Trump nominates Elon Musk and anti-‘woke’ Fox News host Pete Hegseth for key posts

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Elon Musk to a role aimed at creating a more efficient government, handing even more influence to the world’s richest man who donated millions of dollars to helping Trump get elected.

Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and veteran has been picked for the post of secretary of state. 

Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will co-lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency, an entity Trump indicated will operate outside the confines of government.

Trump said in a statement that Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”

Trump said the new department will realize long-held Republican dreams and “provide advice and guidance from outside of government,” signaling the Musk and Ramaswamy roles would be informal, without requiring Senate approval and allowing Musk to remain the head of electric car company Tesla TSLA.O, social media platform X and rocket company SpaceX.

The new department would work with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach” to government never seen before, Trump said.

The work would conclude by July 4, 2026 – the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Trump’s cabinet 2.0: who’s been picked, who’s in the running?

SUSIE WILES, chief of staff

Trump announced last week that Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff.

While the specifics of her political views are somewhat unclear, Wiles, 67, is credited with running a successful and efficient campaign. Supporters hope she will instill a sense of order and discipline that was often lacking during Trump’s first four-year term, when he cycled through a number of chiefs of staff.

TOM HOMAN, ‘border czar’

Trump announced on Sunday night that Homan, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first administration, will be in charge of the country’s borders.

Trump made cracking down on people illegally in the country a central element of his campaign, promising mass deportations.

Homan, 62, said on Monday he would prioritize deporting immigrants illegally in the U.S. who posed safety and security threats as well as those working at job sites.

ELISE STEFANIK, U.N. ambassador

Trump announced on Monday that Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman and staunch Trump supporter, would be his ambassador to the United Nations.

Stefanik, 40, a U.S. representative from New York state and House Republican conference chair, took a leadership position in the House of Representatives in 2021 when she was elected to replace then-Representative Liz Cheney, who was ousted for criticizing Trump’s false claims of election fraud.

“Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement.

Stefanik will arrive at the U.N. after bold promises by Trump to end the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s war in Gaza.

LEE ZELDIN, EPA administrator

Trump announced on Monday he had appointed former congressman Lee Zeldin of New York state as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Zeldin said he had accepted the role.

Zeldin, 44, a staunch Trump ally, served in Congress from 2015 to 2023. In 2022, he lost the New York governor’s race to Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul.

Trump has promised to overhaul U.S. energy policy, with the aim of maximizing the country’s already record-high oil and gas production by rolling back regulations and speeding up permitting.

MARCO RUBIO, secretary of state

Trump is expected to tap U.S. Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state, sources said on Monday, putting the Florida-born politician on track to be the first Latino to serve as the United States’ top diplomat.

Rubio, 53, was arguably the most hawkish option on Trump’s shortlist for secretary of state. The senator has in past years advocated for a muscular foreign policy with respect to U.S. geopolitical foes, including China, Iran and Cuba.

Over the last several years he has softened some of his stances to align more closely with Trump’s views. The president-elect accuses past U.S. presidents of leading the U.S. into costly and futile wars and has pushed for a less interventionist foreign policy.

PETE HEGSETH, defense secretary

Trump said on Tuesday he has picked Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense. Hegseth is a Fox News commentator and veteran who has expressed disdain for the so-called “woke” policies of Pentagon leaders including its top military officer.

Hegseth, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, could make good on Trump’s campaign promises to rid the U.S. military of generals who he accuses of pursuing progressive policies on diversity in the ranks that conservatives have rallied against.

It could also set up a collision course between Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown who Hegseth accused of “pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians.”

MIKE WALTZ, national security adviser

Trump said on Tuesday he had picked Republican U.S. Representative Mike Waltz to be national security adviser. Waltz is a retired Army Green Beret who has been a leading critic of China.

Waltz, a 50-year-old Trump loyalist who also served in the National Guard as a colonel, has criticized Chinese activity in the Asia-Pacific and has voiced the need for the U.S. to be ready for a potential conflict in the region.

The national security adviser is a powerful role, which does not require Senate confirmation. Waltz will be responsible for briefing Trump on key national security issues and coordinating with different agencies.

While slamming the Biden administration for a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Waltz has publicly praised Trump’s foreign policy views.

ELON MUSK AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY, heads of Department of Government Efficiency

Trump on Tuesday named Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency, rewarding two of his well known supporters from the private sector.

Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement.

Trump said the new department “will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government” and work with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach”.

KRISTI NOEM, Homeland Security secretary

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been picked to serve as the next homeland security secretary, Trump said on Tuesday.

Noem, 52, once seen as a possible running mate for Trump, is currently serving her second four-year term as South Dakota’s governor. She rose to national prominence after refusing to impose a statewide mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for everything from border protection and immigration to disaster response and the U.S. Secret Service.

“Kristi has been very strong on Border Security. She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times,” Trump said in a statement.

He said Noem would work closely with his “border czar,” Tom Homan. In an X post, Noem said she looked forward to working with Homan to “make America SAFE again.”

JOHN RATCLIFFE, CIA director

Trump said on Tuesday he had picked former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

A former congressman and prosecutor who served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s last year in office, Ratcliffe, 59, is seen as a hardcore Trump loyalist who could likely win Senate confirmation. Still, during his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe often contradicted the assessments of career civil servants, drawing criticism from Democrats who said he politicized the role.