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    • Zeldin, Homan, Stefanik and Miller deserve roles
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    Zeldin, Homan, Stefanik and Miller deserve roles

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    As the country waits to see which party will control the House of Representatives, the administration of newly elected President Donald Trump is coming into view.

    Former Rep. Lee Zeldin was tapped to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, while longtime adviser Stephen Miller was named deputy chief of staff for policy.

    Trump announced Sunday evening that former Immigration Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan will join the administration as “the border czar.” And Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has been named as Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the United Nations and she has accepted the offer, USA TODAY reported Monday.

    Trump said Saturday that neither former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley nor former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will have a role in starting the new administration. He has not yet named official roles for key campaign allies Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and billionaire Elon Musk, which he said he would do.

    Here’s what else we know about the next administration:

    Explained: Donald Trump may never be convicted of his 34 convictions

    Lee Zeldin appointed head of the EPA

    Trump’s campaign announced Monday that former New York congressman Lee Zeldin will be appointed administrator of the United States Environmental Protective Agency.

    “He will set new standards in environmental research and maintenance that will help the United States grow in a healthy and well-structured way,” the campaign said in a media advisory.

    Zeldin confirmed he will fill the position on X Monday.

    “It is an honor to serve in President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator,” he wrote. “We will restore American energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the world leader in AI. We will do this while protecting access to clean air and water.”

    Stephen Miller named deputy chief of staff for policy

    Stephen Miller, Trump’s longtime immigration adviser, has been tapped to serve as deputy chief of staff for policy in Trump’s next administration.

    CNN first reported the move, and newly elected Vice President JD Vance congratulated Miller in a post on X.

    Miller is known to have helped influence Trump’s immigration policies during his first administration and played a key role in the 2024 campaign. Miller was reportedly considered for attorney general.

    Trump names Tom Homan as new ‘border czar’

    In a Sunday Truth Social post, Trump said Homan will oversee deportation policies for undocumented immigrants and aviation safety. Mass deportation has been a central campaign promise of Trump, who added that Hogan would direct the deportation of undocumented immigrants back to “their countries of origin.”

    “I have known Tom for a long time, and there is no one better at guarding and controlling our borders,” Trump said in the post.

    Homan sparked controversy during Trump’s first term when he implemented the “zero tolerance” policy that separated migrant families.

    Representative Elise Stefanik joins the staff

    Trump has named GOP rising star Stefanik as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

    She was one of Trump’s closest allies on Capitol Hill and was among those rumored to be a potential running mate for Trump’s 2024 election. The position requires Senate approval.

    “I am honored to nominate President Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement to USA TODAY.

    Who could be nominated for Secretary of State?

    According to media reports, these are some of the contenders for the post of Foreign Minister. The Secretary of State is the president’s principal foreign affairs adviser and head of the Department of State.

    • Richard Grenell: Grenell is considered one of Trump’s closest advisers on foreign affairs, with the Washington Post reporting that Trump refers to him as “my envoy.” Reuters reported that when Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in September, Grenell attended the private meeting.
    • Bill Hagerty: The Tennessee senator worked on Trump’s transition team in 2016 and is well positioned to be confirmed by a Republican Senate, according to Reuters. Politico notes that he has used his role on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to take an aggressive stance on China.
    • Robert O’Brien: O’Brien was Trump’s last national security adviser during the first term and has maintained close ties with the newly elected president, according to Reuters, which reported that O’Brien met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in May. Politico notes that O’Brien is friendlier to NATO and Ukraine than other potential foreign ministers.
    • Marco Rubio: According to Politico, the Florida senator would likely have an easy path through the Senate. Reuters notes that Rubio was under consideration to become Trump’s running mate in 2024 and that he has similar foreign policy positions to the newly elected president.

    Who could be nominated as Minister of Finance?

    According to media reports, these are some of the contenders for the post of Finance Minister. The responsibilities of the Minister of Finance include formulating and advising financial, economic and fiscal policies, both nationally and internationally:

    • Scott BessentAccording to Politico, the longtime hedge fund investor is among the top candidates for Treasury Secretary. Two sources close to Trump told Reuters that Bessent met with the newly elected president on Friday.
    • Johannes Paulson: According to Reuters, the hedge fund manager and founder of the New York asset management firm Paulson & Co. contender for the role. The Wall Street Journal previously reported Paulson as a candidate to lead the Treasury Department, with the billionaire investor adding that he would work with Musk to cut spending if he were to claim the role.
    • Larry Kudlow: Fox Business’ financial commentator could also have shot at the position, according to Reuters and Politico. He served as director of the National Economic Council between 2018 and 2021, and Politico reported that he was a member of an outside group that promoted Trump’s policies ahead of a second administration.
    • Robert LichthizerAccording to Reuters and Politico, the lawyer and former trade executive’s name was also in the mix for the role. After serving as U.S. trade representative under Trump’s first administration, he helped oversee Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs and his efforts to deal with China, Canada and Mexico.

    Who could be nominated as attorney general?

    After Trump’s many accusations that the Justice Department was prosecuting him, he is now tasked with selecting an attorney general to lead the department. He is expected to choose someone fiercely loyal to him, experts previously told USA TODAY, and the following people are eligible:

    • Senator Mike Lee: Utah’s senator is considered the most prominent
    • John Ratcliffe: Trump’s former director of national intelligence and former GOP House member from Texas
    • Jeffery Clark: Former Assistant Attorney General
    • U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon: Trump-appointed judge who dismissed allegations that he mishandled classified documents after leaving the White House
    • Mike Davis: Former Appointments Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee
    • Mark Paoletta: Former House committee counsel and White House veteran.

    What we know so far about the Trump administration:

    • Chief of Staff: Trump appointed his senior campaign adviser Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff, the first woman in history to hold that title. The Florida political consultant largely stays out of the spotlight but is credited with helping Trump’s political comeback.
    • Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy: Longtime Trump advisor, Stephan Molenaar has been tapped to serve as deputy chief of staff for policy in the next Trump administration. The 39-year-old served as Trump’s senior adviser and director of speechwriting during the Republican’s first term in the White House and is credited with shaping Trump’s immigration policies.
    • Ambassador to the UN: Trump nominated Elise Stefanik, a five-term Republican representing a district in upstate New York, as his pick for U.N. ambassador. She is chairman of the Republican Conference in the House of Representatives and a former candidate for Trump’s running mate.
    • ‘Border Tsar’: Trump has appointed Tom Homan overseeing deportation policies and aviation security. Homan was a Border Patrol agent for 34 years and served in the first Trump administration as acting ICE director. He sparked controversy for strict immigration enforcement, including the “zero tolerance” policy that separated families of undocumented immigrants.
    • EPA head: Trump has appointed Lee Zeldin as administrator of the United States Environmental Protective Agency (EPA). Zeldin served as congresswoman for parts of Long Island, New York and ran but lost to Kathy Hochul in the 2022 governor’s race.

    What are the cabinet’s positions?

    The Cabinet advises the President on issues related to their respective offices.

    These are the cabinet positions of the 15 executive departments, which must be confirmed by the Senate:

    • State Secretary
    • Minister of Defense
    • Attorney General
    • Minister of the Interior
    • Minister of Agriculture
    • Minister of Commerce
    • Minister of Labor
    • Secretary of Health and Human Services
    • Minister of Transport
    • Minister of Energy
    • Minister of Education
    • Minister of Veterans Affairs
    • Secretary of Homeland Security
    • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
    • Minister of Finance

    Cabinet and presidential advisors also include the Vice President, Chief of Staff, Ambassador to the United Nations, Director of National Intelligence, U.S. Trade Representative, Head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Head of the Office of Management and Budget, the head of the Council of Economic Advisers, the head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the head of the Small Business Administration.

    Contributions: Savannah Kuchar, Victor Hagan, Bart Jansen, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Riley Beggin, Michael Collins, Joey Garrison, USA TODAY; Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati researcher

    Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley.

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