Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — President-elect Donald Trump has begun assembling his cabinet and senior administration team following his election victory on November 5. Trump’s early picks include several well known figures alongside some high-profile and unconventional selections.
The U.S. Cabinet comprises 15 executive departments, each headed by an appointed secretary. Most of the names that have been included in Trump’s cabinet so far were part of the president-elect’s campaign team. The appointment drawn mixed reactions regarding their qualifications for the roles.
However, all cabinet appointees will still need Senate confirmation before officially joining the administration, which is set to take office in January 2025.
Here’s a list of Trump initial cabinet selections, as reported by CNN Indonesia:
- White House Chief of Staff: Susie Wiles, Trump’s campaign manager during the presidential race.
- White House Counsel: Veteran Republican lawyer Bill McGinley.
- National Security Advisor: Florida Republican Representative Mike Waltz.
- Senior Advisor to the President: Stephen Miller.
- Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political, and Public Affairs: Trump’s campaign director, James Blair.
- Deputy Chief of Staff: Dan Scavino.
- Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel: Taylor Budowich.
- Attorney General: Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz.
- Secretary of State: Former Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
- Secretary of Defense: Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth.
- Secretary of Homeland Security: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.
- Secretary of the Treasury: Either Trump speechwriter Scott Bessent or transition team co-chair Howard Lutnick.
Donald Trump Appoints Susie Wiles as First Female White House Chief of Staff
In addition to these traditional roles, Trump has created a new position focused on government efficiency:
- Department of Government Efficiency: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
Other notable appointments include:
- Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency: Former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin.
- Border Czar: Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tom Homan.
- Director of National Intelligence: Former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
- CIA Director: Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe.
- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations: New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
- U.S. Ambassador to Israel: Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
- Special Envoy for the Middle East: Real estate developer Steve Witkoff.
As Trump picks for his cabinet head to the Senate for confirmation, the nation watches closely to see how his unconventional selections will shape the direction of the incoming administration, signaling a potential shift in both domestic and foreign policy for the next four years.
(Raidi/Agung)
