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From billionaire Elon Musk to Fox News’ Pete Hegseth as defence secretary — a look at Trump 2.0

Trump has announced several nominees for his incoming administration, prominent among those are Musk and Ramaswamy who will head the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency.

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New Delhi: From billionaire Elon Musk to Fox media personality Pete Hegseth, US President-elect Donald Trump has already chosen loyalists for his second cabinet beginning January 2025.

While some of his more conventional picks are politicians from the Republican Party, his choice of Hegseth for Secretary of Defense has come as a surprise, given the military veteran’s long career as a media personality.

The 47th US President has in the week announced six cabinet picks, along with his next National Security Advisor (NSA), Chief of Staff, a border “czar”, the next ambassador to Israel, and a new special envoy to the Middle East.

Here’s a look at the candidates announced so far who will be a part of Trump’s government.


Also Read: Trump’s blanket desire to avoid all wars can lead to the same wars he wants to avoid


Cabinet picks

The cabinet in the US normally consists of 26 members — the Vice President and 25 others who are mostly heads of various departments in the government. As of 12 November, Trump has announced six candidates who will be nominated following his inauguration in January 2025.

Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defense

A surprise choice by Trump, Hegseth has been a Fox News host for eight years. He is a veteran of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and if confirmed by the US Senate, will lead the Pentagon and its 1.3 million active troops.

A staunch supporter of Trump, Hegseth defended the President-elect through his first tenure in office from 2017 till 2021.

“Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First… Our military will be Great Again and America Will Never Back Down,” said Trump in a statement on his social media platform Truth Social.

An alumnus of Princeton and Harvard, Hegseth did tours of Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan and is a decorated veteran. Following his career in the US military, Hegseth was a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend”.

John Ratcliffe – Director of the CIA 

Trump has announced Ratcliffe as his candidate to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Ratcliffe was the Director of National Intelligence during Trump’s first term. He was also awarded the highest medal for the intelligence community in the US – the National Security Medal – in 2020.

“From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI’s abuse of civil liberties at the FISA court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American public,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.


Also Read: Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to lead US Department of Government Efficiency in Trump 2.0 cabinet


Kristi Noem – Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security 

Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota and former Republican congresswoman, has been announced as Trump’s nominee for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Noem, who has been active on the issue of border security, has in the past sent South Dakota’s National Guard to Texas to aid in the state’s efforts to guard the border.

If confirmed as the Secretary of the DHS, Noem will be in charge of the President-elect’s promise of deporting millions of individuals who entered the US illegally. Noem will head US agencies that enforce the country’s immigration laws.

Along with Noem, Trump also announced Tom Homan as the “Border Czar”. In a post on Truth Social, the next US president highlighted that both Noem and Homan will work together to protect the southern border with Mexico.

The other cabinet picks are Elise Stefanik as the next ambassador to the United Nations and Lee Zeldin as the head of the Environment Protection Agency.

Musk & Ramaswamy

Apart from members of the Cabinet, who will require Senate confirmation, Trump has also announced a slew of individuals for different roles in his next administration.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency with the mandate to suggest ways to “dismantle” the bureaucracy, slash regulations, cut wasteful spending and restructure federal agencies.

Musk, the billionaire founder of SpaceX, Tesla and owner of the social media platform X, has been one of the most ardent supporters of Trump during the election campaign. The new department has been likened to the “Manhattan Project” by Trump, which built the nuclear bomb for the US during World War II.

Susie Wiles, a key member of Trump’s election campaign, has been announced as the next Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff to the President handles the day-to-day operations of the White House and oversees all policies of the government.

Congressman Michael Waltz has been announced as the next NSA. Waltz, a big supporter of India and its ties with the US, will be one of the more influential voices in the next White House.

Steven C. Witkoff, a business ally of Trump, will be the Special Envoy to the Middle East, becoming the President-elect’s point person for the region. Under his previous administration, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner handled the Middle East Peace Process.

Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, is ambassador to Israel, while William McGinley will be the next White House Counsel.

(Edited by Tikli Basu)


Also Read: Trump unpredictable, Modi dependable? On trade, it’s just the opposite


 

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