Republican Donald Trump, who won the US presidential election, has begun to form his administration, US media reported.
Transition team in formation
Donald Trump has scored a confident and definitive victory in the US presidential election – the results of the voting in the last swing state, Arizona, were finally counted on November 10. Despite the fact that the Republican had previously secured the necessary 270 electoral votes, his lead in this state made him the undisputed and unequivocal winner of the presidential race. Now he will have to decide on the composition of his administration and its priorities. Together with Trump, his “transition team,” a group of close associates and relatives, is working on this.
His team is led by two billionaires close to Trump, Howard Lutnick, CEO of financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald, and Linda McMahon, chairman of the board of directors of America First Policy Institute and former head of the Small Business Association. According to POLITICO, McMahon is working on political strategy, while Lutnick is recruiting for the future administration. Lutnick said at a campaign event in October:
“I promise you that on January 20, Trump will be joined by the greatest team of people who have ever been in government.”
An honourable position on the “transition team” belongs to Robert Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate who suspended his campaign for Trump and attempted to withdraw from the election in all states where his participation could hurt the Republican’s chances (however, due to late filing deadlines, his name still remained on the ballot in about 30 states), as well as appearing at his campaign rallies.
Former Democrats in the team
Another Trump ally who has joined his is former Democratic member of the House of Representatives Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard, like Kennedy, used to belong to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, but left it after her unsuccessful run for the US presidency in 2020. In recent years, she has grown close to Trump, supported his presidential nomination, prepared the politician for debates and was even seen as a potential Republican Party vice-presidential candidate.
However, the key role in the formation of the future administration is likely to be played by Trump’s two eldest sons – Eric and Donald. The latter has even stated his desire to obtain the right to veto all future appointments in his father’s government. It was Donald Trump Jr. who convinced his father to choose J.D. Vance as his “number two,” despite the fact that the latter had previously criticised him, The New York Times reported.
On November 7, Trump announced that the White House chief of staff would be a woman, Susie Wiles, for the first time in American history. CNN calls her “an underrated but formidable force behind Trump’s third presidential run,” and notes that her appointment as chief of staff cements her status as the person the Republican trusts most.
The surprise appointment of a former Afghanistan veteran
Trump has nominated Fox News broadcaster Pete Hegseth as US defence secretary. Hegseth is an Army National Guard veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many analysts call him an isolationist. He has repeatedly spoken out against America’s defence of Europe.
At the start of the military conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, he hinted that Putin was “getting his own back.”
Florida Congressman Mike Waltz will be the US national security adviser. He served 21 years in the US Army Special Forces, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is also a businessman and television commentator.
Earlier, Trump appointed former acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Thomas Homan to be in charge of immigration policy and US border security.
Trump entrusted Elon Musk to reform the state apparatus
A new department will appear in the Trump administration, which will be headed by two businessmen at once. The richest man in the US according to Forbes Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will be in charge of reforming the efficiency of the US government – dismantling the government bureaucracy, cutting costs and restructuring federal agencies. The department’s name – DOGE – is a reference to the cryptocurrency of which Musk is a proponent.
The Federal Trade Commission could be headed by Vance adviser Gail Slater, who has already worked there for a decade, or the department’s current commissioner, Mellisa Holyoak. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is likely to become the head of the Department of Energy. Trump has repeatedly said that Burgum “knows more about energy than anybody I know,” and when he called the governor to inform him that he had chosen another contender as his vice presidential pick, he addressed Burgum as “Mr. Secretary.”
Who has no place in the team
Shortly after Trump’s victory, a number of media outlets claimed that former US Secretary of State and ex-CIA chief Mike Pompeo, known for his hawkish views, would head the Pentagon. However, the president-elect announced on November 9 that neither Pompeo nor former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley would be part of his new administration. Trump wrote on his social media platform:
“I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation. I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
Trump wants to see new faces, as there is no one left from the team of his predecessor Joe Biden in the president-elect’s entourage. This can only mean one thing – America is on the way to a global change of its political course.
