Roll call of candidates selected to join Trump 2.0 administration

Donald Trump will return to the White House in January 2025 for a second term. The president-elect has been quick to select officials to take on key roles in his incoming administration.

Photo caption — Mr. Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, November 4, 2024. Photo: Getty Images/TTXVN

Just days after his resounding victory in the Nov. 5 election, Trump has tapped a number of advisers and political allies to serve in various capacities in his incoming administration. Trump has tasked Howard Lutnick, a longtime friend, with naming officials who will carry out his agenda. Trump’s early appointments also involve key portfolios—such as immigration—that Republicans have made central to their 2024 reelection campaign. Here are some of the bright spots he has picked so far. Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff

Wiles is a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign and a trusted member of his team. Widely regarded as the architect of his political comeback, the 67-year-old worked on former President Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign. Wiles also has experience in Florida politics, helping Ron DeSantis win his first gubernatorial race in the state before helping Trump defeat DeSantis in the 2024 Republican primary. “Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history,” Wiles said. “She is tough, smart, creative, and widely admired and respected. “She will continue to work tirelessly to ‘Make America Great Again,’” Trump said on November 7 when he announced he had chosen her as White House chief of staff.” Amy Koch, a Republican strategist, said Wiles is also loyal to the president-elect — something he is looking for in his cabinet picks. Tom Homan, the “border czar” who controls immigration

Trump called Homan, 62, “the border czar” in a Truth Social post on the evening of November 10. “There is no one better at controlling and monitoring our borders than Homan,” the president-elect said. He also said Homan — who served in his first administration as the former director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — would be in charge of carrying out all deportations of illegal aliens. Trump has promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in US history, a pledge that has drawn widespread attention from advocates for immigrant rights and asylum seekers. Homan has stressed that the massive operation will be humane. At a July conference in Washington, DC, Homan also said he was ready to run the largest deportation operation the country has ever seen. Mr. Homan has been widely criticized for defending Mr. Trump’s zero-tolerance policy, which has led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Elise Stefanik, US Ambassador to the United Nations

Trump has chosen New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, 40, to be his second-term ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik will come to the United Nations at a time of growing concern about the Trump administration's stance on the Ukraine conflict, and as Israel's escalating war in Gaza and Lebanon fuels fears of broader instability in the Middle East. Al Jazeera said Stefanik is pro-Israel. That would cause some conflict at the UN and would certainly test America's relationships with international partners. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Stefanik would be an "incredible ambassador to the United Nations, bringing peace through strength and national security policies that put 'America First'. " Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy

While Trump has not officially announced Miller’s appointment, Vice President-elect JD Vance appeared to confirm the move in a post on X. “This is another great pick by the president-elect,” Vance said of Miller’s appointment. Miller, 39, is Trump’s hard-line immigration adviser and has helped craft some of his most prominent policies during his first term.

Former aide to former Vice President Mike Pence has previously described the Trump administration’s use of public health measures to close the southern US border with Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic as a “special show” by Stephen Miller. Miller has supported Trump’s 2024 pledge to carry out mass deportations. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at a Trump rally in New York last month. Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser

Several media outlets reported that Mr. Trump has chosen Florida congressman Mike Waltz as his White House national security adviser. This is a position responsible for providing information to the president on important security issues and coordinating with various agencies. Mr. Waltz, 50, a former Green Beret, has been in Congress since 2019. Mr. Waltz is a leading advocate for a tougher stance on China in the House of Representatives. He played a leading role in sponsoring legislation aimed at reducing US dependence on Chinese-origin minerals. Mr. Waltz, who is closely aligned with Mr. Trump, has also voiced support for US aid to Ukraine and has pushed for greater oversight of taxpayer funds allocated to support Kiev’s defense efforts. Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Mr Trump has announced that former New York congressman Lee Zeldin will be his pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr Zeldin has no environmental experience but is a staunch supporter of the president-elect. The 44-year-old former New York congressman has pledged to support Mr Trump’s plan to deregulate energy exploration and cut red tape. In a post on X, Mr Zeldin said he was “honored” to take the job. Mr Zeldin told the New York Post that as head of the EPA, he would work to restore US energy dominance, revive the auto industry to bring back American jobs and cut red tape that holds back American workers. Mr Trump pledged to ensure fair and rapid deregulation to allow the US to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.