Trump Cabinet 2.0: Who’s in the running for top spots

The Trump campaign says discussions of who might serve in key Cabinet roles are “premature,” but that hasn’t stopped D.C.’s rumor mill from taking stock of who might serve in top roles in a second Trump administration.

Former President Trump is in the unusual position of not being backed by a number of members of his previous Cabinet, and many expect loyalty to be a driving factor in appointments this time around. Trump’s transition team will play a central role in determining who will serve in a potential second administration. 

The transition is being led by former Small Business Administration (SBA) head Linda McMahon and businessman Howard Lutnick. Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio); Donald Trump Jr.; Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) are all serving in honorary roles on the transition.

Here’s a look at who might serve in key Cabinet positions if Trump wins in November.

Secretary of State

There are multiple contenders to serve as Trump’s top diplomat, with multiple senators and a well-regarded figure from his first administration getting the most attention.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has served on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and as the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He was a finalist to be Trump’s running mate, and while some members of Trump’s base may view the senator skeptically, he would have no trouble getting confirmed by his Senate colleagues.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who is also a contender for Defense secretary, could be considered for secretary of State. He is an Army veteran with hawkish views who has aligned himself closely with Trump.

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) is another potential pick, having served as Trump’s ambassador to Japan during his first term.

Outside of the Senate, Robert O’Brien is considered a serious candidate to lead the State Department or to take on another senior role in a second Trump administration. He previously served as Trump’s top hostage negotiator and later as his national security adviser.

Secretary of Defense

Among the names being floated as potential nominees for Defense secretary are Cotton and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), both of whom served in the Army. Trump could also consider Mike Pompeo, his former secretary of State and CIA director, and a West Point graduate.

Cotton drew criticism in 2020 for penning an op-ed in which he advocated for deploying the military to quell protests after the killing of George Floyd.

Trump has also mentioned Christopher Miller, who served as acting Pentagon chief at the end of his first term, as a possible pick should he win in November.

“We had Miller at the end who did a very good job,” Trump said in a December 2023 interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt. “I thought he was really good. I thought he was very good.”

Defense secretary proved to be one of Trump’s more volatile Cabinet posts during his first term in office. Jim Mattis resigned after Trump said he was withdrawing troops from Syria, and his replacement, Mark Esper, was fired days after the 2020 election and has since been critical of Trump.

Attorney general

The former president will likely look for an attorney general who is willing to back up his administration’s efforts to crack down on immigration and test the bounds of executive power.

One name that has come up among lawmakers and Trump allies is Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), who previously served as Missouri’s attorney general. The Missouri senator has emerged as a forceful advocate for cracking down on the administrative state, which would be one of Trump’s top priorities in a second term.

Trump has also praised Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as a potential candidate for the role at the federal level.

“We have a lot of people who want that one and will be very good at it. But he’s a very talented guy,” Trump said in May.

Paxton was impeached by the Texas state House of Representatives in 2023 for alleged inappropriate favors done for donors, interference in federal investigations and retaliation against whistleblowers. He was acquitted by the state Senate. 

Energy secretary

Trump has telegraphed his likely choice to run the Energy Department if he wins November’s election: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R).

While others will likely be considered, Burgum would appear to have the inside track. 

The former president previously told a rally crowd the governor “probably knows more about energy than anybody I know.” When Trump called Burgum to inform him he wasn’t picking the governor as his running mate, the former president greeted him on the phone as “Mr. Secretary.”

Trump has made clear a priority if he is reelected will be rolling back the Biden administration’s environmental regulations and opening up new lands for drilling. Whoever is running the Department of Energy will likely be central to those efforts.

Treasury secretary

Trump’s pick to lead the Treasury Department will be closely watched by Wall Street in the weeks after the election if he wins.

The former president has reportedly floated hedge fund manager John Paulson as a pick to lead the agency. 

Others mentioned as potential candidates include former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who helped oversee Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs and efforts to negotiate deals with China, Canada and Mexico.

The Wall Street Journal reported investor Scott Bessent could also be in the mix for the Treasury role.

One name to watch is Steven Mnuchin, who served as Trump’s Treasury secretary throughout his first term. Mnuchin has not played an active role in the 2024 race but has remained supportive of the former president.

Commerce secretary

Some names floated as options for Trump’s Commerce secretary include Lighthizer and McMahon, the former SBA administrator now leading his transition, who is also the World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder.

Whoever takes on the role will need to prepare to be the face of Trump’s plans to aggressively use tariffs in a second term. 

Other names floated for the role, according to a former Trump official, include Hagerty, who’s in a safe red Senate seat, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who is term-limited and unable to run for reelection in 2025. Additionally, businessman Keith Krach, who was under secretary of State for economic growth, energy, and the environment in the Trump administration, was also floated.

A Democrat in the Cabinet?

Trump has said he would be willing to nominate a Democrat to serve in his Cabinet if it were someone whose views he agreed with. Vance said “of course” Trump would appoint a Democrat to a top post, after Vice President Harris committed to naming a Republican to her potential Cabinet. 

While Trump is unlikely to put forward any prominent member of the Democratic Party, he has the endorsements of two former Democrats who may get the nod.

Kennedy, who first attempted to challenge President Biden, later launched an independent White House bid and eventually dropped that effort to endorse Trump, could be one option. 

Though Kennedy’s own family members have disavowed him, his aides have signaled he would be interested in leading the Department of Health and Human Services. His antivaccine rhetoric could make him difficult to confirm, however.

Gabbard, who left the Democratic Party in 2022, could also find herself up for a Cabinet post after backing the former president and his campaign this year.

“Tulsi Gabbard, different places, former colleague other side of the aisle, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a role for her somewhere in the diplomatic sphere if she had that opportunity,” said Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.).

Other names to watch

There are a host of other individuals likely to draw consideration for Cabinet posts, including some old faces and some newer ones.

Ben Carson, who ran the Department of Housing and Urban Development during Trump’s first term, could find himself in another Cabinet role after remaining close to Trump for the past four years.

Mast, a veteran and Purple Heart recipient, has signaled he’s open to leading the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Andrew Wheeler, who led the Environmental Protection Agency during part of Trump’s first term, could return to that role or another Cabinet post.

Vivek Ramaswamy has been a vocal Trump supporter since endorsing him earlier this year and could be considered for a Cabinet job leading the Department of Commerce, Homeland Security or Health and Human Services given his background as an entrepreneur and head of a pharmaceutical company.

Alex Gangitano and Laura Kelly contributed