Trump is staffing up his White House with loyalists

President-elect Donald Trump has begun naming members to his White House team, offering a strong signal about the direction he’ll take on important issues, including foreign policy, immigration, and climate.

Trump’s picks have included multiple immigration hardliners, underscoring his commitment to proposals like mass deportation, as well as a number of staffers who hold adversarial stances toward China and Iran and supportive positions of Israel. Notably, most of Trump’s selections are longtime loyalists who could put up less opposition to his policy proposals than staffers did during his first administration. And he’s selected a number of people who have little to no experience in the subject matter they’ll be overseeing.

During his first administration, many of Trump’s Cabinet members oversaw significant changes to the executive branch, including Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who were critical to curtailing worker protections and attempting massive cuts to education spending, respectively. Trump has indicated he wants to go further and move faster this time around and that he wants to ensure he’s surrounded by like-minded staff. 

Below is a rundown of the people Trump has named and the roles these appointees could play.

Tom Homan, former ICE acting director, has been named “border czar” 

Who he is: Homan was acting ICE director during the first Trump administration and oversaw the implementation of the family separation policy during his tenure from 2017 to 2018. He’s also long backed Trump’s desire to deport unauthorized immigrants, previously noting that if invited to join the administration, he intended to “run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.”

Homan worked for ICE during former President Barack Obama’s administration as well, and has also served as a police officer and Border Patrol agent. He’s been in lockstep with Trump on implementing punitive immigration policies and called for ICE to deport a wide range of unauthorized immigrants, including those who don’t have criminal histories. 

“Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “There is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders.” 

What we know about the role: The “border czar” is not an official role that requires Senate confirmation; the secretary of homeland security is the actual Cabinet official overseeing the border. However, Homan appears poised to have a major say over policy and will weigh in on proposals at both the northern and southern borders, according to Trump. 

What message this sends: Homan’s efforts in the first Trump administration and his commitment to sweeping deportations this term indicate that the president-elect is fully focused on his promise to remove a large number of unauthorized immigrants from the US. 

Trump policy aide Stephen Miller has been named deputy chief of staff and policy adviser

Who he is: Miller is a staunch Trump loyalist and policy adviser who pushed many of the harshest immigration policies during the president-elect’s first term. He has advocated for a travel ban and family separations in the past, and he’s a chief architect and booster for the idea of the mass deportations Trump has promised this term as well.

“They begin on Inauguration Day, as soon as he takes the oath of office,” Miller has said of deportations. 

Trump has not yet formally announced the appointment, though Vice President-elect JD Vance has already posted his congratulations to Miller. 

What we know about the role: This position is another political appointment that doesn’t require Senate confirmation, but the role is set to focus heavily on providing Trump with policy guidance — likely focused on immigration, given Miller’s expertise. 

What message this sends: Between this appointment and Homan’s, Trump has made clear that his promised mass deportations will be one of his top policy goals when he retakes office. 

Kristi Noem has been tapped for Homeland Security secretary

Who she is: The two-term South Dakota governor is a longtime Trump loyalist and was on his shortlist for the vice presidency. Ahead of Trump making his VP selection, Noem became enmeshed in scandal after she admitted to shooting her dog, Cricket, because of behavioral issues, generating overwhelming backlash. 

As governor, Noem was known for refusing to impose a mask mandate during the pandemic, and for refusing to implement statewide business closures despite public health concerns. Noem was also banned by multiple Native American tribes from visiting tribal lands in the state due to claims she’s made that they’ve been infiltrated by cartels. 

On immigration, Noem has often echoed Trump’s hardline rhetoric suggesting that many unauthorized immigrants are criminals, and she backed his travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries. 

What we know about the role: Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a significant role given the agency’s notable purview over the administration’s policies at the southern border. DHS includes key subagencies like ICE as well as Customs and Border Protection. The secretary role requires Senate confirmation.

What message this sends: Noem is one of several picks that signal Trump’s investment in punitive immigration policies this term such as mass deportation — and aggressive border security. 

Pete Hegseth has been tapped for secretary of defense

Who he is: A co-host of Fox News’s Fox and Friends Weekend show, Hegseth is a veteran who previously served in Afghanistan and Iraq but who has little senior national security experience.  

Hegseth has taken controversial positions in the past, including advocating for soldiers who’ve committed war crimes to be pardoned and stating that women shouldn’t be fighting in combat. He’s written multiple books about his military service, often criticizing the military for “wokeness” and prioritizing diversity — and has said he supports firing senior leaders who advance these ideas. 

Hegseth has expressed his support for Israel as well as an adversarial stance toward Iran. In addition to working as a television host, Hegseth previously led the advocacy group Concerned Veterans for America, which is funded by the Koch brothers. 

“Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” Trump wrote in a statement. 

What we know about the role: The Secretary of Defense oversees the military, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This person serves as a key adviser to the president on international conflicts and military policy. 

Past officials in this role have often struggled to work with Trump, with five people cycling through it during his first term — and many of them criticizing his ability to govern. 

Hegseth would need to be confirmed by the Senate for this role.

What message this sends: Hegseth’s nomination seemed to take many lawmakers and military leaders off guard given his dearth of experience. His inflammatory positions about wokeism in the military and pardoning of war crimes have also spurred concerns.

Hegseth is among the many Trump picks poised to be strong defenders of Israel, and who advance a more traditionally conservative viewpoint on foreign policy. Like Trump, however, Hegseth has expressed skepticism of NATO and the contributions of US allies.

John Ratcliffe has been selected as CIA director

Who he is: The former director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, Ratcliffe is another longtime loyalist who’s being elevated in the upcoming administration. 

Previously, Ratcliffe helped aid Trump’s efforts to investigate President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden in the House, and was also criticized for declassifying intelligence about Russian operations at Senate Republicans’ behest while serving as the director of national intelligence. Members of the intelligence community told CNN that his past experience and track record made him a less disruptive choice compared to others who may have been considered. 

A House lawmaker prior to his time in the first Trump administration, Ratcliffe was known for his fierce defenses of the president-elect during his first impeachment proceedings. He’s also been a vocal critic of the Chinese government’s intelligence operations. 

What we know about the role: The CIA director oversees the United States’s intelligence-gathering operations around the globe. This official plays a key role in advising the president and overseeing how this intelligence is used.

What message this sends: Ratcliffe is the latest Trump loyalist to be installed in a pivotal position and questions remain about how committed he might be to opposing the president-elect. Trump has called for an overhaul of intelligence agencies that he’s viewed as challenging his authority.

Marco Rubio has been tapped for secretary of state

Who he is: Rubio is serving his third term as a Florida senator and is known for his adversarial position toward China, Iran, and Cuba, as well as his focus on US-Latin American relations. He currently sits on the Senate Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committees, and though he’s taken foreign policy positions aligned with Trump’s isolationist rhetoric lately, he has previously supported international alliances and interventionist approaches.

Rubio has also expressed strong support for Israel, and emphasized he isn’t interested in a ceasefire in the region until the country has defeated Hamas. He’s backed Ukraine aid in the past as well, though he opposed more recent packages and has urged an end to the war. 

Rubio has also shifted considerably on certain issues like immigration: Early in his career, he was a chief proponent of immigration reform in the Senate, including a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants, and his rhetoric has grown more hardline and similar to Trump’s over time. 

“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,” Trump said in a statement.

What we know about the role: This position is one of the most powerful in the administration and key to shaping US foreign policy. The secretary of state is the chief envoy of the US in other countries, and offers counsel for how to approach different international relationships. Secretaries of state are also often dispatched to help mediate conflict. The role requires Senate confirmation. 

What message this sends: Like the selection of Rep. Mike Waltz for National Security Adviser, Rubio’s naming suggests that Trump may be open to a more traditionally conservative and aggressive approach to foreign policy.

Michael Waltz has been picked as national security adviser

Who he is: A member of Congress from Florida, Waltz is also a former Green Beret who served in Afghanistan. He worked on foreign policy under President George W. Bush, and has sat on the Armed Services, Intelligence, and Foreign Affairs Committees in the House. 

While on the Hill, Waltz became known for his hardline, aggressive stances on China and Iran and for being a vocal critic of President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

What we know about the role: The national security adviser is a key foreign policy aide to the president; historically, they provide advice on both military and diplomatic matters. The role does not require Senate confirmation. 

Trump has clashed heavily with past individuals in this role including John Bolton, who has said he’s “unfit” to serve as president again. 

What message this sends: Waltz is one of multiple hawkish foreign policy picks Trump has made. That suggests the Republican Party wing that advocates for intervention and action on the world stage — rather than the restrained, more isolationist faction — may get a large platform in a second Trump administration.

Elise Stefanik has been tapped for UN ambassador

Who she is: Once a moderate, Stefanik — currently part of Republican House leadership — has become a vocal Trump loyalist in recent years as her New York district shifted right. 

Stefanik first burst onto the national stage as a member of the House Intelligence Committee, grilling witnesses as part of Trump’s first impeachment proceeding in the lower chamber in 2019. More recently, she went viral for her questioning of college presidents during a hearing on antisemitism and their handling of student protests over Gaza. 

As a top House Republican, Stefanik has amplified Trump’s 2020 election denials and hewed so close to the president-elect that she was once on the shortlist for the vice presidency. Stefanik is also known for her efforts to recruit and support more Republican women for House seats. 

She’s taken a pretty standard conservative stance on foreign policy: Stefanik has been a prominent supporter of aid to Israel while balking at continuing support for Ukraine. She backed early tranches of Ukraine aid but joined other Republicans in arguing that more recent aid could be better applied domestically. Stefanik has previously questioned aid to the United Nations, including to its Relief and Works Agency, which has been vital to providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

“Elise is an incredibly strong, tough and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement about the role. 

What we know about the role: The UN ambassador serves as a vital envoy for US interests; given the country’s financial support for the body and its role on the UN Security Council, the ambassador has major influence regarding how the organization utilizes its resources and who serves in its leadership. 

In the last year, UN officials have been increasingly critical of Israel’s attacks on Gaza as thousands have died, health care systems have been assaulted, and famine has struck. As ambassador, Stefanik could criticize these positions and call for defunding UN relief programs. 

This role requires Senate confirmation. 

What message this sends: The pick suggests that the Trump administration could once again ramp up its disagreements with the United Nations, after attempting to curb funding for certain UN initiatives in Trump’s first term. At that time, the administration also pulled out of the UN Human Rights Council, citing its criticisms of Israel. 

Stefanik’s naming could also underscore the president-elect’s skepticism of additional aid to Ukraine. 

Matt Gaetz has been tapped for attorney general

Who he is: Gaetz is a conservative firebrand and longtime Trump supporter who is known for his disruptive presence in the House. Previously, he was a chief antagonist of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and has threatened multiple government shutdowns over concerns that conservative demands weren’t being met on issues like immigration.

Gaetz has sat on the Armed Services and Judiciary committees in the House and has also faced an investigation over his alleged involvement in sex trafficking of a minor. (The DOJ ultimately declined to charge him.)

Trump’s announcement of the position centered heavily on Gaetz’s supposed willingness to root out alleged bias toward the president-elect at the agency. “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump wrote in a statement on Truth Social.

What we know about the role: The attorney general heads the Department of Justice and oversees the enforcement of federal laws. The DOJ conducts investigations of possible violations of these laws and is also responsible for holding federal officials accountable.

Past Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions was previously forced out when the president-elect disagreed with his handling of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

What message this sends: Gaetz is another Trump loyalist who’s poised to help use the agency in a way that aids the president-elect’s aims. Republicans have long complained of targeting and bias at the DOJ and that could prove to be a major focus of his time there.

Lee Zeldin tapped as Environmental Protection Agency administrator

Who he is: Zeldin is a former Republican House lawmaker who ran a failed campaign for the New York governor’s seat in 2022. 

Zeldin did not previously sit on committees focused on environmental policy in the House, and focused on crime and inflation during his gubernatorial run. That year, he came within a notably close margin of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as a Republican running in a traditionally blue state.

Zeldin has said some of his first priorities will be to “roll back regulations that are forcing businesses to be able to struggle,” and to work on US “energy dominance.” 

What we know about the role: The EPA is responsible for crafting policies that protect clean water and air, and also plays a major role in approving regulations to combat climate change. The administrator position is a Senate-confirmed role. 

What message this sends: Trump promised to take a very different approach to the environment than the Biden administration, including by exiting international climate agreements and focusing on expanding fossil fuel production. Zeldin’s nomination suggests those promises will be a priority, as will rescinding Biden-era environmental protections that curbed carbon emissions for businesses. 

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will co-lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency”

Who Musk is: A massive and vocal Trump advocate, Musk has used his platform on X (formerly known as Twitter) to boost the president-elect as well as misinformation about numerous topics, including noncitizen voting and election fraud. 

Musk is known for leading several companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, and for increasingly becoming part of Trump’s inner circle. Musk has also faced allegations of labor violations at his companies, and for past attention-seeking efforts, like trying — and failing — to help a group of Thai youth trapped in a cave in 2018. 

He’ll lead something called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, alongside former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The moniker for the department is a nod to the cryptocurrency Musk once endorsed. 

“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,” Trump wrote in a statement. 

Who Ramaswamy is: A 2024 presidential candidate and biotech entrepreneur, Ramaswamy framed himself as an outsider trying to challenge the establishment during the GOP primary. 

Ramaswamy also aligned himself closely with Trump during his run, and has made much of his platform dedicated to combating “wokeism.”

What we know about the role: The Department of Government Efficiency doesn’t currently exist and a new government agency can’t be created without the approval of Congress. It’s likely that this agency will exist outside of the government instead. 

It’s purportedly focused on slashing bureaucracy, government spending, and waste. 

What message this sends: This position speaks to the prominence that Musk has achieved in Trump’s orbit, and Ramaswamy in far-right circles, despite a lack of government and policy experience.

Susie Wiles has been named chief of staff

Who she is: Wiles, a longtime Florida campaign operative, helped run Trump’s 2016 campaign in the state and was a Trump senior national adviser in 2024. She’s heavily credited for the success he had during the Republican primary in 2024 and had previously aided Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during his gubernatorial run in 2018 prior to a falling out between the two. 

Wiles has also been a corporate lobbyist and worked with a spectrum of Republicans in the past, including former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and Florida Sen. Rick Scott.  

“Susie is tough, smart, innovative … universally admired and respected,” Trump said in a statement. 

What we know about the role: The chief of staff is effectively a gatekeeper who helps shape the president’s priorities and offers policy counsel. The position is the most prominent political appointee in the White House and is not Senate confirmed. 

Notably, Trump’s former Chief of Staff John Kelly has been a major Trump critic, describing him as a “fascist” who favors a “dictator approach.”

What message this sends: Wiles has been credited with professionalizing Trump’s campaign operations and reining in some of the chaos that has marked his past operations. That said, his campaign was still rife with racist remarks that echoed authoritarians as well as frequent lies about former Vice President Kamala Harris’s policies and identity. Kelly has said he attempted to restrain the president during his first term, though it was still plagued by in-fighting and tumultuous policies on everything from climate to immigration. 

Update, November 13, 7 pm ET: This story, originally published on November 11, has been updated multiple times to reflect additional nominations that are expected.