US president Donald Trump continues to build a confusing team of loyalists

After Donald Trump's stunning comeback and resounding victory in the 2024 US presidential election, the incoming commander-in-chief is already forming his White House team. Major areas of focus appear to be cracking down on immigration, appealing to right-wing Christian supporters of Israel, and elevating the cryptocurrency sector.

The following are the names that have come up; this list will continue to be updated as more are announced:

Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff

Wiles was one of the first names announced. She served as co-chair of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, and reportedly helped Trump stay on message, amid his often chaotic impulses. Previously, she worked as chief strategist for Trump's 2016 campaign in Florida. In 2018, she helped Ron DeSantis win his gubernatorial race in the state. Wiles would become the first female White House chief of staff of either party.

Tom Homan, 'Border Czar'

Tom Homan, who was previously acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has been announced as Trump's "border czar" to oversee border control. Border czar, which is not an official cabinet position, will not require a senate confirmation. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that Homan "will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin."

Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy

Miller is expected to be named Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy. The news was reported on CNN, and incoming vice president JD Vance seemed to confirm the choice on X, formerly Twitter. Miller previously worked as a speechwriter for Trump in his first term and was an architect of the former president's Muslim travel ban and family separation policy at the border.

Kristi Noem, head of the Department of Homeland Security

The South Dakota governor has reportedly been tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Among her main initial tasks will be to help Homan and Miller with their mass deportation operation.

Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations

Elise Stefanik, the representative from New York who led congressional hearings to oust university presidents over the proliferation of pro-Palestinian campus protests in response to Israel's war in Gaza, has been chosen by Trump to be his ambassador to the United Nations. 

Matt Whitaker, US ambassador to NATO

Trump has tapped Matt Whitaker to represent the US in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. His professional background is in law and criminal justice. He served as acting attorney general in the first Trump administration. He was previously part of a patent company in Florida that was shut down by a judge for allegedly swindling customers out of millions. Due to being potential fraud, Whitaker should have been disqualified. It remains to be seen what will happen with his nomation. 

Linda McMahon, head of Department of Commerce

McMahon is seen as a frontrunner to lead Trump's Department of Commerce. She is co-founder and former CEO of the professional wrestling franchise WWE, and a major donor to the Trump campaign.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services

Kennedy has been tapped to head the Department of Health and Human Services following his endorsement of Trump, in which it is believed he did in exchange for a position in his White House. Many, including members of his own family, have expressed concern over Kennedy's science scepticism, namely his conspiracy theories of vaccines.

Kyle Diamantas, head of FDA foods programme

Kyle Diamantas, an attorney from Florida and a hunting buddy of Trump's son, Don Jr., will be in charge of food safe safety for the Food and Drug Administration. In 2021, he was photographed with Don Jr. as they held endangered turkeys. He is reportedly aligned with Kennedy on public health policy. 

Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General

The Fox News contributor has been picked by Trump as the country's top doctor. She currently serves as a medical director at CityMD, a group of urgent care medical centres in New York and New Jersey. She is the daughter of Jordanian immigrants, raised in New York and Florida.

Mehmet Oz, head of Medicaid and Medicare

The celebrity doctor gained fame for being a recurring medical expert on the Oprah Winfrey show before starting his own show. He was later accused of promoting questionable medical products and advice on his show, leading to a congressional hearing. As a Turkish American, he has also faced criticism from Armenian groups for not acknowledging their genocide. Nevertheless, he nearly became a US senator from Pennsylvania in 2022. His role in the administration is expected to be far-reaching, given Kennedy's lack of medical experience.

Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health

The Stanford physician and economist, who has been critical of the NIH under Anthony Fauci, has been picked by Trump to head the agency. Like Kennedy, he has expressed scepticism of Covid-19 pandemic protocols. He has advocated for a shake-up of the NIH.

Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency

The former New York congress member has been tapped by Trump to head the EPA. His environmental credentials are unclear, though he has voted on legislation limiting the rights of immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community.

Sean Duffy, Transporation Secretary

Trump has chosen former reality TV star and former Fox News personality to head the Department of Transportation. He has also served in the US House of Representatives from Wisconsin. Trump has praised him for being able to keep the skies safe and saying he would eliminate DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) for pilots and air traffic controllers. Since taking his position, the administration has dismantled a transportation safety committee and there have been a series of high-profile aviation incidents. 

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

The senator from Florida is expected to be named by Trump to serve as Secretary of State. Rubio has run for president multiple times and as the country's top diplomat could bring his hawkish approach to Iran, Cuba and China.

Mike Waltz, national security advisor

Trump has chosen the congressman from Florida as his national security advisor. He was an advocate of overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Trump lost. He has identified "woke" politics as a national security threat and has suggested that the US should turn away from diversity and inclusion programmes to win wars.

John Ratcliffe, head of the CIA

Trump has picked former Texas congressman John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA. He could be considered one of Trump's more traditional picks compared with some of his more outspoken loyalists. Nevertheless, he has stood by Trump through the pandemic and his impeachments and is considered a partisan Republican by many Democrats.

Kash Patel, FBI director

Trump wants Patel, an open Q Anon conspiracy, theorist to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This would oust the current director Christopher Wray, whom Trump nominated in 2017 for a 10-year term. 

Patel has long stood by Trump, supporting him at his criminal trial in New York. He also sells Trump merchandise through his foundation. He is on the board of Trump Media and Technology Group, which owns his social media company Truth Social.

Dan Bongino, FBI deputy director

Trump has chosen the conservative podcaster to be second in command at the FBI, who has argued without evidence that the agency said colludes with the so-called deep state. Bongino, who previously served as New York City Police officer and a secret service agent under former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Following the 6 January, 2021 insurrection on the US Capitol, Bongino blamed leftist movements for the violence by Trump supporters. He has run multiple times for public office without success. His new position as FBI deputy director does not require a senate confirmation.

Mike Huckabee, ambassador to Israel

The former governor of Arkansas is one of the first diplomats tapped by the incoming president. Huckabee, who was also a TV host and a Baptist preacher, has long described himself as a "Zionist". Over the years, he has repeated the claim that the occupied West Bank belongs to Israel. He has spoken out against a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict and has said he doesn't recognise the term "Palestinian". 

Charles Kushner, ambassador to France

The father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been tapped to be US ambassador to France. Trump previously pardoned the New Jersey real estate developer for tax evasion and witness tampering. 

Elon Musk, head of new department of government efficiency

The new department, also being described as a Manhattan Project, was publicly suggested by Musk over the summer with a post on his social media company, X. He later used the acronym DOGE to describe it, in reference to the cryptocurrency by the same name. The idea would be to slash government positions and spending, something Musk had practice with when he bought Twitter (now X) and fired the staff en masse.

Ramaswamy has bowed out of the shared position, reportedly because he plans to run for governor of Ohio.

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defence

Trump has named the Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon. Hegseth is known for successfully lobbying the former president to release members of the US military from the responsibility of war crimes. He also made waves when he said that he self-inoculates himself by never washing his hands.

Due to multiple allegations of violence and sexual misconduct, Hegseth's nomination could be in trouble. Florida Governor and one-time Trump rival for the Republican presidential primary Ron DeSantis is now being floated as a potential replacement. DeSantis, however, has faced questions over his military service at Guantanamo Bay, where former inmates allege he witnessed torture.

Michael DiMino, deputy assistant Secretary of Defence

DiMino has been tapped by Trump for the position of deputy assistant secretary of defence. The former CIA analyst has suggested the US can address terrorism threats in the Middle East through diplomacy and local expertise rather than increasing US military force, which he has seen as counterproductive. He has also said he believes Iranian military threats in the region are exaggerated. According to a report by Jewish Insider, this pick is concerning for pro-Israel conservatives. 

John Phelan, secretary of the Navy

Trump announced his pick for Navy Secretary in a series of late-night social media posts in late November, despite Phelan having no military experience. Phelan, an investor, is however a major Trump donor.

Steven Witkoff, Middle East envoy

Trump has announced his pick of the real estate tycoon to serve as the Middle East envoy. Witkoff has reportedly been part of a cryptocurrency project with the Trump family. He has praised Trump's policies on Israel, saying his work has been good for the entire region.

Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence director

Trump wants Tulsi Gabbard to lead the country's main spy agencies—the CIA, the FBI and the NSA. A former Democrat who in recent years has drifted to the right with her ties to Hindu nationalism, her name has raised eyebrows given her lack of experience in national intelligence. 

Pam Bondi, Attorney General

Trump has now picked Pam Bondi as the country's top law enforcer. Bondi, who previously served as Attorney General of Florida, was a senior advisor for Trump's first impeachment defence team. The Trump Foundation donated to her political action committee while she was running for office. Some have speculated that she will focus on legally targeting his political opponents. 

Paul Atkins, SEC Chairman

Trump says he will nominate Atkins, former commissioner for the Securities and Exchange Commission, to serve as head of financial oversight agency. He has been an advocate of the cryptocurrency sector, whose industry leaders were among the top donors of Trump's presidential campaign. Though his position would be to lead the financial regulator, he has been a longtime advocate for lighter regulation.

Kelly Loeffler, Small Business Administration

The former senator from Georgia, who spent around $5 million supporting Trump's campaign, has been picked by Trump to head the Small Business Administration. She has promised to crack down on fraud, inefficiency and regulatory overreach. The gained notoriety while in the Senate after selling $20 million in stocks following private briefings related to the looming dangers of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget

Trump has picked Vought to lead the OMB, which creates the president's budget and works across different government agencies. It is the largest office in the executive office. Vought is a close ally of Trump who worked in his first administration. He is a major contributor of Project 2025, considered a conservative blueprint for filling the government with loyalists.

Doug Burgum, Interior Secretary

North Dakota Governor Burgum has been picked to run an agency that oversees the environment, natural resources and Native American affairs with the purpose of generating more energy through oil drilling. 

Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary

Trump has named Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for his 2024 campaign, as his White House press secretary. At 27, she would be the youngest person to hold that position. In an op-ed for her student newspaper, she praised Trump's Muslim travel ban.

Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary

Trump has picked Bessent for Treasury Secretary. The hedge fund manager and macro investor was a major donor and advisor for Trump's 2024 campaign. He would be the first openly gay treasury secretary. He previously supported the campaigns of Al Gore, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, switching to Trump in 2016. He supports Trump's plans for tariffs, and has advocated for tougher US stances on China and Russia.

Howard Lutnick, Commerce Secretary

Lutnick is a billionaire investment banker who raised $75 million for Trump's re-election and is leading his White House transition. His name was initially floated for Treasury Secretary, though he is now on track for the position of Commerce Secretary. He has indicated that his strong support for Trump is largely due to the incoming president's support for Israel.

Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing

Trump has picked Navarro as his top trade advisor, which will entail advancing his trade and tariff agenda, which many believe will cause inflation to skyrocket. Navarro, who was incarcerated for four at a federal prison in Florida for defying a congressional subpoena related to the 6 January, 2021 Capitol riot, previously served as a trade advisor to Trump.

Betsy DeVos, Education Secretary

According to Fox, DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump's first term, said she is open to taking up that position for a second term. However, she has also joined Trump's position in wanting to dismantle the department as a way to "re-empower" families.

Alina Habba

Habba, a lawyer for Trump who has unsuccessfully defended him in a series of high-profile lawsuits, has also defended him outside the courtroom. She initially emerged as a frontrunner to be his press secretary after spending a significant amount of time at his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago. Though she won't fill this role, she could be named to another prominent position. Habba is the daughter of Iraqi immigrants.

Boris Epshteyn

Epshteyn is an attorney who has served as a political advisor to Trump and as an analyst for Sinclair Broadcast Group, a conservative news conglomerate. It is unclear what role he would have, but he could play a prominent part in the Trump White House.

Richard Grenell

The former acting director of National Intelligence has reportedly been angling for a cabinet position in the new Trump White House, though it's unclear what role he would play in a new administration if Marco Rubio has already been tapped as Secretary of State. He has been linked to a Republican super PAC that aired ads in Michigan seen as antisemitic and designed to exploit divisions between Arabs and Jews. 

Brooke Rollins

Rollins is the CEO of the American First Policy Institute and a close ally of Trump who served as his acting director of the United States Domestic Policy Council and also oversaw the White House Office of American Innovation. Though she hasn't yet been tapped for a role in the White House, her close relationship with Trump means she will likely play an important role in the new administration.

Dana White

Ultimate Fighting Championship business magnate and outspoken Trump supporter is rumoured to be joining the incoming president's team. But it is unclear what his position would be.