Elon Musk, who has become a full-fledged cheerleader for Trump and has billions in federal contracts, has reportedly sought a role in a second Trump administration in charge of the regulators that oversee him. Trump appears to be ruling out a Cabinet role for Musk, but has said he wants the tech billionaire to have some sort of unspecified role in his government. The richest person in the world has proposed the creation of a Ministry for Government Efficiency.

Mike Pompeo, former CIA director and secretary of state and devoted Trump ally, chose not to challenge his ex-boss for the Republican nomination. The staunch supporter of Israel and a sworn enemy of Iran is widely seen as a leading contender for a top role in the new government, possibly as defense minister.

Robert F Kennedy Jr., the son of the assassinated Bobby Kennedy and nephew of JFK, whose independent campaign for president has sometimes reached as much as 10% of the vote, is convinced he has a chance for a role in Trump’s cabinet after endorsing the Republican. Although senior members of Trump’s campaign have ruled out giving Kennedy a job at the Health Department, Trump has said he would let him “do whatever he wants” on women’s health care if he reaches the White House, citing to how Kennedy could do that. to “go away” from food and medicine.

Richard Grenell, a former Fox News contributor and one of Trump’s closest foreign policy advisers, is likely in the running for secretary of state or other top foreign policy and national security positions. A former US ambassador to Germany and outspoken supporter of Trump’s America First credo on the international stage during his first term, he has advocated setting up an autonomous zone in eastern Ukraine to end the war there, a position that Kiev finds unacceptable eight.

The far-right Republican senator from Arkansas emerged as a contender to become Trump’s running mate in the final weeks of the vice presidential selection process. In an infamous 2020 New York Times op-ed titled Send In the Troops, Tom Cotton likened the Black Lives Matter protests to an insurrection and urged the government to deploy the U.S. military against demonstrators by appealing to do with the Insurrection Act. He is well liked among Trump donors and is also seen as a candidate for secretary of defense.

Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and former Housing Secretary, has pushed for a national abortion ban — a position that is at odds with most Americans and even Donald Trump himself. During his 2016 run, he found himself in controversy when he compared abortion to slavery and said he wanted to see the end of Roe v Wade. When the Supreme Court reversed its decision in the Dobbs case, he called it “a crucial correction.” Carson could be nominated by Trump to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Scott Bessent, a key economic adviser to Trump and ally of JD Vance, the manager of the macro hedge fund Key Square, is seen as a possible Cabinet candidate. The Wall Street investor and a prominent Trump fundraiser has praised Trump’s use of tariffs as a negotiating tool.

Michael Waltz, a former US Army Green Beret and now Florida congressman, has cemented his reputation as a leading advocate for a tougher stance on China within the House of Representatives. He played a leading role in sponsoring legislation aimed at reducing US dependence on minerals from China. Waltz is known to maintain a solid friendship with Trump and has also expressed support for US aid to Ukraine, while at the same time pushing for greater oversight of US taxpayer funds allocated to support Kiev’s defense efforts. He is tipped in the American media as a candidate for the position of Minister of Defense or Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Robert Lighthizer is Donald Trump’s top trade official. He is a strong supporter of tariffs and was one of the leading figures in Trump’s trade war with China. Lighthizer, described by Trump as “the greatest trade representative of the United States in American history,” will almost certainly return to the new cabinet. While Scott Bessent and billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson likely have a better shot at becoming Treasury Secretary, Lighthizer has a few outside opportunities: He could perhaps resume his old role as U.S. Trade Representative or become the new Secretary of Commerce.

Brooke Rollins, a former White House domestic policy adviser, has a close personal relationship with Trump. Considered by many to be one of Trump’s more moderate advisers, she supported criminal justice reforms in the former president’s first term, which reduced prison sentences for some relatively minor crimes and is seen as a leading contender for the position of chief of staff.

One of Trump’s two co-campaign managers, Susie Wiles, may be competing with Brooke Rollins for the position of chief of staff. Although her political views remain somewhat ambiguous, she is believed to have run a successful and streamlined presidential race. Advocates believe she could introduce a level of organization and discipline that was often absent during Trump’s first term, marked by a series of changes in the role of the chief of staff.

Although less prominent on the campaign trail than in previous election cycles, the 47th president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has been active behind the scenes, advocating for his friend JD Vance as his running mate. He has built a loyal following in the Maga universe through his Triggered podcast and, along with his brother Eric Trump, has played a role in the transition process to establish a new government. The formal co-chairs of the transition are Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.

Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser early in Trump’s first term and the chief architect of the Muslim travel ban, is expected to be back in the White House for what the president-elect believes will be the biggest in a second Trump term. mass deportation in American history. The anti-immigration extremist is also the founder of America First Legal, a group he describes as the right’s “long-awaited answer” to the American Civil Liberties Union, and is already helping plan for Trump’s second term .