Trump’s Cabinet: What jobs are left to fill
President-elect Donald Trump is working quickly to fill out his Cabinet, leaving only a handful of spots unfilled.
Trump has so far chosen a mix of loyalists, GOP lawmakers, businessmen and military generals to serve as his top advisers. He could easily finalize his Cabinet by the end of the year.
{mosads}Here are the key remaining openings and some possible contenders:
Secretary of State: Trump shocked onlookers when he put Mitt Romney in the mix to be the nation’s top diplomat. Romney and Trump harshly criticized each other during the campaign, but that hasn’t stopped Trump from considering bringing in the 2012 GOP presidential nominee. Trump led many to believe he was close to settling on Romney when he took a second meeting with him over dinner at a pricey New York restaurant. But sources close to Trump say it’s unlikely that Romney will get the nod.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and retired Gen. David Petraeus are also the mix. And, despite Trump’s team briefing reporters that Trump had narrowed his selection to four “finalists,” in recent days Trump has expanded the field to include former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson.
Secretary of Energy: Trump is considering Goldman Sachs CEO Gary Cohn to lead the Department of Energy, according to reports. Another possibility is reaching across the aisle to select Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).
Secretary of the Interior: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is reportedly in the running to manage the nation’s public lands and waters. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) has also emerged as a top pick. Other names being mentioned include former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.).
Secretary of Agriculture: Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) has been mentioned as the possible head of the Department of Agriculture. He met with Trump last week and told reporters he would be happy to serve in the Trump administration. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller are also considered possibilities.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) is often mentioned. Former Sen. Scott Brown has also publicly lobbied for the position and met with Trump last week.
Secretary of Labor: Fast food exec Andrew Puzder is reportedly being considered to lead the Department of Labor, as is Victoria Lipnic of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Director of National Intelligence: Retiring Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) met last week with Trump, reportedly to discuss this position. Coats is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. A report last week said Trump narrowed it down to Coats, former homeland security adviser Frances Townsend and National Security Agency Director Adm. Michael Rogers.
U.S. Trade Representative: Dan DiMicco, former CEO of steel company Nucor, is seen as a possible pick to serve as Trump’s chief trade negotiator.
Office of Management and Budget Director: Trump is reportedly considering Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) and Goldman Sachs’ Cohn for the job. Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling reportedly was offered the position but turned it down.
Trump this week formally picked retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to lead the Department of Defense.
And he will select retired Gen. John Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security, a high-level transition source told The Hill.
The rest of Trump’s Cabinet former Goldman Sachs banker Steven Mnuchin to lead the Department of the Treasury; former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao as Transportation secretary; Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) as Health and Human Services secretary; investor Wilbur Ross as Commerce secretary and philanthropist Betsy DeVos to lead the Department of Education.
He also named retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) as Attorney General.
Other top appointments that aren’t officially in the president’s cabinet include South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for U.N. ambassador and Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) as CIA director. Haley was an especially surprising pick after she criticized Trump heavily during the campaign.
Trump will reportedly pick Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
And on Wednesday, Trump gave another post to another well-heeled loyalist. He selected pro wrestling mogul Linda McMahon — a major Republican donor and Trump supporter — to lead the Small Business Administration. McMahon has an extensive history with Trump, who has appeared onscreen at WWE wrestling events in the past.
– Jonathan Swan contributed.
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