Donald Trump has made several contentious hires in his new administration, notably in the health, defence and justice departments.
Ahead of his return to the White House on 20 January 2025, the president-elect named Florida congressman Matt Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general.
He has named Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and military veteran, as his pick for defence secretary. And he wants RFK Jr to be health secretary.
Marco Rubio is a safer pick as the next secretary of state. And billionaire supporter Elon Musk will play a role in cost-cutting.
Here is a closer look at the posts he’s named replacements for, and the names in the mix for the top jobs yet to be filled.
We will start with the Cabinet roles – these require approval from the Senate. If four Republican senators and all the Democrats disagree to any individual then that nomination will fail.
Secretary of state – Marco Rubio
Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been picked for US secretary of state, the president’s main adviser on foreign affairs who acts as America’s top diplomat when representing the country overseas.
Rubio, 53, takes a hawkish view of China. He opposed Trump in the 2016 Republican primary but has since mended fences.
He has long been courting the job of the nation’s top diplomat and if approved, he will be the first Latino secretary of state in US history.
Defense secretary – Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth, a veteran and Fox News host who has never held political office, has been nominated to be the next defence secretary.
His appointment is one of the most highly anticipated in Trump’s cabinet as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza rage on.
“Nobody fights harder for the troops,” Trump said.
Attorney general – Matt Gaetz
No personnel decision may be more critical to the trajectory of Trump’s second term than his appointee to lead the Department of Justice.
After tumultuous relationships with both Jeff Sessions and William Barr, the attorneys general during his first term, Trump was widely expected to pick a loyalist who will wield the agency’s prosecutorial power in the manner of an “attack dog”.
He did just that with Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, whose confirmation is likely to be difficult, as members of both US parties are not fans of him.
Department of the Interior – Doug Burgum
Trump announced during a speech at Mar-a-Lago that he would ask Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, to lead the Department of the Interior.
A software entrepreneur who sold his small company to Microsoft in 2001, Burgum briefly ran in the 2024 Republican primary before dropping out, endorsing Trump and quickly impressing him with his low-drama persona and sizeable wealth.
If confirmed, Burgum will oversee an agency that is responsible for the management and conservation of federal lands and natural resources.