Hot Topic
🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Politics
Trump's return to office has been nothing short of chaotic to the point that even some of his die-hard supporters are starting to regret who they voted for. His first day back included the signing of several executive orders, from eliminating DEI initiatives, cracking down on immigration, and much more.
That's the tip of the iceburg when it comes to his efforts within the first week. He's still awaiting official confirmation from the Senate on the majority of his cabinet choices, although a few have already assumed their respective roles.
The Trump cabinet for his second term primarily consists of Trump loyalists, and it's especially concerning since there are a few of them who have absolutely no background in politics or government. That being said, let's break down Trump's nominations and highlight those who have some semblance of a political background, and those who do not.
Here are the members of Trump's cabinet (and others in significant roles) who have some sort of background in government and politics.
Hot Topic
Let's chat about all things Politics
See our Politics Discussions
1. JD Vance is Donald Trump's VP, who undoubtedly ruffled a few feathers through false and controversial statements during the campaign. In 2022, he was an elected Republican to the US Senate representing Ohio.
2. Pamela Bondi has been nominated as the Attorney General. Previously, she was Florida's Attorney General from 2011-2019, making her the first woman to ever hold that position, per AP.
3. For Secretary of the Interior, Trump nominated Douglas Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota who served from 2016-2024.
4. The nomination for Secretary of Labor is Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Chavez-DeRemer has also made history in politics. According to ABC, she is one of two Latinas and the first Republican woman to serve in Congress from Oregon. Moreover, she is the former mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon.
5. Douglas Collins has been nominated for Secretary of Veteran Affairs. He previously was a US Congressman representing Georgia in the House from 2013 to 2021, per CNN.
6. Sean Duffy is positioned to be the Secretary of Transportation, if confirmed by the Senate. He represented Wisconsin's 7th congressional district in the US House from 2013 to 2019.
7. Linda McMahon is probably most noteworthy for her role in founding the WWE with her husband, Vince McMahon. She's currently nominated to be the Secretary of Education. Though she hasn't seen much success in the world of politics, she ran for a seat in the US Senate twice and lost on both occasions. However, she previously held the position of administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump's first term.
8. Kristi Noem has been confirmed as the Secretary of Homeland Security. The former legislator served four terms as a congressmember and, in 2018, was elected as governor of South Dakota.
9. Brooke Rollins hasn't held a position in politics per se but she did serve as the White House Domestic Policy Council director during Trump's first term. Currently, she's nominated as Secretary of Agriculture.
10. Marco Rubio is one of two cabinet members confirmed by the Senate so far, being unanimously sworn in as Secretary of State. Before this, Rubio was a Republican senator from Florida.
11. Former NFL player Eric Scott Turner is Trump's pick for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary. Per CNN, the two previously worked together during Trump's first administration when Turner was the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council executive director. Before that, he was a state representative in the Texas House.
12. Trump picked Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard's political career has seen her gradually move from Democrat to Republican. She is a former Hawaii congressmember who ran for president in the Democratic primary in 2019.
13. Kelly Loeffler is currently nominated to lead the Small Business Administration. She had a brief stint as a US Senator from 2020 to 2021.
14. The Senate voted to confirm John Ratcliffe as the CIA Director in Trump's cabinet. Ratcliffe has held several positions in government throughout his career. He was a US representative for Texas's 4th district, a former director of National Intelligence during Trump's first administration, as well as the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas and the mayor of Heath, Texas.
15. Elise Stefanik has been nominated to hold a crucial position, the US Ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik is a New York Republican who was elected to Congress in 2015 and became one of Trump's most vocal allies.
16. Russell Vought has been a controversial nomination in Trump's cabinet. Known as one of the authors of Project 2025, Trump nominated Vought to be the Office of Management and Budget director, per CNN. During Trump's first term, Vought served as a budget director on the president's team.
17. Former GOP congressman Lee Zeldin has been nominated as the Environmental Protection Agency administrator. Zeldin also ran for New York governor in 2022 but lost.
18. Susan Wiles hasn't held any official positions in her career but she's gained a reputation as a Republican political strategist in Florida. Trump chose Wiles as his Chief of Staff after successfully aiding his campaign. Previously, she's been an aide to New York Representative Jack Kemp and helped manage Ronald Reagan's political campaign in the '80s, per CBC. She also assisted in campaigns for Senator Rick Scott and Governor Ron DeSantis, helping the latter get elected as the governor of Florida.
19. Trump named Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida as National Security Advisor. Though not a cabinet-level position, it's a critical role in Trump's admin that would see Waltz addressing several geopolitical issues. Waltz served in Afghanistan and was a member of the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025.
And for those with no political background...
20. For the role of Secretary of the Treasury, Trump nominated Scott Bessent, a "Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer for Key Square Capital Management," per Hope Global Reforms, with no experience in government or politics.
21. Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Though he did run for president, he doesn't have any formal background in government or politics. He does, however, come from a notable political family.
22. For the role of US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer. He doesn't necessarily have a political background. Still, he's no stranger to the position, as he served as the Chief of Staff to Robert Lighthizer, the US Trade Representative during Trump's first term, CNN reports.
23. CEO of Liberty Energy, Chris Wright, is Trump's choice for Secretary of the Department of Energy. He has no formal background in politics or government.
24. Howard Lutnick, Cantor Fitzgerald CEO, is Trump's pick for Secretary of Commerce. Another nomination with little background in politics, he's been a part of Trump's transition team, according to CNN.
25. Lastly, Peter Hegseth has officially been confirmed as the Secretary of Defense. Known best as a Fox News host, Hegseth doesn't have any political background and, according to a defense official who spoke to CNN, was a choice that left many "shocked" behind the scenes.
Here are a few other notable people filling in key roles.
26. Elon Musk will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The richest man in the world is the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), though he's never had any real experience in government or politics until he aligned himself with Donald Trump.
27. Trump chose Kash Patel to lead the FBI. Patel's a former public defender who was part of the National Security Council during Trump's first administration before becoming the chief of staff for Christopher Miller, the acting Secretary of Defense. Patel also worked on the Pentagon transition after Trump's first term, CNN reports.
28. Nominated for the role of Surgeon General is Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, who is a board certified physician in family medicine, and a Fox News correspondent. She's never held any sort of position in government or politics.
29. Dr. Mehmat Oz, better known as Dr. Oz, has been nominated to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator. He's best known as a TV personality, though he has shown interest in leaping into politics, such as when he ran for Senate of Pensylvannia in 2022. He was also appointed to the Presidential Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition in 2018.
We see you lurking 👀
Join a Politics conversation instead
See the Discussions