WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump is spending Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, the epicenter of the presidential transition. Past and future commanders-in-chief have already named almost all of his cabinet nominees.
After President Trump announced an allied team to take control of the federal bureaucracy on January 20, only three Cabinet-level positions remain unfilled, but important non-Cabinet positions, such as the FBI director and key ambassadors, remain unfilled. The same goes for job titles. has not been announced.
President Trump, 78, has yet to name a small business administrator, science and technology adviser, or the next chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.
There is no clear front-runner for any of the posts, but after President Trump added significant ideological diversity in the selection of former Democrats to lead key posts, more races have been added to the Cabinet lineup, including minority candidates. There is a possibility of trying to add some diversity.
The Small Business Administration, which oversaw the $953 billion Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic, was led by Linda McMahon (who was nominated to be Secretary of Education in Trump's second term) during President Trump's first term. It was then led by Jovita Carranza.
The post may reach Trump supporters in the business community, but it has not generated much speculation about either candidate.
The Council of Economic Advisers, which helps develop and advance the administration's economic strategy, was led by Kevin Hassett early in President Trump's first term, but has since faded into prominence as acting chair.
Mr. Hassett, a telegenic and affable longtime Republican economist, is slated to become the Trump administration's top in-house economist and director of the White House's National Economic Council, potentially surpassing any of his predecessors.
The White House Office of Science and Technology was relatively unknown during President Trump's first term, with Kelvin Droegemeyer serving as its chief executive. may play a larger role. Online freedom of speech and cryptocurrencies.
The FBI's fate remains up in the air
Trump is widely expected to fire FBI Director Christopher Wray after taking office, and the three unfilled cabinet-level positions are relatively minor compared to the frenzied speculation about who will become FBI director. I'm only collecting topics.
One of the leading candidates for FBI director is Kash Patel, who held senior positions in the military and intelligence agencies during President Trump's first term. Trump supporters believe Patel will help clean up the agency following allegations of bias against him in a leaked investigation into whether Trump colluded with Russia in 2016. However, no evidence of this has emerged, and the case is related to two criminal cases filed to challenge the 2020 election results, alleging mishandling of classified documents. To President Trump who chanted.
Richard Grenell, former acting director of national intelligence and former U.S. ambassador to Germany, is also being discussed as a possible FBI director.
Some members of Trump's incoming Cabinet, along with incoming budget director Russ Vought, have publicly called for a major overhaul of, or even abolishment of, the FBI. call out Federal law enforcement agencies said it was “shattered into a thousand pieces; [i]investigated, defunded, abolished [and] After raiding Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 to recover classified documents.
May need a replacement candidate
If Senate Republicans, who are leading the confirmation process, balk, President Trump may have to choose a replacement for his existing cabinet.
President Trump has called for the right to adjourn a nominee if he does not receive a majority vote in the Senate, but that would require Congress to voluntarily give him the leeway to do so, and Republican leaders suggests this could be thwarted by the embattled candidate's opponents.
Former Hawaii Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, nominated to be director of national intelligence, has been criticized by some Republicans for her outspoken anti-war and anti-popular surveillance political stances, as well as by her party's mainstream positions on the conflict and war in Syria. He has also attracted harsh scrutiny from the Democratic Party over his deviations. conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also faced headwinds over his skepticism about vaccine efficacy, and Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth has also faced backlash for his 2017 sexual assault. Although devastated by the revelations, the police report contained exculpatory information whose evidence and testimony contradicted the accounts of his accusers.
Leading roles during Trump's second term include Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (U.S. Attorney General), and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick ( Secretary of Commerce) and businessman Scott Bessent (Secretary of the Treasury). .
New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik is President Trump's nominee for ambassador to the United Nations, and former New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin has been selected to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
In addition to his formal Cabinet, President Trump relies heavily on outside advisers, with Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk currently leading the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency to advise on deep cuts to federal spending. was nominated.
