President-elect Donald Trump — fresh off his emphatic victory over Vice President Kamala Harris — spent Wednesday with his team in Palm Beach strategizing how to fill out his second administration.

Trump’s transition team has been working for months and is preparing for an internal “reveal,” campaign adviser Brian Hughes told The Post — though discussion among aides this week is expected to focus on the process and not on specific names of nominees.

Sources close to the Trump campaign said they expect a string of Republican Senate victories will ease Trump’s return to power — giving him more flexibility to go with his gut and choose Cabinet secretaries who align with his populist policies.

Most of the transition work is expected to take place at Trump’s compound at Mar-a-Lago, Hughes said — where allies and advisers have long gathered to bend the president-elect’s ear.

In addition to Cabinet secretaries, there are approximately 4,000 presidential candidates in the executive branch who do not require Senate confirmation — with these choices shaping and shaping the federal bureaucracy.

What we know about the second Trump transition

Those overseeing the process are co-chairs Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, and Linda McMahon, who headed the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.

The transition team also includes former and future first sons Eric and Donald Jr., Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.

Trump is expected to make the most salient choices himself — and he has spoken ruefully during his first term about going along with the recommendations of others, resulting in aides who resisted or defied his orders.

Two of the most important decisions will be Trump’s choice as attorney general and White House chief of staff.

In recent weeks, three front-runners have emerged for the latter position, which does not require Senate confirmation despite the enormous role it plays in directing federal policy, carrying out presidential orders and controlling access to him.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is in the running alongside Trump campaign manager Susie Wiles and former White House domestic policy adviser Brooke Rollins.

Wiles is considered the most likely choice and Trump said in the latter part of the campaign that he believes McCarthy made a mistake by choosing not to nominate GOP lawmakers loyal to the 45th president to the House committee of Representatives who investigated the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. .

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Still, McCarthy would bring significant Washington experience that could be useful in making the most of Trump’s electoral mandate.

Republicans lament that they focused on fruitless efforts to repeal Obamacare after Trump’s shocking 2016 victory, resulting in delays for other key items on the 45th president’s agenda, such as tax cuts — which came later in Trump’s first year in office – and the construction of US-Mexico border walls, which Congress subsequently refused to fund.

Trump has promised to enact sweeping tax reforms that will require legislative skills — including an end to federal levies on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits, along with tax write-offs for auto loans on domestic vehicles and a mandate that makes in vitro fertilization free for prospective parents.

Wiles, despite her relative lack of DC experience, has been praised for running an effective 2024 campaign that delivered a resounding victory while avoiding the fighting that has plagued previous Trump teams.

The attorney general, meanwhile, is likely the most influential Cabinet post — as it will pave the way for the dismissal of two federal criminal cases against him and potentially defend him against criminal cases in New York and Georgia.

In November 2022, Trump launched his latest campaign ahead of the feared criminal charges – whittling the then-ex-president’s circle of outside allies down to a handful of people following the backlash over his criticism of the 2020 election results.

Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, one of the few top Trump administration officials to attend his boss’ campaign kickoff, is among potential candidates for the post.

Whitaker would be a relatively conservative choice and bring experience from his time in the first Trump administration.

Other rumored potential attorneys general include senators and even governors with law degrees — like Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry or Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt, both of whom led legal challenges to the Biden-Harris administration’s censorship push on social media companies.

Trump has publicly identified the people he wants on his side after praising North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who is likely in the running for energy secretary.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy is also believed to be running for Secretary of Energy or Interior.

National security positions such as secretary of defense, FBI director and top positions in the intelligence community could go to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell and former national security adviser Robert O’Brien.

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) is also being considered as a possible top-level appointee for a defense-related position.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is being heavily considered a potential recruit for secretary of state, The Post previously reported. But the job could be given to a number of others, including Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), a former U.S. ambassador to Japan.

Former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf could also return to the White House – possibly in the same role he previously held.

Other Republicans have told The Post they would be open to serving in the Trump administration, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin.

Many influential figures will not technically work for the government.

Trump has promised to appoint billionaire SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk to lead a powerful commission focused on reducing government waste — and Musk will also likely be a highly influential advisor on space and business policy.

The 45th and soon to be 47th president also promised RFK Jr. to a position of influence on improving the health of Americans after Kennedy ended his independent presidential campaign and endorsed him in August.

Kennedy’s controversial skepticism about vaccine safety likely rules him out from a Senate confirmation position — though it does not necessarily diminish his influence, as informal advisers often had outsized influence during Trump’s first term.

Republicans are currently on track to have at least 53 seats in the Senate, giving Trump a cushion for at least three nominee dropouts, while Vance waits in the wings to break the 50-50 ties as the chamber’s president.