A week after US presidential election win, Donald Trump builds his team

A week after Donald Trump's stunning comeback and resounding victory in the 2024 US presidential election, the incoming commander-in-chief is already forming his White House team. A major focus appears to be cracking down on immigration. 

The following are the names that have come up:

Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff

Wiles was one of the first names announced. She served as co-chair of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, and reportedly helped Trump stay on message, amid his often chaotic impulses. Previously, she worked as chief strategist for Trump's 2016 campaign in Florida. In 2018, she helped Ron DeSantis win his gubernatorial race in the state. Wiles would become the first female White House chief of staff of either party.

Tom Homan, 'Border Czar'

Tom Homan, who was previously acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has been announced as Trump's "border czar" to oversee border control. Border czar, which is not an official cabinet position, will not require a senate confirmation. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that Homan "will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin."

Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy

Miller is expected to be named Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy. The news was reported on CNN, and incoming vice president JD Vance seemed to confirm the choice on X, formerly Twitter. Miller previously worked as a speechwriter for Trump in his first term and was an architect of the former president's Muslim travel ban and family separation policy at the border.

Kristi Noem, head of the Department of Homeland Security

The South Dakota governor has reportedly been tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Among her main initial tasks will be to help Homan and Miller with their mass deportation operation.

Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations

Elise Stefanik, the representative from New York who led congressional hearings to oust university presidents over the proliferation of pro-Palestinian campus protests in response to Israel's war in Gaza, has been chosen by Trump to be his ambassador to the United Nations. 

Linda McMahon

McMahon is seen as a frontrunner to lead Trump's Department of Commerce. She is co-founder and former CEO of the professional wrestling franchise WWE, and a major donor to the Trump campaign.

Dana White

Ultimate Fighting Championship business magnate and outspoken Trump supporter is rumoured to be joining the incoming president's team. But it is unclear what his position would be.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services

Kennedy has been tapped to head the Department of Health and Human Services following his endorsement of Trump, in which it is believed he did in exchange for a position in his White House. Many, including members of his own family, have expressed concern over Kennedy's science scepticism, namely his conspiracy theories of vaccines.

Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency

The former New York congress member has been tapped by Trump to head the EPA. His environmental credentials are unclear, though he has voted on legislation limiting the rights of immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community.

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

The senator from Florida is expected to be named by Trump to serve as Secretary of State. Rubio has run for president multiple times and as the country's top diplomat could bring his hawkish approach to Iran, Cuba and China.

Mike Waltz, national security advisor

Trump has chosen the congressman from Florida as his national security advisor. He was an advocate of overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Trump lost. He has identified "woke" politics as a national security threat and has suggested that the US should turn away from diversity and inclusion programmes to win wars.

John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA

Trump has picked former Texas congressman John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA. He could be considered one of Trump's more traditional picks compared with some of his more outspoken loyalists. Nevertheless, he has stood by Trump through the pandemic and his impeachments and is considered a partisan Republican by many Democrats.

Mike Huckabee, ambassador to Israel

The former governor of Arkansas is one of the first diplomats tapped by the incoming president. Huckabee, who was also a TV host and a Baptist preacher, has long described himself as a "Zionist". Over the years, he has repeated the claim that the occupied West Bank belongs to Israel. He has spoken out against a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict and has said he doesn't recognise the term "Palestinian". 

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head a new department of government efficiency

The new department, also being described as a Manhattan Project, was publicly suggested by Musk over the summer with a post on his social media company, X. He later used the acronym DOGE to describe it, in reference to the cryptocurrency by the same name. The idea would be to slash government positions and spending, something Musk had practice with when he bought Twitter (now X) and fired the staff en masse.

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defence

Trump has named the Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon. Hegseth is known for successfully lobbying the former president to release members of the US military from the responsibility of war crimes. He also made waves when he said that he self-inoculates himself by never washing his hands.

Steven Witkoff, Middle East envoy

Trump has announced his pick of the real estate tycoon to serve as the Middle East envoy. Witkoff has reportedly been part of a cryptocurrency project with the Trump family. He has praised Trump's policies on Israel, saying his work has been good for the entire region.

Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence director

Trump wants Tulsi Gabbard to lead the country's main spy agencies—the CIA, the FBI and the NSA. A former Democrat who in recent years has drifted to the right with her ties to Hindu nationalism, her name has raised eyebrows given her lack of experience in national intelligence. 

Matt Gaetz, Attorney General

Gaetz, a long-time Trump loyalist who is under investigation for human trafficking, is Trump's choice for Attorney General. He led a successful effort to push out Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker. Some Republicans have already said they will vote against his confirmation.

Doug Burgum, Interior Secretary

North Dakota Governor Burgum has been picked to run an agency that oversees the environment, natural resources and Native American affairs with the purpose of generating more energy through oil drilling. 

Karoline Leavitt

Trump has named Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for his 2024 campaign, as his White House press secretary. At 27, she would be the youngest person to hold that position. In an op-ed for her student newspaper, she praised Trump's Muslim travel ban.

Alina Habba, potential press secretary pick

Habba, a lawyer for Trump who has unsuccessfully defended him in a series of high-profile lawsuits, has also defended him outside the courtroom. She initially emerged as a frontrunner to be his press secretary after spending a significant amount of time at his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago. Though she won't fill this role, she could be named to another prominent position. Habba is the daughter of Iraqi immigrants.

Betsy DeVos, may return as education secretary

According to Fox, DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump's first term, says she is open to taking up that position for a second term. However, she has also joined Trump's position in wanting to dismantle the department as a way to "re-empower" families.

Howard Lutnick, potential Treasury Secretary

Lutnick is a billionaire investment banker who raised $75 million for Trump's re-election and is leading his White House transition. His name has been floated for Treasury Secretary. He has indicated that his strong support for Trump is largely due to the incoming president's support for Israel.

Boris Epshteyn

Epshteyn is an attorney who has served as a political advisor to Trump and as an analyst for Sinclair Broadcast Group, a conservative news conglomerate. It is unclear what role he would have, but he could play a prominent part in the Trump White House.

Richard Grenell

The former acting director of National Intelligence has reportedly been angling for a cabinet position in the new Trump White House, though it's unclear what role he would play in a new administration if Marco Rubio has already been tapped as Secretary of State. He has been linked to a Republican super PAC that aired ads in Michigan seen as antisemitic and designed to exploit divisions between Arabs and Jews. 

Brooke Rollins

Rollins is the CEO of the American First Policy Institute and a close ally of Trump who served as his acting director of the United States Domestic Policy Council and also oversaw the White House Office of American Innovation. Though she hasn't yet been tapped for a role in the White House, her close relationship with Trump means she will likely play an important role in the new administration.

Who's out?

Trump has already said that he will not be considering his former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley or his former Central Intelligence Agency director Mike Pompeo, to serve in his new administration, reportedly over their lack of loyalty to him.