The Fast and Furious Formation of Trump’s Second White House

President-elect Donald Trump is moving fast and furious to fill his White House cabinet and senior adviser positions just a week after winning the election. The appointments so far suggest the 47th president will, as expected, surround himself with MAGA loyalists, although his foreign policy choices are designed to promote a tougher agenda abroad than neocons feared.

Mike Waltz, national security adviser

Trump announced Tuesday that his national security adviser will be Florida Republican Congressman Mike Waltz, a former White House and Pentagon policy adviser who has served on House committees focused on the military, intelligence agencies and foreign affairs.

The first Green Beret to be elected to Congress, Mr. Waltz served in the US Army and National Guard for 27 years, completing multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa.

He rose to the rank of colonel and was awarded four bronze stars, two of which were for valor.

As national security adviser, a role that does not require Senate confirmation, Mr. Waltz will be responsible for briefing Trump on a range of geopolitical conflicts and coordinating with various agencies. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First foreign policy agenda and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of peace through force!” Trump said in a statement.

A leading critic of Communist China, Mr Waltz has pushed legislation to reduce America’s dependence on essential minerals from China and protect American colleges and universities from Chinese espionage, as well as calling for the US military to prepare for a potential conflict in Asia -Pacific.

Mr. Waltz chided the Biden administration for withdrawing from Afghanistan in 2021. About Ukraine, he said Pr Last week, the war could end with “some sort of diplomatic resolution” if Washington uses energy sanctions and energy exports at the negotiating table as leverage against President Putin.

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

Trump is expected to tap another Republican from Florida, Sen. Rubio, to serve as secretary of state, selecting the most unpalatable option on Trump’s shortlist for America’s top diplomat after bypassing him for the job of vice president.

The three-term senator built his political brand around criticizing the Democrats’ appeasement policies in Cuba and Venezuela. He earned Trump’s trust during his first term as the point person for America’s strategic goals in Latin America — where Russia and China are tightening their grip.

While the senator has in previous years advocated a strong foreign policy toward America’s adversaries, including China, Iran and Cuba, he has recently criticized past presidents for leading America into costly and pointless wars. Mr Rubio told the Today show last week that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is “a stalemated war and it has to end”.

Mr. Rubio also emphasized the importance of America’s alliance with Israel. He refused to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, stating in a video goes viral on X that he wants Israel to “destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on. These people are vicious animals who have committed horrendous crimes.”

The son of Cuban immigrants, Mr. Rubio would make history as the first Latino to serve at the helm of the State Department.

Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security

Reports emerged Tuesday that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem will be the next secretary of Homeland Security, a role that oversees border security and immigration, disaster response and the U.S. Secret Service.

Once seen as a possible running mate for Trump – until she wrote in her memoir about shooting her 14-month-old dog – Ms Noem is currently serving a second four-year term as South Dakota’s first female governor.

She gained national attention for refusing to impose a statewide mask mandate during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is also known for her opposition to transgender athletes competing in women’s sports and to marriage equality for same-sex couples. In a sign that she will be tough on immigration, Ms. Noem sent the South Dakota National Guard to the Texas border to help with the migrant crisis that came from Mexico in 2021.

Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations

Trump’s envoy to the United Nations will be New York congresswoman and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, he announced Monday. Ms Stefanik’s entry into the world governing body, replacing President Biden’s appointee Linda Thomas-Greenfield, could deal a blow to the anti-Israel consensus echoing in Turtle Bay, as she has emerged as one of its strongest defenders of Israel in Congress. She made headlines in December 2023 for questioning former Harvard President Claudine Gay over the pro-Palestinian protests that erupted on Harvard’s campus.

Ms. Stefanik expressed her support for Israel’s decision to cut aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine. A number of agency staff were found to have participated in the October 7 attacks on Israel, but as the congresswoman said in a statement last week, “The Biden-Harris Administration has sent over $1 billion to UNRWA since 2021, filling the coffers of this terrorist front. This has to end.”

Ms Stefanik will arrive at the UN following Trump’s bold promises to end Israel’s war on Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine war. The president-elect called her “an incredibly strong, tough and smart America First fighter.”

Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency will be headed by staunch ally Lee Zeldin, Trump said Monday, saying the former New York congressman would “ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions are made in a way that unleashes the power of American business.” .

Some found the choice surprising, given that in his own campaigns and in appearances on Trump’s behalf, Mr. Zeldin has focused on issues such as the military, national security, anti-Semitism, US-Israel relations, immigration and crime. He left Congress in January 2023 and launched a narrowly unsuccessful bid for governor of New York in 2022, and while in Congress did not serve on committees overseeing environmental policy.

In the 2022 gubernatorial race, Mr. Zeldin promised to reverse the Democratic fracking ban. He told Fox News Channel on Monday that he will work to “pursue energy dominance” and “bring back American jobs in the auto industry and more.” Trump said the former congressman would maintain “the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet,” as part of the administration’s overhaul of the nation’s energy policy.

Thomas Homan, “The Border King”

In a critical step toward fulfilling his campaign promise to deport illegal immigrants, Trump announced late Sunday that the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement from his first administration, Thomas Homan, will run America’s borders. That job extends to the southern border, the northern border and all maritime and air security, Trump said in the announcement.

Mr. Homan said he plans to deport illegal immigrants who pose safety and security threats and step up workplace raids that would address labor and sex trafficking as part of the administration’s broader immigration crackdown.

Trump has tapped another immigration partisan as his deputy policy chief, longtime adviser Stephen Miller, according to reports Monday. He would have a key role in future personnel decisions, and his early selection was described by Vice President-elect JD Vance as “another fantastic pick”.

Other notable appointments to the incoming administration include former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as America’s envoy to Israel, Trump announced Tuesday.

A longtime supporter of the Jewish state, Mr. Huckabee has opposed efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the region. In 2017, he spoke in the West Bank in front of a banner vowing to “Build Greater Israel Again.” “He loves Israel and the people of Israel, and the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in his announcement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring peace to the Middle East!”

At the helm of this staff ship will be Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, he announced last week. One of two campaign managers credited with the stunning political comeback, Ms. Wiles will be the first female White House chief of staff. The longtime Republican strategist from Florida is seen as a powerful source of authority in Trump’s inner circle and is poised to instill a sense of order that has often been lacking during Trump’s first term amid a revolving door of chiefs. major staff.