President-elect Donald Trump is bringing more contentious personalities into his future administration.

The most recent appointment involves Kashyap “Kash” Patel, a former Republican House staffer and loyal Trump ally, who may be nominated to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In order for Patel to receive a formal nomination, Trump would need to dismiss the current FBI director, Christopher Wray. Wray, who was appointed by Trump, is still more than halfway through his ten-year term that began in 2017.

Patel has indicated that he aims to target the so-called “deep state,” which refers to long-serving members within the national security bureaucracy.

He is just the latest in a series of selections for the Cabinet that are expected to undergo tough confirmation hearings, even with Republicans holding a majority in the Senate. In light of this, Trump has suggested that GOP leaders consider recess appointments to bypass traditional confirmation procedures.

Additionally, Trump has appointed Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister to lead the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which is pivotal to the administration’s efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and its related tensions with Mexico.

Here is the current list of nominees for the Trump administration.

Potential FBI Director is a firm MAGA supporter

Patel, who has worked as a prosecutor, was anticipated to take on a significant position in national security following his tenure in the previous administration, where he was chief of staff at the Department of Defense, deputy director of National Intelligence, and senior director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council.

He has been an outspoken advocate for Trump, continually calling for repercussions against those he believes have wronged the MAGA movement.

Patel has promoted the unfounded accusation regarding a rigged election in 2020 and vowed retaliation against media figures during a 2023 podcast hosted by right-wing strategist Steve Bannon.

“We will pursue those in the media who deceived the American people and assisted Joe Biden in manipulating the presidential elections,” Patel declared. “We will address this either criminally or civilly, and we will find a way forward.”

DEA Director nominee has ties to Attorney General pick

Trump selected Chronister to head the DEA, calling him a “distinguished graduate of the FBI National Academy” and a co-chair of the Regional Domestic Security Task Force for the Tampa area in Florida.

Chronister is reportedly close to Pam Bondi, the former two-term Florida attorney general, whom Trump has chosen to be Attorney General—the nation’s top law enforcement officer and the overseer of the Justice Department, which supervises the DEA. Chronister has been involved with the Florida Attorney General’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking.

During his first term in office, Trump signed an executive order granting a full pardon to Chronister’s father-in-law, Edward DeBartolo Jr., who had been implicated in a gambling fraud case in Louisiana from the late 1990s.

If the Senate confirms him, Chronister will succeed Anne Milgram, President Joe Biden’s DEA administrator, who has been instrumental in the battle against fentanyl trafficking, a synthetic opioid that is over 50 times stronger than heroin.

Overview of Trump’s Cabinet nominations

• Chief of Staff: Trump has appointed senior campaign adviser Susie Wiles to be his White House chief of staff, marking her as the first woman to hold the position. Although she prefers to stay out of the media spotlight, she has been credited for assisting in Trump’s political resurgence.
• Secretary of State: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio from Florida has been nominated for Secretary of State. With his experience on the Senate Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committees, he will be the first Latino to serve in this position.
• Secretary of the Treasury: Trump nominated Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary. A Yale graduate and founder of Key Square Capital Management, Bessent supports Trump’s economic agenda centered on deregulation and tax reductions.
• Secretary of Defense: Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth is Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary. With experience in the U.S. Army National Guard and leadership in veteran advocacy, he has drawn scrutiny due to controversies over sexual assault and far-right extremism.
• Attorney General: Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is Trump’s nomination for the role. Initially, he chose former Representative Matt Gaetz, who later withdrew due to sexual misconduct allegations. Bondi made history as Florida’s first female attorney general.
• Secretary of the Interior: Trump has selected Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to manage federal policies across various territories. Burgum previously sought the Republican presidential nomination before withdrawing and is known for his advocacy of fossil fuel and energy policies.
• Secretary of Agriculture:

  Trump has appointed long-time associate Brooke Rollins to the position of agriculture secretary. She serves as the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute.

• Secretary of Commerce: The CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, Howard Lutnick, has been designated as the commerce secretary. This Wall Street mogul is anticipated to provide valuable insights regarding job creation and economic development.
• Secretary of Labor: Trump has selected Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a Republican representative from Oregon, as the Secretary of Labor. After losing her reelection campaign for the 5th congressional district to Democrat Janelle Bynum, Chavez-DeRemer garnered endorsements from major federal employee unions and public safety organizations, including the United Food and Commercial Workers.
• Secretary of Health and Human Services: The role of leading the Department of Health and Human Services has been assigned to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. As an independent candidate for 2024, he has previously spoken out against vaccines and raised questions about the origins of COVID-19. He is widely recognized for disseminating unproven claims linking childhood vaccinations to autism.
• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Scott Turner has been nominated by Trump to head HUD. A motivational speaker from Texas affiliated with the America First Policy Institute—a pro-Trump think tank—Turner once played cornerback in the NFL and represented Texas in the House from 2013 to 2017.
• Secretary of the Department of Energy: Trump’s nominee for leading the Department of Energy is oil executive Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy and a contributor to the 2024 campaign. Known for his skepticism towards climate change science, Wright’s nomination aligns with a Trump administration that aimed to reverse the climate and clean energy initiatives put in place during President Biden’s administration.
• Secretary of Transportation: Former reality television personality Sean Duffy is Trump’s choice for Secretary of Transportation. Once known for being part of MTV’s “The Real World,” Duffy later served as a congressman for Wisconsin’s 7th district from 2011-2019 and co-hosted “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business.
• Secretary of Education: Linda McMahon, a co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment, has received the nomination to lead the Education Department. Previously, she was the head of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019.
• Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Trump has nominated former Republican Representative Doug Collins to oversee the Department of Veterans Affairs. Collins represented Georgia’s 9th district from 2013 to 2021 and is a loyal supporter of Trump. He has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command and participated in the Iraq War in 2008.
• Secretary of Homeland Security: Trump has announced Kristi Noem, the Governor of South Dakota, as the pick for Secretary of Homeland Security. This appointment positions the staunchly conservative governor, who previously deployed the National Guard to the southern border, in a critical immigration role.
• Office of Management and Budget director: Trump’s second nomination for the OMB is Russell Vought. Before his previous term in the Trump administration, he was the vice president of Heritage Action for America, a conservative think tank behind the right-wing Project 2025 policy initiative, and contributed a chapter regarding the “Executive Office of the President.”
• Director of National Intelligence: Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is nominated to be the director of national intelligence. Gabbard, who shifted from being a Democratic presidential candidate to a Republican, represented Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District from 2013-2021.
• Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Lee Zeldin has been appointed as the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Zeldin previously served as a Congressman for parts of Long Island, New York, and ran for governor in 2022 but was defeated by Kathy Hochul.
• Ambassador to the United Nations: Trump has nominated Elise Stefanik, a five-term Republican congresswoman from a northern New York district, as his UN ambassador. She currently serves as the House Republican Conference Chair and was once considered a potential running mate for Trump.

Notable Picks from Trump’s Administration

• Deputy chief of staff for policy: Stephen Miller, a long-time adviser to Trump, has been appointed as deputy chief of staff for policy in the upcoming administration. At 39 years old, he previously served as a senior adviser and speechwriting director during Trump’s first term, playing a crucial role in shaping immigration policies.
• “Border czar”: Tom Homan has been appointed by Trump to manage deportation policies and aviation security. With 34 years of experience as a Border Patrol agent, Homan served as the acting ICE director during Trump’s first term, gaining notoriety for strict immigration enforcement practices, including the controversial “zero-tolerance” policy that led to family separations of undocumented immigrants.
• Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: Trump’s choice for CIA director is John Ratcliffe, his former Director of National Intelligence. Ratcliffe had previously been a House representative from Texas before assuming the DNI role at the conclusion of Trump’s first term.
• National security adviser: Mike Waltz, a Republican representative from Florida, has been named national security adviser. With experience in civilian roles at the Pentagon and on the House Armed Services Committee, he aligns with Trump’s isolationist perspective on foreign affairs.
• U.S. ambassador to Israel: Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has been nominated as the U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee, a Baptist minister and past Fox News host, has made two failed attempts to secure the Republican presidential nomination. His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, currently serves as Arkansas Governor and was White House press secretary under Trump.
• White House Counsel: William McGinley has been selected to serve as the White House counsel. A partner at the Washington-based law firm Holtzman Vogel, McGinley held the position of Cabinet secretary during Trump’s initial term.
• U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York: Trump has nominated Jay Clayton as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Clayton previously chaired the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation Director: Trump is pushing to appoint Kashyap “Kash” Patel as the director of the
  • FBI Director: There’s discussion about firing the current FBI Director, Christopher Wray. A Trump supporter, Patel held several significant roles in U.S. defense and intelligence during Trump’s first term.
  • Deputy Attorney General: Trump has appointed lawyer Todd Blanche as his deputy attorney general. Blanche is known for his vigorous defense of the president-elect in the New York hush money trial and in two federal criminal cases.
  • Drug Enforcement Administration Director: Trump selected Chad Chronister, the Sheriff of Hillsborough County, to head the DEA. During his presidency, Trump issued an executive order granting a pardon to Chronister’s father-in-law, Edward DeBartolo Jr., for a gambling fraud case in Louisiana from the late 1990s.
  • White House Communications Director: Trump appointed Steven Cheung as his communications director for the second term. Cheung previously served as the rapid response director for Trump’s 2016 campaign and was known for his confrontational style, often labeling opponents as “snowflakes” and “cucks” who suffered from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
  • White House Press Secretary: Karoline Leavitt has been appointed by Trump as press secretary for his second term, potentially making her the youngest person to hold this position.
  • Federal Communications Commission Chairman: Trump has chosen Brendan Carr to lead the FCC. As a senior Republican commissioner, Carr contributed to Project 2025, a comprehensive “presidential transition project” created by the Heritage Foundation.
  • Surgeon General: Trump revealed that he has selected Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a former Fox News medical contributor, as the U.S. Surgeon General. Nesheiwat is currently a Medical Director at CityMD, a network of urgent care facilities in New York and New Jersey, and has previously worked at Washington Regional Medical Center and Northwest Medical Hospital.
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator: Trump appointed Dr. Mehmet Oz, a physician and TV personality, to manage the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the Department of Health and Human Services.
  • Centers for Disease Control Director: Trump chose former Florida Congressman Dr. Dave Weldon to head the CDC. During his time in Congress, Weldon proposed legislation to transfer vaccine safety oversight to an independent entity within the Department of Health and Human Services, which would take most vaccine safety research away from the CDC.
  • Food and Drug Administration Commissioner: Trump named Dr. Marty Makary to the FDA commissioner position. Makary is the chief of Islet Transplant Surgery at Johns Hopkins and has held leadership roles at the World Health Organization’s Patient Safety Program. He is also a member of the National Academy of Medicine, a public advisor for the Paragon Health Institute, and frequently appears as an expert on Fox News.