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| Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Atkinson Country Club on 16 January, 2024 in Atkinson, New Hampshire |
US President-elect Donald Trump is building his administration ahead of retaking the White House in January, handing top roles to a mixture of political allies, outright firebrands and a few relatively conventional figures.
These are the key nominations so far, some requiring potentially difficult Senate confirmations -- unless Trump can circumvent scrutiny through a process called recess appointments.
Government Efficiency: Elon Musk
Musk, the world’s richest man, has been named to lead a newly created entity called the Department of Government Efficiency, along with another wealthy Trump ally, Vivek Ramaswamy.Musk says he is targeting $2 trillion in cuts from the federal government’s $7 trillion budget, without explaining how.
There has also been no explanation of how the Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink boss would navigate conflicts of interest arising from his position as a major US government contractor.
Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
Trump tapped the Florida senator as top diplomat, with an eye to intensifying the US power struggle with China.
Rubio has said China “doesn’t just seek to be the most powerful nation in the world, they seek to reorient the world.”
He is a fervent supporter of Israel and longtime critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth
Fox News host and National Guard veteran Hegseth was nominated to lead the world’s most powerful military, despite a slim CV.
Hegseth joined Fox News -- Trump’s favorite network -- in 2014 and is a host on Fox and Friends Weekend and Fox Nation. The Pentagon employs some 2.9 million people and has a budget close to three quarters of a trillion dollars.
National Security Advisor: Mike Waltz
Congressman and former special forces officer Waltz has been tapped as Trump’s top White House foreign policy advisor.
Waltz is critical of both China, which he calls an “existential” threat, and Russia, but backs winding down support for Ukraine.
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