| Cabinet Name: | Second Trump Cabinet |
| Jurisdiction: | the United States |
| Flag: | Flag of the United States.svg |
| Flag Border: | true |
| Incumbent: | 2025 |
| Government Head Title: | President |
| Government Head: | Donald Trump |
| Government Head History: | President of the United States (2017–2021) Chairman of The Trump Organization (1971–2017) |
| Deputy Government Head Title: | Vice President |
| Deputy Government Head: | JD Vance |
| Political Party: | Republican Party |
| Legislature Status: | Majority government (from 2025) |
| Opposition Party: | Democratic Party |
| Election: | 2024 presidential election |
| Legislature Term: | 119th Congress 120th Congress 121st Congress (17 days) |
| Advice And Consent1: | United States Senate |
| Predecessor: | Biden Cabinet |
President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to assume office as the 47th president of the United States on January20, 2025.
The president has the authority to nominate members of his cabinet to the United States Senate for confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.
All permanent members of the Cabinet of the United States as heads of executive departments require the advice and consent of the United States Senate following appointment by the president before taking office. The vice presidency is exceptional in that the position requires an election to office pursuant to the United States Constitution. The president may also designate heads of other agencies and non-Senate-confirmed members of the Executive Office of the President as Cabinet-level members of the Cabinet. The Cabinet meets with the president in the Cabinet Room, a room adjacent to the Oval Office.
As the Republican Party will control the next Senate, it is expected that all of Trump's designates will be confirmed with little contest.[1] However, some nominees have been met with criticism by a few Senate Republicans.[2]
On November 12, 2024, president-elect Trump announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would work together to lead the Department of Government Efficiency in his second term.[3] Despite the name, it is unlikely to be a federal executive department, since official departments require congressional approval, and is more likely to be a component of the Executive Office of the President or a presidential commission working closely with the Office of Management and Budget.[4] [5]
The following have been named as Cabinet appointees by the president-elect of the United States.
Donald Trump defeated the incumbent vice president and Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, in the 2024 presidential election, receiving 312 projected electoral votes compared to Harris's 226 projected electoral votes in the election; winning every swing state in addition to holding on to all of the states that he won in 2020.[6] [7] The formal certification of the results will take place on January 6, 2025. He will assume office on January 20, 2025.
See main article: 2024 Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection and Office of the Vice President of the United States.
The vice president is the only cabinet member to be elected to the position who does not require Senate confirmation, and the vice president does not serve at the pleasure of the president. There were dozens of potential running mates for Trump who received media speculation. Trump's eventual pick of Senator JD Vance (R-OH) was officially announced on July 15, 2024, and confirmed by acclamation via parliamentary procedure amongst delegates to the 2024 Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024.
United States senator JD Vance (R-OH) was elected Vice President of the United States, receiving 312 projected electoral votes, compared to the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, who received 226 projected electoral votes in the election. The formal certification of the results will take place on January 6, 2025. He will assume office on January 20, 2025. Vance will be the third youngest vice president in U.S. history.
The following cabinet positions are listed in order of their creation (also used as the basis for the United States presidential line of succession).
A nomination for Secretary of State is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Foreign Relations Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Senator Marco Rubio from Florida was announced as President-elect Trump's nominee for the position on November 13, 2024.
A nomination for Secretary of the Treasury is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Finance Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Founder of the global macro investment firm Key Square Group Scott Bessent of South Carolina was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 22, 2024.[10]
A nomination for Secretary of Defense is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Armed Services Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Fox News political commentator Major Pete Hegseth of Tennessee was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 12, 2024.[11]
A nomination for Attorney General is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Judiciary Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. On November 13, 2024, Congressman Matt Gaetz was selected to be attorney general,[14] though Gaetz withdrew his name on November 21, 2024[15] after many Senate Republicans stated that he did not have enough votes to be confirmed.[16] That evening, President-elect Trump selected former State Attorney General Pam Bondi of Florida as his new nominee for the position.
A nomination for Secretary of the Interior is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 15, 2024.[18]
A nomination for Secretary of Agriculture is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Former Acting DPC Director Brooke Rollins from Texas was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 23, 2024.
A nomination for Secretary of Commerce is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Chairman, CEO & President of Cantor Fitzgerald Howard Lutnick from New York was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 19, 2024.[23]
A nomination for Secretary of Labor is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. On November 22, 2024, President-elect Trump selected Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon as his nominee for Labor Secretary.
Although historically the nominee also holds meetings with the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, officially a nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the United States Senate Committee on Finance, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. 2024 independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from California was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 14, 2024.[27]
A nomination for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. The President-elect announced the nomination of former state representative Scott Turner of Texas on November 22, 2024.
A nomination for Secretary of Transportation is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Former Congressman and former prosecutor Sean Duffy from Wisconsin was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 18, 2024.[31]
Elon Musk and other Silicon Valley executives had encouraged Trump to pick Emil Michael for the role.[32]
The nomination of a secretary-designate is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Liberty Energy Chairman/CEO/Founder Chris Wright from Colorado was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 15, 2024.[35]
A nomination for Secretary of Education is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Former SBA administrator Linda McMahon from Connecticut was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 19, 2024.[39]
A nomination for Secretary of Veterans Affairs is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Air Force colonel and former congressman Doug Collins of Georgia was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 14, 2024.[42]
A nomination for Secretary of Homeland Security is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Air Force Auxiliary lieutenant colonel and Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota was announced as Trump's nominee for the position on November 12, 2024.[44]
Cabinet-level officials have positions that are considered to be of Cabinet level, but which are not heads of the executive departments. Which exact positions that are considered to be cabinet-level varies with each president.
In November 2024, President-elect Trump selected Army Lieutenant Colonel and former Congressman Lee Zeldin of New York as EPA Administrator.
In November 2024, President-elect Trump selected former Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought of Virginia as OMB Director.
The UN ambassador was previously in the Cabinet from 1953 to 1989, 1993 to 2001, and 2009 to 2018. In November 2024, President-elect Trump selected Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York as UN Ambassador.
The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency was first elevated to Cabinet-level status by Trump in February 2017, during his first administration. This ended with the beginning of the Biden administration.[49] In July 2023, the D/CIA was once again elevated to Cabinet-level status by the Biden administration.[50] In November 2024, President-elect Trump selected former DNI and former Congressman John Ratcliffe of Texas to serve as CIA Director.
The director of national intelligence was first elevated to Cabinet-level status by Trump in February 2017, during his first administration. In November 2024, President-elect Trump selected Army lieutenant colonel and former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii to serve as his DNI.
The U.S. trade representative has been a Cabinet-level member since 1974, the beginning of Gerald Ford's presidency. President-elect Trump selected former USTR chief of staff Jamieson Greer of Washington, D.C. to be nominated for the position on November 26, 2024.
The president-elect nominated former Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler to be Administrator of the Small Business Administration on December 4, 2024.
The White House chief of staff has traditionally been the highest-ranking staff employee of the White House. The responsibilities of the chief of staff are both managerial and advisory over the president's official business. The chief of staff is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the president; it does not require Senate confirmation. On November 7, 2024, Trump announced Susie Wiles of Florida as his choice for his chief of staff, having served as his 2024 campaign co-chair. Wiles will be the first woman to hold the position.[56]
Because cabinet members must be confirmed by the Senate, acting officials are typically appointed for the period before the Senate votes, in accordance with the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998. For cabinet positions, only people who already actively hold a position confirmed by the Senate at the end of the previous administration are eligible.[57] Normally, a senior employee of the same executive agency who is equivalent to a GS-15 or above on the federal pay scale would also be eligible, but this is believed to be unconstitutional in the case of secretaries of the federal executive departments, although this has not been tested in court.[58]
Some people speculated for acting attorney general include Federal Trade Commission commissioner Andrew N. Ferguson, Deputy Solicitor General Curtis E. Gannon, United States attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Prim F. Escalona, and Department of Homeland Security inspector general Joseph Cuffari.