Who might be in a potential Trump administration?

Donald Trump has made no secret of who he considers his enemies, a long list that extends from domestic US politics to foreign governments and institutions. But the former president also has many allies.

Although the list of potential appointees in the second Trump administration has not yet been officially confirmed, speculation and rumors have been swirling around several well-known figures for some time now. Let’s meet some of them.

Mike Pompeo

Last month, Trump said he was considering four or five choices for defense secretary during an appearance on the Hugh Hewitt Radio Show.

One is former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a former congressman who headed the CIA before becoming the Trump administration’s first top foreign affairs official.

Pompeo considered running for president this year but has since spoken out after Trump recently publicly endorsed him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Monday.

In Trump’s previous administration, Pompeo pushed for strong support for Israel. He is also an advocate for Ukraine and co-authored a proposed “peace plan” for the country in the Wall Street Journal in July, proposing “real sanctions against Russia” and providing crucial weapons.

Marco Rubio

In 2016, Rubio and Trump were locked in a bitter battle over who would become the Republican nominee.

Now the senator from Florida has been tipped as secretary of state and has become one of Trump’s reliable supporters. In fact, he was considered a top choice for the vice president role before going to JD Vance.

On the policy front, Rubio has tried to strike a kind of middle ground on Ukraine, emphasizing Trump’s position that the country should negotiate with Russia while continuing to support its victory. He takes a tough approach on other issues, such as Iran.

Richard Grenell

Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence, has been called “my envoy” by the former president and has been tipped to become the next secretary of state.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Grenell has become an influential foreign policy advisor in Trump’s entourage and continues to meet with foreign leaders in support of the former president.

He may face competition for the job from Florida Senator Marco Rubio and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

Mike Waltz

Waltz is another name Trump says he is considering for defense secretary, although he has also been tipped as a candidate for secretary of state by reports in the US media.

The retired Special Forces National Guard colonel has frequently appeared on television in support of Trump. Waltz has said he is open to the job but is primarily focused on helping Trump win.

He has defended Trump on key issues, including his position on Ukraine, saying the US should defend its own border rather than provide more military aid to the war-torn country.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr

Kennedy seems to think he has a chance to play a role in a potential Trump administration — and for good reason.

At a rally this week, Trump said of his former presidential rival that he would let him “do whatever he wants” on women’s health care if he reaches the White House.

Despite this, senior members of Trump’s campaign have ruled out giving Kennedy a job in the government’s Health Department.

However, the news has yet to reach Trump himself, as he said Kennedy would play a “major role in the administration.” During his rally at Madison Square Garden, Trump said Kennedy would “go crazy” on food and medicine if he won.

The anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist has claimed he is in communication with Trump and could play an influential role in a new, if not an official, administration.

Sid Molenaar

Miller has been tipped by Trump for a role in agriculture.

The current Texas Secretary of Agriculture previously served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

As a farmer and rancher, Miller could play a key role in shaping the next $1.5 trillion farm bill, which will shape agricultural, food and nutrition policy, if he were given a key role in the department.

He would also have significant influence over U.S. nutrition programs and the money spent on fighting climate change in agriculture.

Susie Wiles

Wiles led Trump’s activities in Florida in 2016 and 2020, became CEO of his political action committee after losing in 2020 and remained loyal to the Republican.

She is credited with convincing Trump to adopt mail-in voting after he shunned it because it was prone to fraud.

Wiles brought ex-Marine Chris LaCivita to the campaign, and both are expected to be promoted once Trump is inaugurated, with Wiles tipped as chief of staff.

Howard Lutnick

Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg in June that he was considering JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon for Treasury secretary, but later backtracked.

American media have also tipped Howard Lutnick as a potential candidate for, among other things, the office of Minister of Finance. He has helped boost support for Trump on Wall Street and has made public appearances to boost his campaign, raising a total of more than $75 million (68 million euros) for Trump.

Lutnick currently plays a leadership role on Trump’s transition team, overseeing the staff for a possible second Trump term.

The billionaire is fervently pro-Israel, according to the Jewish Insider, and has said his decision to become more active in Trump’s campaign was made after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

Robert Lichthizer

Former US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who was a key figure in Trump’s first term and has remained close to the former president, has also been tipped as Treasury secretary if Trump wins the keys to the White House.

He previously pushed for the US to take a nationalistic approach to trade and was a strong supporter of Trump’s tariff proposals.

Elon Musk

As something of a wild card, Trump has lavished compliments on the billionaire Tesla and Space X founder – and his significant financial support for the Republican campaign.

Musk has called for drastic cuts in government spending, but has provided no details on where the ax would fall.

He also pitched the idea of ​​a new Ministry of Government Efficiency, which would be tasked with monitoring the federal government and recommending reforms.

Earlier this week, Trump appeared to rule out the possibility of Musk taking on an official cabinet role.

“(Musk) doesn’t want to be secretary of anything. I mean, I’d love to have him with you to be honest with you… but he’s doing a few other things,” Trump said at a rally in Arizona.

Nevertheless, he said he wanted Musk to play an unspecified role in his new administration.

This week, however, Lutnick told CNN that Musk would be “adjacent” to Trump’s potential administration.

“I think it borders on that: writing software for the government and then giving the software to the government and helping the government,” Lutnick said.

“It’s going to be great.”