Who are they?

Trump loyalists to govern the USA in future

Trump's government team is growing daily ...

(Bild: AFP/Getty Images)

Donald Trump is currently busy forming his cabinet for his second term in office. And it is already becoming clear: A team of absolute hardliners is being formed - surprise candidates included.

It is gradually becoming known who Trump intends to appoint to various key positions in his second term as US President. Here is an overview of the personnel decisions made so far. In most cases, Trump's chosen candidates must be confirmed by the Senate.

An unknown for the Pentagon
Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. The 44-year-old is a TV presenter on the conservative news channel Fox News, which is often said to have a bias towards Trump. He also looks back on his time as a soldier. The news came as a complete surprise to many.

According to his website, he served in Afghanistan and Iraq, among other places. According to his own statements, he left the military in 2021 after being sidelined due to his political and religious views. He has repeatedly complained that many top military officers in the Pentagon are too "woke", i.e. pay too much attention to issues such as diversity, racism and equality.

Hegseth has no political experience and is to become head of the Pentagon.

(Bild: AFP/SPENCER PLATT/Getty Images)

In his opinion, NATO is simply outdated. He accuses the European allies of relying entirely on US support and not doing enough for the alliance themselves.

A Latino as Trump's chief diplomat
According to insiders, Marco Rubio is set to become the new Secretary of State. The 53-year-old senator from Florida with Cuban ancestry was originally one of Trump's rivals and critics. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, but was defeated by Trump. Even during Trump's first term in office, he was at odds with him time and again, for example when he supported a law that would make it more difficult for the USA to withdraw from NATO.

Gradually, however, he adapted to Trump's positions and became one of his most ardent supporters. In April, he voted against a billion-euro military aid package for Ukraine passed by Congress. He has called on Kiev to negotiate with Moscow. Rubio is also known for his tough stance on China and Iran. 

Called Trump an "impostor" just a few years ago: Marco Rubio

(Bild: AFP/Ryan M. Kelly)

A radical hardliner for border protection
During the election campaign, Trump made the fight against illegal immigration a key issue. He announced the largest deportation campaign in US history. The Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for internal security, border protection and combating terrorism, among other things, has an important role to play in this context.

It is to be headed by Kristi Noem. She is currently Governor of South Dakota. The fiercely conservative 52-year-old was at times considered to be the vice presidential candidate. However, she caused a storm of indignation when she published a book in which she writes that she shot her dog a few years ago because she was "untrainable".

Noem is to receive support from Tom Homan, who can be classified as politically far-right. He was proclaimed "border czar" by Trump. Homan already headed the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) on an interim basis for a year and a half during Trump's first term in office.

At the time, he was an advocate of a controversial procedure that led to children of illegal immigrant parents being detained separately at the border with Mexico. It was only after massive criticism that Trump ended the practice of family separations.

A department for billionaires
The richest man in the world is to head a new kind of department for greater government efficiency. Elon Musk will advise Trump on how he can "abolish government bureaucracy, eliminate unnecessary regulations, cut unnecessary spending and restructure federal agencies".

According to Trump, the new "Department of Government Efficiency" will be located "outside the government". Musk's role is to be informal, which means he could remain head of the e-car manufacturer Tesla, the short message service X and the rocket company SpaceX. Critics warn of a tangible conflict of interest. Musk, who is well connected in Washington and donated millions of dollars to Trump during the election campaign, will gain considerable influence over the work of the government through his new advisory role. The 53-year-old's entrepreneurial activities could also benefit from this.

Musk will be assisted by former pharmaceutical entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. He had originally also applied for the Republican presidential candidacy, but quickly threw in the towel and advised his supporters to back Trump. In 2021, he published the bestseller "Woke, Inc.", in which he takes issue with the decisions of some major corporations to align their business strategies more closely with issues of social justice and climate change.

A well-known Trumpist for the CIA
Trump wants to make his companion John Ratcliffe head of the CIA. He was National Intelligence Coordinator from May 2020 until the end of Trump's first term in January 2021, making him the highest-ranking intelligence officer in the USA. During the 2024 election campaign, he advised Trump on national security issues.

The Texan is considered a Trump loyalist.

(Bild: AFP/Andrew Harnik)

He is known as a fierce critic of China and has accused outgoing President Joe Biden of lacking support for his ally Israel in the Gaza war and taking too weak a stance on Iran. Like the proposed ministers, Ratcliffe must also be confirmed by the Senate. It would be the second attempt. Trump wanted him for the post back in 2019, but then backed out after it became clear that many members of Congress still considered the then congressman to be too inexperienced and partisan.

A woman for the White House
She is to be the first woman to bring order to the White House: Susie Wiles becomes Trump's Chief of Staff. This gives her one of the most influential posts in the White House. The 67-year-old was one of Trump's campaign managers. She has many years of experience in the field: she worked on the election campaign of future President Ronald Reagan back in 1980 and was later an advisor to several Republican politicians.

An oil lobbyist to protect the climate
Lee Zeldin is to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The 44-year-old former congressman will play a key role in implementing the announced shift in environmental policy. Trump has promised to reform American energy policy. He wants to boost oil and gas production by relaxing regulations and speeding up approval procedures.