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The appointment of Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff is the first announced position by the incoming US President Donald Trump for a second term in which he is expected to surround himself with very loyal collaborators.
Trump, who ended up falling out with many members of his first cabinet, especially after the assault on the Capitol, will have as vice president JD Vance, a senator from Ohio who was critical of him in the past but now fully supports him.
Meanwhile, Wiles, the first woman to be named White House chief of staff, one of the most important positions in Washington, has been a top adviser to the Republican campaign and Trump himself credits her with Tuesday’s victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Elon Musk and Kennedy Jr.
One of the people who could have a big role is the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, director of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of the social network X, from where he has launched a strong campaign in favor of the Republican.
Trump offered Musk the chance to lead an office of “government efficiency” aimed at cutting bureaucratic spending and fulfilling the Republican’s goal of eliminating what he calls the “deep state.”
Also expected to be elected is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of former Democratic President John F. Kennedy (1961-1963), who withdrew his candidacy as an independent to support Trump, a move rejected by the Kennedy dynasty.
Stephen Miller, one of the great ideologues of Trump’s anti-immigration policy, could also have an important position in the White House.
Attorney General
One of the most important decisions the next president must make is the appointment of the attorney general who will lead the Justice Department and close the two criminal cases against the Republican for the assault on the Capitol and for having taken classified documents from the White House.
After a tense relationship with his first-term prosecutors, Jeff Sessions and William Barr, he is expected to choose very loyal people who will never turn their backs on him, including Jeff Clark, former deputy attorney general who was charged with electoral interference in the state of Georgia, and the current attorney general of Texas, Ken Paxton.
Secretary of State
One of the names most speculated to lead US diplomacy is Marco Rubio, a senator from Florida who was on the list of possible vice presidents for a second term for the Republican.
Rubio, of Cuban origin, exerted a notable influence on Trump’s Latin American policy during his first term on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but some of Trump’s advisers believe that his “hawk” profile contrasts with Trump’s isolationist “America First” policy.
Also in the running is Richard Grenell, Trump’s controversial former ambassador to Germany, a man very loyal to the Republican who was involved in his attempt to reverse his 2020 electoral defeat in the state of Nevada. He also participated in a recent meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Secretary of Defense
Trump is considering appointing Mike Pompeo, who was Secretary of State in his first term and is one of the few members of his first cabinet who could serve again in the government, as head of the Pentagon.
Other names on the table include Mike Waltz, a Florida congressman and retired colonel in the National Guard, and Arkansas senator Tom Cotton, who had already been mentioned as a possible defense secretary for Trump’s first term.
Secretary of the Treasury
Robert Lighthizer, who was already the foreign trade representative during Trump’s first term and is considered a skeptic of free trade and a supporter of the tariff war with China, could be in charge of the US Treasury.
Other major donors to Trump’s campaign, such as businessmen Howard Lutnick, Scott Bessent and John Paulson, are also in the running for the post.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is on the list of possible Energy Secretary candidates, and former Education Secretary Betsy Devos could return to the department to fulfill Trump’s promise to eliminate it. EFE
