Full list of Trump’s cabinet picks so far as president-elect taps Dr. Oz to ‘make America healthy again’ with RFK Jr.

PRESIDENT-elect Donald Trump has made some surprising additions to his incoming cabinet, which now includes a television star, former rivals, and a billionaire tech giant.

The youngest-ever press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, and celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz have both been nominated, as controversial lawyer Matt Gaetz pulled his name from the Attorney General job.

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His latest pick is former acting AG Matthew Whitaker, who he nominated for NATO ambassador on Wednesday.

And Trump, 78, is sure to keep drip-feeding names on his social media platforms before his January 20, 2025, inauguration.

In the end, his cabinet will consist of the commander-in-chief, his Vice President-elect, , and 15 heads of executive departments.

The president-elect has not formed his entire cabinet yet but has been slowly picking up names to form the new administration.

Here is what we know so far:

MATT GAETZ

AP

Gaetz graciously accepted President-elect Trump’s nomination for the role of attorney general, but he withdrew his name after disturbing reports questioned his ethics.

President-elect Trump raised eyebrows among some Republicans when he nominated Gaetz

Gaetz, who decisively won Florida’s 1st Congressional District on the far west of the panhandle, is a Trump loyalist and said it would be an honor to serve in the administration.

He even nominated Trump for speaker in January 2023 when now-former speaker Kevin McCarthy struggled to get the votes to assume the role.

But Gaetz does not come without baggage and has been embroiled in controversy.

He was being probed by the House Ethics Committee over allegations including sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl.

The woman at the center of the investigation testified to the House Ethics Committee on November 14, alleging she and Gaetz had sex when she was a 17-year-old high school student, according to .

A report was about to be released, but Gaetz resigned from Congress, in effect short-circuiting the process.

However, that report was leaked to the press, and the public saw the committee had allegedly uncovered Venmo records proving a link to two women who were witnesses in the sexual misconduct probe.

Those women, who were over 18, were allegedly paid $10,000 by Gaetz while he was serving, and the payments were sent with messages like “travel,” “car deductible,” and “refreshments.”

Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing but stepped away from the attorney general position Wednesday.

Pam Bondi

AP

Trump has now named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his next nominee to lead the Department of Justice just hours after Gaetz withdrew his name.

Announcing her name, Trump wrote on social media: “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore.

“Pam will refocus the DOJ on its intended purpose of fighting crime and making America safe again. I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”

Scott Bessent 

Rex

Trump has tapped investor and billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his Treasury Secretary to lead his economic team.

Bessent, who is the founder of the investment firm Key Square Capital Management, served as the central economic adviser to Mr Trump over the past year. 

He is considered to be one of Trump’s biggest allies on Wall Street.

The president-elect said in a statement: “As a lifelong Champion of Main Street America and American Industry, Scott will support my Policies that will drive U.S. Competitiveness, stop unfair Trade imbalances, work to create an Economy that places Growth at the forefront, especially through our coming World Energy Dominance.”

DR. MEHMET OZ

On Tuesday, Trump announced that celebrity television personality Dr. Oz, 64, would lead CMS through America’s “healthcare crisis.”

“There may be no physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to make America healthy again,” he said in a statement.

Dr. Oz rose to fame through talk show appearances alongside media sensation Oprah Winfrey and even had a show of his own from 2009 until 2022.

That same year his show ended, he shocked fans by challenging incumbent Senator John Fetterman for his position representing Pennsylvania.

Dr. Oz lost that election but enjoyed a wave of support from Trump throughout the race, and the two started to develop a professional relationship.

After Trump won in 2024, Dr. Oz issued a statement to say his congratulations and voice his excitement for the next four years.

“The American people have spoken in support of his desire to make our great nation strong, safe and healthy again,” he said.

“The election presents a powerful mandate to solve problems that hurt us today and will cripple future generations.”

With his new title, Dr. Oz would oversee Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Social Security.

KAROLINE LEAVITT

AFP

Trump has named Karoline Leavitt as his pick for the White House press secretary.

Aged 27, Leavitt will now become the youngest face of the White House in American history.

Announcing her new job on Friday, Mr Trump said: “Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator.

“I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American people as we, Make America Great Again.”

Leavitt served as the press secretary in Trump’s MAGA election campaign and was the assistant press secretary during his first term at the White House.

CHRIS WRIGHT

Trump announced on November 16 that he would nominate Chris Wright – CEO of Liberty Energy – to serve as his energy secretary.

One of the top donors in the Trump campaign, Wright would serve on a newly formed Council of National Energy being led by his nominee for Interior secretary, Doug Burgum.

“Chris has been a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy. He has worked in Nuclear, Solar, Geothermal, and Oil and Gas,” Trump said in a statement announcing the pick

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.

Getty

President-elect Trump stood by his promise and nominated his former presidential rival, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for the top job at the Department of Health and Human Services.

When Kennedy Jr. suspended his presidential campaign in August and joined forces with Trump, he said the pair had a lot in common.

At the time, Kennedy Jr. described his alliance with Trump as “a unity party,” an arrangement that would “allow them to disagree publicly and privately and seriously.”

The former independent presidential candidate said Trump offered him a cabinet role if he won the election.

Now, Trump has kept his promise, naming Kennedy Jr. as the HHS secretary.

He wrote in a statement on X: “I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.

“The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of an Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country.

“Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

was the first to announce Kennedy Jr.’s role and praised his father for keeping his promise.

Trump has previously said he would let Kennedy Jr. “go wild on health.”

Kennedy Jr. has long been outspoken, and often times condemned, for his opposition to public health measures, pushing misinformation about vaccines being linked to autism and pledging to rid schools of ultra-processed foods.

Health and science experts have long disputed many of Kennedy Jr.’s claims.

“Here’s a man who presents himself as an advocate for science but embraces the least scientific aspects of the medical system,” Peter Lurie, a former FDA official in the Obama administration, told the .

STEVEN CHEUNG

Getty Images - Getty

Close ally Steven Cheung will be returning to the White House as assistant to the president and director of communications.

He was the director of communications for Trump’s campaign and served as director of strategic response during the president’s first term.

Cheung worked in communications at the Ultimate Fighting Championship before he became one of Trump’s most trusted allies.

He’s a California native who was raised by Chinese immigrants and has been valuable to the GOP since working with Trump in 2016.

After Trump lost the 2020 election, Cheung bounced around from several high-profile campaigns before returning to the former president’s side.

SERGIO GOR

AP:Associated Press

Also, on Friday, the Trump campaign confirmed that businessman Sergio Gor will be working in the White House in January.

He’s serving as an assistant to the president and director of the presidential personnel office.

Gor previously worked as an aide to Senator Rand Paul and is most known for co-founding a conservative publishing company with Don Jr.

The house has published books from family faces like Charlie Kirk and Peter Navarro.

He’s also run the Super PAC Right For America, which helped support Trump through his winning campaign.

“Steven Cheung and Sergio Gor have been trusted advisors since my first presidential campaign in 2016, and have continued to champion America first principles throughout my first term,” Trump said in the announcement.

“I am thrilled to have them join my White House as we make America great again.”

PETE HEGSETH

Getty

Fox News star Pete Hegseth has been nominated to serve as Trump’s defense secretary.

Hegseth is an Army National Guard veteran and completed tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.

He also ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before dropping out of the race.

Like Gaetz’s nomination, Hegseth’s has sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill.

Trump has hailed Hegseth as a tough, smart, and true believer of his America First policies.

MARCO RUBIO

Reuters

Marco Rubio, a leading politician who has called for more transparency when it comes to , has been nominated to serve as secretary of state.

The Florida senator has been a critic of and Iran and is thought to be a foreign policy hawk.

Rubio’s nomination comes more than eight years after he ran alongside Trump for the GOP nomination in 2016.

Rubio and Trump previously locked horns, and the tycoon called his rival “Little Marco” during the 2016 Republican presidential primary.

In the past, the senator hasn’t been frightened to call out Trump’s foreign policy while the tycoon was in the Oval Office.

In 2019, he claimed Trump abandoned the military effort in Syria before the war was completely over.

“The decision to abandon our Kurdish allies and withdraw American troops from Northern Syria is a grave mistake that will have severe consequences beyond Syria,” he said in a .

“It risks encouraging the Iranian regime to question American resolve and to escalate its attacks against our partners in the Middle East, which in turn could trigger a broader and more dangerous regional war.”

Rubio’s views on Ukraine have also changed over time.

In anpost from February 2022, he described Vladimir Putin as a “killer” and backed Ukraine’s effort.

But now, he seems to echo Trump as he calls for the conflict to end.

Rubio’s Senate seat will become vacant should he join the Trump cabinet, and potential replacements have already been touted.

Florida law will allow Governor Ron DeSantis to nominate a temporary replacement until a special election can be held in 2026 for a senator to complete the last two years of Rubio’s current term.

One name that has been mentioned is Lara Trump – Donald’s daughter-in-law.

Lara, a former TV producer, has been the co-chair of the Republican National Committee since March 2024.

TULSI GABBARD

AFP

Throughout Biden’s presidency, former Democratic lawmaker Tulsi Gabbard was a staunch critic when it came to foreign policy.

She blamed Joe Biden for seemingly bringing the US close to a global conflict.

And, she has not been shy to slam elites within the Democratic Party establishment.

Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022 before endorsing Trump in the summer of 2024.

She urged voters to “save the country” by voting Trump into the Oval Office.

Gabbard has been nominated to be Trump’s director of national intelligence.

ELON MUSK

Reuters

Tesla mogul Musk and Trump appeared on the campaign trail as the 2024 race entered its final months.

The SpaceX founder joined Trump on the stump for the first time when the tycoon returned to Butler, Pennsylvania, for a rally – weeks after the attempted assassination.

Musk was also one of the headline acts at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.

He was pictured rubbing shoulders with Trump’s family at the politician’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

In a clip shared by Trump’s granddaughter Kai, Musk was even invited to join a family photo.

Musk is spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency – a unit responsible for cutting federal waste and saving money.

DOGE is not an official government department.

The name comes from an inside joke reference to Musk’s favorite meme cryptocurrency: Dogecoin.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY

Reuters

Former presidential candidate will also be leading the charge in DOGE.

Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the race in January, championed government cuts while he was on the campaign trail.

Following January’s shooting at Perry High School in Iowa, Ramaswamy said he would eliminate the Department of Education and use its budget to fund the hiring of armed guards for schools.

The Education Department had a budget of $238.04 billion in 2024, accounting for just 1.8% of the total federal budget.

SUSIE WILES

Reuters

Susie Wiles has been nominated to serve as Trump’s chief of staff.

She will be the first woman to assume the role.

Wiles, who is admired in circles for being a formidable political operator, has worked with Trump on his three presidential campaigns.

Advisers have hailed Wiles’ ability to bring people together and how she can hold officials to account.

Trump name-dropped Wiles as he addressed his supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, once it became apparent he would win the election.

“Susie likes to stay sort of in the back,” he said.

“Let me tell you, the ice baby. We call her the ice baby.

“Susie likes to stay in the background. She’s not in the background.”

TEAM TRUMP

The president-elect has also rewarded loyalists such as Elise Stefanik, who has been nominated to the role of United Nations ambassador.

Trump has also added former GOP presidential candidate Doug Burgum, the Governor of North Dakota, to his ranks – nominating him to lead the Interior Department.

Jay Clayton, who served as the Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange during Trump’s first term, was nominated for US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the president-elect announced.

“Jay is a highly respected business leader, counsel, and public servant,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

“Jay is going to be a strong Fighter for the Truth as we, Make America Great Again.”

Clayton will oversee a district that’s currently prosecuting high-profile cases such as disgraced movie mogul , rapper , and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Lawyer Todd Blanche has been selected as Trump’s deputy attorney general.

Meanwhile, Florida representative Mike Waltz was also nominated for the role of national security adviser.

Governor Ron DeSantis has said the work for special elections to be held in light of Waltz’s nomination will begin.

Lee Zeldin, a close ally of Trump, has been nominated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

governor Kristi Noem has been nominated to serve as Homeland Security Secretary, and former Governor Mike Huckabee has been picked out to serve as Ambassador to Israel.

Trump loyalist Stephen Miller has been nominated for the deputy chief of staff position, while Tom Homan is set to become Trump’s “border czar.”

Linda McMahon, the wife of wrestling mogul Vince McMahon, has been nominated to serve as education secretary.

Trump said McMahon will “empower parents” to make the best decisions for their children.

Whitaker, meanwhile, served in Trump’s first administration.

The president-elect said of his pick, “Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability – He will put AMERICA FIRST.

“I have full confidence in Matt’s ability to represent the United States with Strength, Integrity, and unwavering Dedication. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to promote PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, Freedom, and Prosperity around the World.”

BIG OMISSIONS

Days before Karoline Leavitt’s nomination, Alina Habba, who served as Trump’s attorney during his legal battles, ruled herself out of the race.

“Although I love screaming from a podium, I will be better served in other capacities,” she posted on .

Many roles are still up for grabs, but some politicians who served in Trump’s first administration will not serve in the second.

Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo are among the high-profile Republicans that have been omitted.