been supportive of Trump’s use of tariffs in trade negotiations.
In a statement, Consumer Bankers Association President and CEO Lindsey Johnson congratulated Bessent on the nomination.
“As an experienced and accomplished businessman, we applaud Mr. Bessent’s recent comments in which he has called for a surge in small business optimism, a smart deregulatory banking agenda and support for Main Street,” Johnson said.
“If confirmed, we look forward to working with Mr. Bessent to advocate for sound financial regulatory policy that enable banks to better support consumers, small businesses and the economy at large.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
4. Marco Rubio – Secretary of State
As America’s top diplomat, Rubio was plucked from his Senate term in Florida to serve in Trump’s upcoming administration.
Rubio, a former critic of Trump, has supported strong relations with foreign alliances, including NATO, advocating for a robust U.S. presence in the world. He has also publicly supported Israel’s war against Hamas and spoken out against continued aid to Ukraine.
“It is my Great Honor to announce that Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The United States Secretary of State. Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.”
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In a statement, Rubio, 53, said he was “honored” by the trust Trump “has placed in me.”
“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda,” Rubio wrote on X. “Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else.”
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5. Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defense
A combat veteran and former Fox News host, Hegseth was picked as the senior executive in the Department of Defense, which oversees the U.S. military and Pentagon.
Hegseth, who served as an Army infantryman in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the Minnesota National Guard, has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s national security approach.
Hegseth has been under increased scrutiny after former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s decision to drop out following sexual misconduct allegations. Hegseth is also facing sexual misconduct allegations from a 2017 encounter. Scrutiny increased late Wednesday night after police in Monterey, California, released a report about the allegations.
“The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday. Through his attorney, he has also acknowledged the sexual encounter but has said it was consensual.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi addresses the Republican National Convention in 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
6. Pam Bondi – Attorney General
Following Gaetz’s removal from consideration for the nation’s top cop, Trump chose Bondi as his attorney general pick.
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, was named by Trump hours after Gaetz withdrew. Bondi is a longtime Trump supporter who served on his legal team during his impeachment trial.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump wrote in his announcement. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.
“I have known Pam for many years – She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”
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7. Doug Burgum – Secretary of the Interior
North Dakota Gov. Burgum, a staunch advocate of expanded fossil fuel production, was picked as Trump’s secretary of the interior. Trump also named him to the newly created “energy czar” position.
Burgum has been an ally of Trump since he suspended his own presidential campaign. Burgum made energy and natural resources a key part of his campaign for the GOP nomination.
The president-elect said in a statement the newly formed National Energy Council “will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation.”
Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of AFPI, during the America First Policy Institute’s America First Agenda Summit in 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
8. Brooke Rollins – Agriculture Secretary
Rollins, who grew up on a farm in Glen Rose, Texas, was a surprise pick for the position. Others, including former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., were floated as top contenders.
Rollins served as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration. Since her time in the Trump White House, Rollins co-founded the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute think tank.
“A proud Graduate of Texas A&M University, Brooke earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Agriculture Development, and J.D., with Honors,” the announcement said. “From her upbringing in the small and Agriculture-centered town of Glen Rose, Texas, to her years of leadership involvement with Future Farmers of America and 4H, to her generational Family Farming background, to guiding her four kids in their show cattle careers, Brooke has a practitioner’s experience, along with deep Policy credentials in both Nonprofit and Government leadership at the State and National levels.”
Howard Lutnick, chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and co-chair of the Trump 2024 Transition Team, speaks during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York Oct. 17. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
9. Howard Lutnick – Commerce Secretary
Lutnick, 63, has served as the co-chair of Trump’s transition team and was a key fundraiser for Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns.
“I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce,” Trump said in a statement. “He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative.”
The Commerce Department plays a key role in regulating international trade with the U.S. as well as promoting economic growth domestically.
There are several notable bureaus within the Commerce Department, including the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Industry and Security, which work on issues related to national security and sensitive technologies by enforcing export controls and promoting the health of the U.S. defense industrial base.
Scott Turner at the America First Policy Institute’s America First Agenda summit in Washington, D.C., in 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
10. Scott Turner – Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Turner, 52, Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a former NFL player.
He served in Trump’s first administration as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.
“Scott is an NFL Veteran, who, during my First Term, served as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities,” Trump said in a statement Friday.
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11. Sean Duffy – Secretary of Transportation
Duffy is a former Wisconsin congressman and former Fox News contributor and FOX Business co-host.
“Sean has been a tremendous and well-liked public servant, starting his career as a District Attorney for Ashland, Wisconsin, and later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District,” Trump said in his announcement Monday.
“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation. Importantly, he will greatly elevate the Travel Experience for all Americans!”
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Shortly after the announcement, a spokesperson for Fox News Media released the following statement: “Sean Duffy provided valuable insights and analysis in co-hosting the FOX Business Network program ‘The Bottom Line.’ As Duffy departs FOX News Media effective today, we wish him the best of luck in his return to Washington. Moving forward, ‘The Bottom Line’ will continue with Dagen McDowell joined by rotating co-hosts.”
Liberty Oilfield Services Inc. CEO Chris Wright, center, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (Reuters)
12. Chris Wright – Secretary of Energy
Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy, will lead the Department of Energy.
“I am thrilled to announce that Chris Wright will be joining my Administration as both United States Secretary of Energy, and Member of the newly formed Council of National Energy,” Trump said in a statement.
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According to Liberty Energy’s website, Wright graduated from MIT with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also completed graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and MIT.
“[Wright] is a self-described tech nerd turned entrepreneur and a dedicated humanitarian on a mission to better human lives by expanding access to abundant, affordable, and reliable energy,” the company’s website says.
The key Cabinet position announcement comes after Trump made energy independence and bolstering oil and gas production a cornerstone of his campaign.
President Trump shakes hands with Linda McMahon, the outgoing administrator of the Small Business Administration, March 29, 2019. (Reuters/Joshua Roberts)
13. Linda McMahon – Secretary of Education
McMahon serves as co-chair of Trump’s transition team and is a major GOP donor and a retired World Wrestling Entertainment executive.
Clips of McMahon’s body slams have resurfaced across social media in the days since the announcement of her appointment.
McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009. She told lawmakers at the time she had a lifelong interest in education and once planned to become a teacher. She attempted two runs at the Senate as a Connecticut Republican, losing the 2010 race to Richard Blumenthal and the 2012 race to Chris Murphy.
McMahon then provided $6 million to help Trump’s candidacy after he secured the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. She served as administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2019.
Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., speaks during a campaign event in Buford, Ga., in 2020. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
14. Douglas Collins – Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Former Rep. Collins, R-Ga., is an Air Force Reserve chaplain.
Collins, 58, last ran for office in 2020 when he vied for a Georgia Senate seat and served two years as a Navy chaplain before joining the Air Force as a chaplain after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Trump praised Collins in the appointment announcement, saying he would be a “great advocate for active-duty service members, veterans and military families to ensure they have the support they need.”
“We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform,” Trump said. “Thank you, Doug, for your willingness to serve our country in this important role.”
Former President Trump listens as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during the Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, March 16. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
15. Kristi Noem – Homeland Secretary
Noem, who has served as South Dakota’s governor since 2019, has been a staunch Trump ally throughout his campaigns.
The Department of Homeland Security oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
If selected, Noem would work with Tom Homan, who was announced as Trump’s “border czar,” and Stephen Miller, who was announced as the White House deputy of staff for policy.
U.S. military forces stopped and boarded a second sanctioned tanker carrying oil from Iran in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon said on Thursday, ramping up pressure on Tehran as the Trump administration seeks to resume negotiations to end the war.
A naval boarding team roped down from hovering helicopters and fanned out on the vessel, the M/T Majestic X, according to a Pentagon statement that included a 17-second video of the operation.
The military said the boarding was part of a “global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate.”
Earlier this week, Navy SEALS boarded another ship in the Indian Ocean, the M/T Tifani, after the Pentagon said it was carrying oil from Iran.
Navy destroyers are also shadowing several other Iranian vessels, including the Dorena and Sevin, which had left from the Iranian port of Chabahar before the U.S.-imposed blockade began on April 13, a U.S. military official said. The Navy is directing those ships to return to an Iranian port, the official said.
With the M/T Tifani and M/T Majestic X now at least temporarily in the custody of the military, a U.S. military official said it was up to the White House to decide what to do with the sanctioned vessels and their cargo. The administration previously seized several tankers carrying illicit oil from Venezuela after a U.S. commando raid there in January that seized Nicolás Maduro, the country’s president.
“International waters cannot be used as a shield by sanctioned actors,” the Pentagon said in its statement on Thursday, adding that the department would “continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hinted last week that the U.S. military would likely commence boarding operations like the ones this week. He said that U.S. military commanders elsewhere in the world, and especially in the Indo-Pacific region, would “actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran.”
The U.S. Navy has turned back at least 31 ships trying to enter or exit Iranian ports since an American blockade outside the contested Strait of Hormuz began about a week ago, U.S. Central Command said late Wednesday.
Last Sunday, a Navy destroyer disabled and seized the Touska, an Iranian cargo ship, after it tried to evade the blockade. It was the first time a vessel was reported to have tried to evade the U.S.-imposed blockade on any ship entering or exiting Iranian ports since it took effect last week.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained why President Donald Trump does not consider Iran’s seizure of two ships in the Strait of Hormuz a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Leavitt made the statement during an interview with Fox News’ Martha McCallum on Wednesday just hours after Iran captured the Greek and Mediterranean-flagged vessels.
“Does the seizure of two ships — as we said, they were Greek and Mediterranean-owned ships with cargo on them, and the reports are that Iran basically seized them and then moved them into Iranian waters. We don’t know what’s going to happen to these crews. We’re not sure where all of this is going. Does the president view that as a violation of the ceasefire?” McCallum asked.
“No, because these were not U.S. ships. These were not Israeli ships. These were two international vessels,” Leavitt responded.
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Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, conducts a press briefing. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“And for the American media, who are sort of blowing this out of proportion to discredit the president’s facts that he has completely obliterated Iran’s conventional Navy, these two ships were taken by speedy gunboats. Iran has gone from having the most lethal Navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of pirates. They don’t have control over the strait,” she continued.
“This is piracy that we are seeing on display. And the naval blockade that the United States has imposed continues to be incredibly effective. And, to be clear, the blockade is on ships going to and from Iranian ports. And the point of this is the economic leverage that we maintain over Iran now. While there’s a ceasefire with respect to the military and kinetic strikes, Operation Economic Fury continues, and the crux of that is this naval blockade,” she added.
The Iranian made ‘Seraj’ a high-speed missile-launching assault boat on display in Tehran on August 23, 2010, as Iran kicked off mass production of two high-speed missile-launching assault boats the ‘Seraj’ (Lamp) and ‘Zolfaqar’ (named after Shiite Imam Ali’s sword) speedboats which will be manufactured at the marine industries complex of the ministry of defense. (YALDA MOAIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said the vessels, identified as the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, were operating without proper authorization and had tampered with navigation systems, accusations that could not be independently verified. The ships had earlier reported coming under fire near the strait, underscoring the increasingly volatile conditions in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
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The Guard attacked a third ship, identified as the Euphoria, which had become “stranded” on the Iranian coast, Iranian media reported. It did not seize that vessel.
Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 18, 2026. (Reuters)
Both the U.S. and Iranian sides have targeted commercial and cargo vessels as part of a broader pressure campaign tied to stalled negotiations. U.S. forces have also moved to seize at least one Iranian-linked vessel in the region, with each side accusing the other of violating the terms of a fragile ceasefire.
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The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for global oil shipments, with roughly 20% of the world’s supply passing through it. Traffic has slowed dramatically as ships reroute or avoid the area amid gunfire, seizures and conflicting directives from both militaries.
Fox News’ Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger met privately with President Trump and administration officials Wednesday to press for federal support and yet-unpaid wildfire recovery funding as the region continues to rebuild from the 2025 fires.
“This afternoon we met with President Trump and Administration officials to advocate for families who lost everything,” Bass and Barger said in a statement. “We had a very positive discussion about FEMA and other rebuilding funds as well as the support of the President to continue joining us in pressuring the insurance companies to pay what they owe — and for the big banks to step up to ease the financial pressure on L.A. families.”
Barger said the two leaders had a “high-level discussion” with the president in the Oval Office, sharing stories about what fire survivors are experiencing day to day. She added that “we left details behind with the President,” but did not specify whether Trump made any funding or policy promises during the meeting.
“First and foremost, today’s meeting was to thank the President for his initial support of infusing federal resources to expedite debris removal, as well as his recent tweet about insurance companies, which have already proven fruitful,” she said in a statement provided to The Times.
Bass was similarly reserved about the discussions, telling reporters that “we will follow up with the details,” but signaled progress is being made on federal support.
“I think what’s important is that we certainly got the president’s support in terms of, you know, what is needed, and then the appropriate people were in the room for us to follow up. And that was Russ Vought, who is the head of the Office of Management and budget,” Bass told KNX on Wednesday.
The meeting comes on the heels of a yearlong standoff between California leaders and the Trump administration over wildfire recovery funding, disaster response and whether the federal government should have a say in local rebuilding permitting.
California leaders, led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, have accused the Trump administration of withholding billions in critical wildfire aid, prompting a lawsuit over stalled recovery funds. Officials allege political bias in the delay of billions of dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Newsom visited Washington in December. When he made his rounds on Capitol Hill, he met with five lawmakers, including three who serve on the Senate and House appropriations committees, to renew calls for $33.9 billion in federal aid for Los Angeles County fire recovery.
But the governor said he was denied a meeting with FEMA and would not say whether he had attempted to meet with Trump to discuss the issue.
Bass, meanwhile, appears to have found a path to the president on a subject that has been paramount for her community.
The fruitful meeting comes after Trump lobbed insults at the mayor at a news conference earlier this year, where he called her “incompetent” for how she handled last year’s wildfire recovery efforts. He alleged that under Bass’ leadership, the city’s delay in issuing local building permits will take years when it should have taken “two or three days.”
California officials, including Newsom, have urged the Trump administration to send Congress a formal request for the $33.9 billion in recovery aid needed to rebuild homes, schools, utilities and other critical infrastructure destroyed or damaged when the fires tore through neighborhoods more than 15 months ago.
What Bass and Barger’s meeting with the president ultimately produces remains to be seen.
The billions in recovery aid have not yet materialized, but the meeting could potentially give those discussions new momentum.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment about the meeting.
Earlier this month, Trump criticized insurance provider State Farm on Truth Social for its handling of the devastating Los Angeles County wildfires. He accused the insurance giant of abandoning its policyholders when tragedy struck.
“It was brought to my attention that the Insurance Companies, in particular, State Farm, have been absolutely horrible to people that have been paying them large Premiums for years, only to find that when tragedy struck, these horrendous Companies were not there to help!” Trump wrote.
But the rebuke didn’t come out of the blue. It stemmed from a controversial February visit to Los Angeles by Trump administration officials.
Trump tapped Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in an effort to strip California state and local governments of their authority to permit the rebuilding of homes destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires.
Within the week, Zeldin was in Los Angeles, bashing Newsom and Los Angeles officials at a roundtable with fire victims and reporters, saying that residents were suffering from “bureaucratic, red tape delays and incompetency” and that leadership was “denying them … the ability to rebuild their lives”.
During the trip, officials heard direct complaints from local leaders and fire victims about insurers being slow, restrictive and insufficient with their claim payouts.
After these meetings, Trump directed Zeldin to investigate the insurers’ responses. State Farm, facing roughly $7 billion in fire-related claims, is also under formal investigation by California’s insurance commissioner over its handling of the crisis.
Despite tensions with the administration, Bass and Barger appeared confident that progress was being made on the insurance and funding issues.
“Our job is to fight for our communities,” their joint statement concluded. “When it comes to this recovery, our federal partners are essential, and we are grateful for the support of the President.”
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