A Look Into President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet Appointees

Molly O'Brien

November 24, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump has announced many of his appointees for his cabinet and various federal agencies. Most members of the cabinet, aside from the Vice President and White House Chief of Staff, will require Senate approval. In modern times, a president-elect nominates his picks for top officials in his coming administration quickly after his election, however, this is not required. As of Nov. 18, Trump has nominated eight out of 15 cabinet-level positions. Confirmation hearings of the nominees can happen before Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, however, they frequently take longer. 

Secretary of State: Marco Rubio

Senator of Florida Marco Rubio will head the Trump administration's foreign policy as Secretary of State. Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants and was raised in Miami. He earned his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Florida and the University of Miami Law School, respectively. Rubio’s political career began with his election to the West Miami City Commission in 1998. He was elected into the Florida House of Representatives the following year, serving as speaker from 2006–2008. In 2009, Rubio was elected to the US Senate and currently serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. 

Secretary of Defense: Pete Hegseth

Trump announced on Tuesday, Nov. 12, that he would nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth, for Secretary of Defense. Hegseth graduated from Princeton University in 2003 and was soon after commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard. He served overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. After his service, Hegseth was the head of the Concerned Veterans for America and also unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012. Hegseth joined Fox News as a contributor in 2014 and was named the co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend” in early 2017. Hegseth was reportedly considered to run the Department of Veteran Affairs in Trump’s first cabinet. 

*Attorney General: Matt Gaetz

Representative Matt Gaetz is Trump’s controversial pick for Attorney General. Gaetz graduated from William and Mary Law School in 2007 and was admitted to the Florida Bar the following year. From 2010–2016, he served in the Florida House of Representatives. In 2016, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives where he has represented Florida District 1 ever since. Gaetz had charges dropped against him last year by the Department of Justice over sex-trafficking allegations. 

*As of Nov. 23, Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration for Attorney General and Trump has nominated Pam Bondi for the role instead. 

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

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after much speculation, has been appointed the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy is the son of former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and has followed in his father’s footsteps. After graduating from Harvard, Kennedy got a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1981. He began working as an Assistant district attorney in Manhattan in 1982. His career was tarnished the following year when he failed the bar exam and was arrested for heroin possession, a problem he had dealt with since his father’s death as a teenager. During his probation, Kennedy worked on environmental and human rights abuses around the world. In April of 2023, Kennedy announced his bid for President of the United States, running as an Independent. Kennedy suspended his campaign in August of 2024 and endorsed Trump under the pretense of receiving a Cabinet position. 

Secretary of Homeland Security: Kristi Noem

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, 52, has been tapped as Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security. Trump said in an official statement that Noem has been very strong on border security and will work with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homman to create plans to further secure the Southern border. In 2010, after serving in the South Dakota legislature for several years, Noem was elected South Dakota’s lone member of the US House of Representatives. In 2018, she was elected South Dakota’s first-ever female governor.

Secretary of Interior: Doug Burgum

Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota is Trump’s appointee for Secretary of the Interior.  Burgum grew up in North Dakota and earned Bachelor’s and MBA degrees from North Dakota State University and Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He served as CEO for the Great Plains Software Company from 1997, until the acquisition by Microsoft Corp in 2001. Burgum remained at Microsoft as a senior vice president through 2007. In 2008, Burgum co-founded Arthur Ventures, a venture capitalist firm that invests in software companies. In 2016, Mr. Burgum was elected governor of North Dakota in his first run for political office. 

Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright

 Trump named Chris Wright as his appointee for Secretary of Energy.  Wright grew up in Colorado before earning his electrical engineering degrees at the University of California Berkeley, and MIT. In 1992, Wright founded Pinnacle Technologies, a company involved in shale gas production through fracking. He served as the CEO until 2006. In 2011, he founded Liberty Energy, a Denver-based fracking company, where he serves as CEO. The company is currently valued at $2.8 billion. Wright will also serve as a member of the newly formed Council of National Energy, chaired by Doug Burgum. 

Secretary of Veteran Affairs: Doug Collins

Doug Collins has been tapped as Secretary of Veteran Affairs. Collins served two years as a Navy chaplain before joining the Air Force as a chaplain after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was deployed to Balad Air Base in Iraq in 2008, with the 94th Airlift Wing. His most recent duty station was Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, where he served as an individual mobile augmentee to the chaplain.  Collins served in the George House of Representatives from 2007–2013. From 2013–2021,  Collins was the United States Representative from Georgia’s 9th congressional district. He last ran for public office when he vied for a US Senate seat. 

As of Nov. 18, Trump has not announced his picks for Secretary of Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, or Education. These picks are likely to come out in the coming days.