Who Trump has picked for key administration positions so far

President-elect Donald Trump is beginning to fill key positions in his second administration, and so far is emphasizing aides and allies who were his staunchest supporters during the 2024 campaign.

Here’s a look at who he’s picked so far.

Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff

Wiles, 67, was a senior advisor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager.

Wiles has a background in Florida politics. She helped Ron DeSantis win his first run for Florida governor. Six years later, she was key to Trump’s defeat of him in the 2024 Republican primary.

Wiles’ hiring was Trump’s first major decision as president-elect and one that could be a crucial test for his incoming administration given her close relationship with the president-elect. Wiles is said to have earned Trump’s trust in part by leading what was the most disciplined of Trump’s three presidential campaigns.

Wiles was able to help keep Trump on track as few others have, not by criticizing his impulses, but by winning his respect by demonstrating his success after taking her advice.

Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser

Trump asked Waltz, a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, a person familiar with the matter said Monday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before Trump made a formal announcement.

The move would put Waltz at the forefront of a litany of national security crises, from the ongoing effort to supply arms to Ukraine and escalating concerns about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the continued attacks in the Middle East by Iran’s proxies and pressure for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah.

Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from East and Central Florida. He served several tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy advisor when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs.

He is considered hawkish on China and called for a US boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its ongoing mistreatment of the Muslim Uyghur population.

Tom Homan, ‘Border Czar’

Homan, 62, has been assigned with Trump’s top priority carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history.

Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign.

Although Homan has insisted that such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump’s policy proposals, hinting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to “run the biggest deportation operation this country has ever have seen.”

Democrats have criticized Homan for his defense of Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border.

Elise Stefanik, UN Ambassador

Stefanik is one representative from New York and one of Trump’s staunchest defenders dating back to his first impeachment trial.

Elected to the House of Representatives in 2014, Stefanik was chosen by his GOP House colleagues to chair the House Republican Conference in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from office after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of the House leadership.

Stefanik’s questioning of college presidents over anti-Semitism on their campuses helped lead to the resignation of two of those presidents, further raising her national profile.

If confirmed, she will represent American interests at the United Nations as Trump vows to end Russia’s war on Ukraine that began in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah.

Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

Miller, a immigration hardlinerwas a vocal advocate during the presidential campaign for Trump’s prioritization of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump’s first administration.

Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump’s policy decisions, particularly his move to separate thousands of immigrant families.

Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation’s economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as president of America First Legal, an organization comprised of former Trump advisers that aims to challenge the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security.

Lee Zeldin, Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his choice to lead The Environmental Protection Agency.

Zeldin appears to have no experience with environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former US House member from New York wrote further X“We will restore American energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the United States the global leader in artificial intelligence.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added.

During his campaign, Trump frequently attacked the Biden administration’s promotion of electric vehicles and incorrectly referred to a tax credit for the purchase of electric cars as a government mandate. Trump also frequently told his audience during the campaign that his administration would “drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded oil exploration.

In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be passed in a way that unleashes the power of corporate America while maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.”