(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump has secured a White House win and now will need to mull over who will join him for his second administration.
While he hasn’t confirmed anyone, several names have been swirling as possible contenders.
At the start of his first term, Trump assembled an original Cabinet that featured some more mainstream Republicans and business leaders who ultimately disappointed, or broke publicly with him, or both.
This time, Trump has promised to value loyalty as much as possible — a philosophy that may ensure he makes picks that are more closely aligned to his ideological beliefs.
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Here’s who could join his administration:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
RFK Jr. said Trump asked him to reorganize federal health agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention if he wins the 2024 presidential election.
“He’s asked me to clean up the corruption, number one,” Kennedy said during a town hall with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. “Number two, end the conflicts of interest, return those agencies to their rich tradition of gold standard, empirically based, evidence-based science, evidence-based medicine, and to end the chronic disease epidemic in this country.”
Kennedy ran as first a Democrat and later an independent in the election before dropping out and endorsing Trump.
Trump said he would let Kennedy “go wild” on issues related to food, medicine and health if elected to another term.
Kennedy, in the past, has disseminated false information about health topics such as vaccines and is known for spreading conspiracy theories, as well. Because of this, NewsNation partner The Hill reports that medical experts have raised concerns about Kennedy’s potential influence in a future Trump administration.
Elon Musk
Trump has said that Tesla CEO Elon Musk would probably be too busy to serve in his Cabinet if he wins the election in November but suggested the billionaire tech mogul could “consult.”
“He wants to be involved. Now, look, he’s running big businesses and all that, so, he can’t really, I don’t think he’d be [free] for the Cabinet,” Trump said in an interview on the “Shawn Ryan Show.”
“I’d put him in the Cabinet, absolutely, but I don’t know how he could do that with all the things he’s got going,” he continued. “But he could sort of, as the expression goes, consult with the country and give you some very good ideas.”
Trump said in September he would create a “government efficiency commission” first proposed by Musk, whom Trump said agreed to lead the new task force.
Marco Rubio
The Republican senator from Florida is rumored to be a choice for secretary of state.
Rubio has served on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and as the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He was a finalist to be Trump’s running mate, and while some members of Trump’s base may view the senator skeptically, he would have no trouble getting confirmed by his Senate colleagues.
Aileen Cannon
Cannon is the federal judge who dismissed Trump’s federal classified documents and is in the running to be the former president’s attorney general.
ABC News reported that a “proposed personnel roster circulating within Donald Trump’s campaign and transition operation” lists the Trump-appointed judge “as a possible candidate for attorney general.”
Mike Pompeo
Pompeo, who served as CIA director and secretary of state during Trump’s first term, is considered a top contender for secretary of defense but could land in various slots involving national security, intelligence or diplomacy, reported Reuters.
He stands out as possibly the fiercest defender of Ukraine among Trump’s close allies, a position that puts him at odds with most high-ranking figures in Trump’s orbit.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Businessman Ramaswamy was once on the shortlist as a running mate for Trump and may still be in line for a spot in Trump’s White House.
Ramaswamy ran against Trump for president, but after dropping out of the race he threw full support to the former president.
Bloomberg reported that Trump told Ramaswamy he was considering him to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
