Now that Trump has won, here’s who can come with him to the White House

Former President Donald Trump’s historic comeback was the culmination of not only his own efforts, but those of his many surrogates and allies who are likely to join him in the White House.

Trump has yet to announce any major cabinet picks, although there is plenty of speculation as to who might fill important positions in a second Trump administration. During the election cycle, the Trump campaign achieved widespread use of surrogatesincluding high-profile Republicans, former Democrats such as Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and tech moguls such as Elon Musk.

“President Trump is supported by an impressive array of exceptionally talented people who bring diverse backgrounds and experiences to the job,” Trump campaign national press secretary Caroline Leavitt said in September.

Some of Trump’s old cabinet members could possibly return to their old posts, although many of his former cabinet members actively campaigned against him after being fired or resigned over his campaign troubles. Trump spoke about frequently firing senior staffers during the campaign.

“When you fire somebody, they say bad things,” Trump said in a mid-October town hall for Latino voters. “When I fire John Bolton or when I fire any of these people, he was terrible… But you know what, Biden should have fired a lot of people because he had a very bad administration.”

Trump Co-Chairmanship transition group is former Small Business Administration head and World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder Linda McMahon and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, where he oversees $13.2 billion in asset management. McMahon currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors American First Political Institute (AFPI).

McMahon’s position on the transition team signals a possible change in Washington, as AFPI appears poised to influence White House staffing more than the Heritage Foundation. Throughout the campaign, Trump sought to distance himself from the group’s Project 2025 project.

Here’s a look at who could fill the various positions in Trump’s Cabinet:

Steve Mnuchin

The former Treasury secretary was one of the few major Cabinet members to serve throughout the Trump administration, and did so with virtually no incident. In March, he suggested he was ready to return to his old post.

“If the president called me in the future, I would of course have to take that call and think about it, but right now I’m focused on growing this business,” He said at that time.

Mike Pompeo

Pompeo, Trump’s first CIA director and second secretary of state, played a key role in the development of the historical process. “Abraham Accords”diplomatic rapprochement between Israel and neighboring Arab states, as well as negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

He told Fox News in March that he would likely accept a role in a second Trump administration, saying, “If I have a chance to serve and I think I can make a difference… I will almost certainly go.” to say yes to this opportunity to try to act on behalf of the American people.”

Kate Kellogg

Kellogg served as Trump’s acting national security adviser following Mike Flynn’s resignation and then took the same role in Vice President Mike Pence’s office. He was a highly decorated U.S. Army Lieutenant General who served in Vietnam with the legendary 101st Airborne Division and participated in Operation Desert Storm in Iraq.

Christopher Miller

Miller took over as acting defense secretary when Trump’s second nominee for the job, Mark Esper, resigned in 2020. Trump in 2023 hinted to radio host Hugh Hewitt that Miller interested him for this job on a full-time basis.

Robert Lighthizer

Lighthizer served as U.S. Trade Representative during key trade negotiations for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) as well as during trade negotiations with China.

He further appeared in the election campaign for Trump as part of his team of surrogates.

Peter Navarro

Navarro was an adviser to Trump in the first administration and was recently released from prison after spending four months in jail for contempt of Congress. Navarro refused to comply with a House committee subpoena on Jan. 6, resulting in his conviction.

“I would definitely bring Peter back. This outrageous behavior by Democrats should not have happened.” Trump said in May.

Elon Musk

Tesla founder, X owner and creator SpaceXleading private space program, became a prominent Trump supporter after the July 13 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Trump confirmed that he will appoint Musk to lead a “commission on government efficiency” in September. After purchasing X, Musk famously laid off the vast majority of the platform’s workforce and proposed a similar move to the federal government.

His purchase of X also led to the reversal of many of the platform’s content moderation policies and the reinstatement of Trump’s account. He has become a key defender of free speech and an opponent of “disinformation” monitoring.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

A member of the closest thing to royalty in American political history and former Democratic presidential candidate, Kennedy ran an independent campaign before dropping out of the race and backing Trump.

Kennedy adopted a variation of Trump’s classic “Make America Great Again” slogan and hopes to “Make America Healthy Again.” It remains unclear exactly what position he might get, although he has already emerged as a potential head of the US Food and Drug Administration or secretary of Health and Human Services.

During the campaign, he highlighted changes in food chemistry over the past few decades that he believes may be contributing to the obesity epidemic and other diseases. Speaking on MSNBC, Kennedy expressed interest in removing entire departments from the FDA.

“In some categories there are entire departments, like the FDA’s nutrition division, that have to go,” he said. “They are not protecting our children.”

Tulsi Gabbard

Stubbornly outspoken former Hawaiian Democrat became a republican until the end of the campaign. During her bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination, she became a prominent critic of America’s involvement in foreign conflicts. Gabbard served in the National Guard for 17 years, serving on active duty in Iraq, and retired in 2020 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Gabbard ultimately helped coach Trump in his only debate with Harris and became the favorite for the foreign affairs or defense post, thanks in part to her military service.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Almost completely unknown before his bid for the 2024 Republican nomination, Ramaswamy burst onto the political scene with a campaign that largely signaled agreement with Trump on key policy issues. He dropped out after the Iowa caucuses and endorsed the former president, becoming one of his most visible surrogates on the campaign trail.

Despite being a biotech entrepreneur and financial tycoon, Ramaswamy’s campaign saw him mostly trade barbs with former UN foreign policy envoy Nikki Haley, criticizing her “neocon” hawkish leanings.

Possible Attorneys General

Having previously nominated Jeff Sessions to the post only to see him recuse himself and open the way for Mueller’s investigation, Trump is likely to nominate a trusted ally to lead the Justice Department.

His second nominee, William Barr, left office amid Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign and became a prominent critic, although he ultimately expressed support for Trump’s candidacy. However, he is unlikely to return, and several MAGA hardliners have joined the list of likely candidates.

Among them is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom Trump has said he would consider choosing for the job.

“We have a lot of people who want this and they will be good at it. But he’s a very talented guy.” He said.

Stephen Miller of America First Legal and Mike Davis of the Article III Project were also mentioned as possible candidates. In recent years, Miller’s organization has gained recognition as an effective watchdog group focused on election integrity and a range of other conservative issues.

Davis, for his part, has previously suggested that Trump would “clean up order” in the second administration and make careful personnel decisions to avoid a repeat of Sessions.

“He won’t make that mistake again.” He said. “He’s going to appoint great people to these key positions, like the attorney general or the White House counsel. And they will come there with a plan to get the house in order on the first day.”

Immigration and security posts

Former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan could likely return to his post in an official capacity or be promoted to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Former acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan could also be in line for an immigration or border enforcement job. Both men have become prominent figures in the media advocating for tighter border security measures in support of Trump’s policies.