Trump’s Top Picks: Scott Bessent For Treasury Secretary, Russell Vought For OMB Chief

 President-elect Donald Trump announced his nomination of Project 2025 architect Russell Vought to once again serve as the head of the Office of Management and Budget and tapped hedge fund mogul Scott Bessent to serve as secretary of the treasury Friday—the latest of Trump’s picks to be announced after Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration as attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations.

Trump has chosen people for a handful of Senate-confirmed Cabinet-level jobs, including some surprising and controversial picks, and he’s picked a chief of staff and a national security adviser—key roles that don’t require confirmation.

Trump announced Bessent as his treasury secretary pick Friday evening—selecting him for one of the few remaining Cabinet positions expected to have a major role in his administration over other high-profile contenders like private equity billionaire Marc Rowan and ex-Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh.

The president-elect also announced a flurry of other selections Friday evening, such as FDA commissioner, Labor Department secretary and CDC director.

The attorney general post went to Pam Bondi after Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration Thursday amid allegations he had sex with a 17-year-old and paid women for sex, which he has long denied.

Gaetz said on X, formerly known as Twitter, he withdrew because “it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction”—CNN reports he backed out less than an hour before the network called him for comment about allegations he had two sexual encounters with a 17-year-old, though it’s unclear if the story was related to his decision.

Meanwhile, defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth is facing questions due to sexual assault allegations he has denied, while Health and Human Services secretary pick Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is controversial due to his vaccine skepticism, among other reasons.

Hedge fund executive Scott Bessent is Trump’s pick for treasury secretary. Bessent—who spoke recently with Forbes—had long been seen as a top choice for the role, especially as it was reported Trump was leaning toward someone with Wall Street experience. Bessent is the founder of Key Square Management, a hedge fund that had less than $600 million in assets under management at the end of last year, and worked for Democratic megadonor George Soros for years before that. Bessent donated about $3 million to Trump and other Republican causes this election season and previously said Trump was “very sophisticated on economic policy.” Bessent is known for being pro-tariff—tariffs are at the center of Trump’s economic policies—and called the import taxes a “negotiating tool with our trading partners” in a Fox News column last week. If confirmed, Bessent would make history as the first Senate-confirmed LGBTQ+ Republican Cabinet member.

Trump nominated Russell Vought as director of the Office of Budget and Management, potentially marking his second time in the role. Vought was the office’s director from 2020 to 2021 after serving as deputy director and acting director. Vought authored a chapter in the controversial Project 2025 policy agenda on the Executive Office of the President of the United States and will be in charge of overseeing the White House budget and implementation of Trump’s policies throughout the executive branch. He also reportedly said in secret camera footage published by the Centre for Climate Reporting that Trump “blessed” Project 2025 despite distancing himself from it on the campaign trail. Vought is expected to push for policy restructuring that provides more power to the president.

Attorney General: Pam Bondi

Trump announced former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his pick to lead the Justice Department—elevating an ally shortly after former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal. Bondi served as Florida’s top lawyer from 2011 to 2019, and later joined Trump’s defense team in his first Senate impeachment trial in 2020. She also served on a Trump-era commission on opioids and drug addiction. Attorney general is one of the most high-profile and highly anticipated appointments, as Trump has fiercely criticized the Justice Department for prosecuting him and is expected to drastically change its makeup—and possibly push for retribution against his opponents. In a Truth Social post, Trump said Bondi will “refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”

Secretary Of Defense: Pete Hegseth

Trump selected Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense, praising his status as a combat veteran and role as a co-host on Fox & Friends Weekend. Revelations subsequently emerged that Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a Monterey, California, hotel in 2017. The Monterey Police Department confirmed in a statement that it investigated the incident, but did not bring charges. Hegseth has denied the allegations through his attorney, Timothy Parlatore, who told multiple outlets last week he paid his accuser a settlement to avoid a lawsuit over the matter.

Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department, making good on his promise to give Kennedy broad leeway over public health. Kennedy, who ran for the Democratic nomination then as an independent candidate before dropping out and endorsing Trump, espouses debunked views on public health—including skepticism about the efficacy of childhood vaccines and the Covid-19 vaccine. He has also advocated for removing fluoride from public water, an idea Trump said he as open to. As HHS secretary, Kennedy would oversee 13 public health-related agencies, and has expressed plans to upend many of them, telling an audience at a conference in November he would halt infectious disease studies at the National Institutes of Health if given a role in the Trump administration. “I’m going to say to NIH scientists, God bless you all . . . thank you for your public service,” NBC reported. The surprise selection drew criticism from many Democrats, and some Republicans expressed wariness about the pick. Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence spoke against Kennedy as the pick to lead HHS in a statement and urged Senate Republicans to reject the nomination, citing Kennedy’s support of abortion rights.

Secretary Of State: Marco Rubio

Trump nominated Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as secretary of state. Rubio and Trump feuded when they both ran for president in 2016, but the two smoothed over their relationship during Trump’s most recent White House run. Rubio frequently campaigned for Trump and was said to be in the running to be his vice presidential pick. Some of Rubio’s foreign policy stances break with Trump, including his co-sponsorship of legislation last year that would prohibit a president from exiting NATO without congressional approval. Rubio would be the first Latino to hold the position, which is subject to Senate confirmation. Forbes estimated Rubio’s net worth at over $1 million—significantly less than some other members of Trump’s inner circle, but a jump since 2015, when he was worth just $100,000.

Director Of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard

Trump announced Tulsi Gabbard will serve as his Director of National Intelligence, a role that puts her at the head of the U.S. intelligence community. Gabbard is a former Democratic representative from Hawaii and a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, perhaps best-known for clashing with Kamala Harris on the debate stage in 2019. She left the party in 2022 and became an independent, before endorsing Trump in August and announcing she had joined the Republican Party. A critic of U.S. military interventions, Gabbard has drawn intense scrutiny for her foreign policy views, including for meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017.

Education Secretary: Linda Mcmahon

Trump tapped former WWE CEO Linda McMahon as secretary of the Department of Education in an announcement Tuesday. McMahon is Trump’s transition co-chair alongside Lutnick and served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019. The nomination came after Lutnick was picked as commerce secretary over McMahon, who was “privately frustrated” she was not offered the position before Lutnick was tapped for it, Semafor reported, citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter. McMahon is also the America First Policy Institute’s board chair, helping lead the think tank that has raised millions in support of Trump, according to CNN.

Commerce Secretary: Howard Lutnick

Howard Lutnick is Trump’s pick for commerce secretary, Trump confirmed Tuesday—picking him for the commerce role instead of treasury secretary. Trump, in a statement, called Lutnick “the embodiment of resilience in the face of unspeakable tragedy,” referencing his charitable contributions to 9/11 families after 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees, including Lutnick’s brother, died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, while Lutnick was CEO. Lutnick, who rebuilt the company after 9/11, has spent his entire career at Cantor Fitzgerald and became president and CEO of the financial services firm at the age of 29. His special purposes acquisition company, Cantor Fitzgerald Acquisition Corp., took the Rumble video platform popular among right-wing influencers public in 2022. As commerce secretary, Lutnick will play a role in implementing Trump’s plans for steeper tariffs and he has expressed broad support for the proposal. Lutnick was previously under consideration for treasury secretary—typically a more prominent Cabinet job—and earned support from Musk and Kennedy, but Trump ultimately turned his attention to other candidates after he reportedly became annoyed with Lutnick’s aggressive campaign for the treasury role.

Homeland Security Secretary: Kristi Noem

Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for the role of secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Noem is a long-time Trump loyalist who was believed be a contender for Vice President. The appointee will be essential in carrying out Trump’s aggressive immigration plans, in addition to the agency’s duties surrounding cybersecurity, antiterrorism and emergency response.

Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services Administrator: Mehmet Oz

Trump announced Tuesday that Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor who lost his 2022 Senate bid to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., will fill the role. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump announced last week as his pick for Health and Human Services secretary. Oz’s rise to fame is largely tied to his frequent appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show in the early 2000s and his own subsequent daytime talk show. He’s accused of espousing questionable medical claims, including promoting the debunked theory that the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine could treat Covid-19, and pushing so-called miracle weight loss products unsupported by scientific research. Trump endorsed Oz in his 2022 Senate campaign.

Chief Of Staff: Susie Wiles

Trump named his campaign co-manager Susie Wiles chief of staff two days after his election win, marking his first major administrative pick. Wiles will be the first woman to hold the position.

Department Of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk And Vivek Ramaswamy

Trump announced Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, will run a new Department of Government Efficiency (or “DOGE”) alongside investor and former Republican primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump said in a statement the department—which has not yet been created—will offer “advice and guidance from outside of Government” and focus on “making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency,” including through spending and regulatory cuts. Musk, a vocal Trump backer who donated over $100 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, has pitched the department in the past, seemingly naming it after the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin.

Homeland Security Adviser And Deputy Chief Of Staff For Policy: Stephen Miller

Trump announced Stephen Miller as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, plus the additional role of homeland security adviser. Miller was a senior adviser to Trump during his first administration and one of the architects of some of his most controversial immigration policies, including his family separation program.

Border Czar: Tom Homan

Trump appointed his former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan to newly created role, he announced, as Trump plans a mass deportation of undocumented migrants during his second term.

Cdc Director: Dave Weldon, Fda Commissioner: Marty Makary, Surgeon General: Janette Nesheiwat

Trump announced former Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla.—who served in Congress from 1995 to 2009—as CDC director, and tapped Marty Makary, who became known for opposing vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, as FDA commissioner. He also named former Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat as his pick for surgeon general.

Secretary Of Labor: Lori Chavez-Deremer

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., was nominated as Trump’s secretary of labor. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 to represent Oregon’s 5th Congressional District and recently lost her reelection bid.

Senior Director For Counterterrorism: Sebastian Gorka

Sebastian Gorka was appointed as the deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism. He previously served as strategist to the president in the first Trump administration and is the host of his own radio show, “America First with Sebastian Gorka.”

Hud Secretary: Scott Turner

Trump named former NFL player Scott Turner as his pick for secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner served in the first Trump administration as the executive director of Trump’s White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.

National Security Adviser: Mike Waltz

Trump appointed Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to serve as his national security adviser. In recent months, Waltz—a former Army Green Beret—has frequently criticized China, urged NATO members to pay more for defense and said he expects Trump to push Ukraine and Russia toward a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine.

Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum (and Head Of New National Energy Council)

Trump nominated North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as secretary of the interior. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll be responsible for managing vast swaths of federally owned land, administering national parks and handling oil and gas drilling on federal property—which Trump has vowed to ramp up. Trump also tapped Burgum as chairman of the new National Energy Council, which will cut down on regulations and “oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE,” according to Trump. The position will also provide Burgum a seat on the National Security Council. First elected North Dakota governor in 2016, Burgum briefly ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries, but dropped out and endorsed Trump. A tech executive and investor by trade, Burgum previously ran Great Plains Software, remaining at the company after it was acquired by Microsoft. Last year, Forbes estimated his net worth at at least $100 million.

Energy Secretary: Chris Wright

Chris Wright, chief executive of the oilfield services group Liberty Energy, was named Trump’s nominee for secretary of energy. Wright has argued against climate change’s role in causing extreme weather events, saying in a video posted to LinkedIn last year “there is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either.” He later disputed he was “[fighting] climate science,” despite saying the claims he made were “correct.”

Transportation Secretary: Sean Duffy

Trump nominated former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wisc., as secretary of transportation, lauding his time in Congress and his role as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. Following his resignation from Congress in 2019, Duffy registered as a lobbyist and continued spending campaign funds on Trump’s D.C. hotel. The campaign spent more than $22,000 at Trump’s D.C. hotel between 2017 and 2020, $17,000 of which was spent in a single day in July 2019. Duffy is a co-host of Fox Business’ “The Bottom Line” and has contributed to Fox News since 2020. He is married to “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy.

Veterans Affairs Secretary: Doug Collins

Trump picked former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., as his secretary for veterans affairs. Collins served as a congressman from 2013 to 2021, and was known as a vocal backer of Trump in the chamber during his first administration. He is also a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. Collins vowed to “streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they've earned.” The former congressman was deployed to Iraq in 2008 as a member of the Air Force’s 94th Airlift Wing.

Cia Director: John Ratlciffe

Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will serve as CIA director. A former Texas congressman, Ratcliffe served as the director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021 and acted as Trump’s primary intelligence adviser during his last presidency. During his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe declassified unverified Russian intelligence information that claimed Hillary Clinton approved a plan to link Trump to Russia and the Democratic National Committee cyberattacks in 2016. Democrats criticized Ratcliffe’s decision to publicly release the information, alleging he was politicizing unverified information to aid Trump.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Lee Zeldin

Trump tapped former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., to lead the EPA, citing his “very strong legal background” and calling him “a true fighter for America First policies” in a statement. Zeldin—a Trump ally who ran for New York governor two years ago—“will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American business while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards,” the statement said.

Fcc Chair: Brendan Carr

Trump named Brendan Carr to chair the Federal Communications Commission. Carr has served as one of the FCC’s five commissioners since 2017, when Trump first appointed him to the agency. He’s known as a critic of big tech companies, writing a chapter of the controversial Project 2025 agenda—which Trump has broadly disavowed—that argued the FCC should narrow the immunity enjoyed by tech platforms and require companies to be transparent about their content moderation decisions. He’s also used his platform at the FCC to back Musk. He’ll take over the FCC as Trump pushes the agency to revoke the licenses of broadcast TV stations whose coverage he claims is unfair—though that could be very difficult in practice.

Un Ambassador: Elise Stefanik

Trump nominated GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., for the United Nations ambassador role. Stefanik is known as a staunch Trump ally.

Special Envoy To The Middle East: Steven C. Witkoff

Trump tapped Steven Witkoff, a GOP donor and real estate investor, for special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff is chairman of the University of Miami Business School Real Estate Advisory Board and the CEO of Witkoff, a real estate firm he founded in 1997. He is also a longtime friend of Trump’s and one of the president-elect’s golf partners. Witkoff was with Trump during the apparent second assassination attempt on his life, telling NBC that Secret Service agents dived on Trump and got him off his Florida golf course in under 20 seconds.

U.s. Nato Ambassador: Matthew Whitaker

Trump announced on Wednesday Matthew Whitaker will serve as the official U.S. representative to NATO. Whitaker was the former U.S. acting attorney general appointed after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned and before former Attorney General William Barr was sworn in during Trump’s first term. Whitaker oversaw the DOJ during former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and was heavily scrutinized by Democrats over whether he sought to interfere in the probe on Trump’s behalf, allegations he denied. Whitaker frequently appears on Fox News as an advocate for Trump, defending his decision to tap Gaetz as attorney general last week and broadly criticizing the Justice Department over its various investigations into Trump’s conduct.

Ambassador To Israel: Mike Huckabee

Trump announced former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as his envoy to Israel last week, touting his military service as he served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years. Huckabee is a staunch supporter of Israel and has criticized the Biden administration’s calls for a cease-fire with Hamas. Huckabee has advocated for Israel to annex parts of the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967, and has backed Israeli settlers in the territory. A former Southern Baptist pastor, Huckabee regularly leads evangelicals on visits to Israel.

White House Press Secretary: Karoline Leavitt

Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s national press secretary, will serve as White House Press Secretary once the president-elect assumes his office. Leavitt, 27, was an assistant press secretary during Trump’s first presidency. She also won the Republican primary in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District in 2022, becoming the second Gen Z candidate to win a House primary.

White House Communications Director: Steven Cheung

Trump picked his campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, to serve as his communications director at the White House. Cheung was the director of communications for the president-elect’s 2024 presidential campaign and served as director of strategic response during Trump’s last term, after working in communications for the Ultimate Fighting Championship previously.

Other White House Jobs

Top GOP lawyer William McGinley was chosen for White House counsel, after previously working as Trump’s White House cabinet secretary from 2017 to 2019, advising other cabinet members on policy coordination, optics and ethics.

Dan Scavino will return to his role as deputy chief of staff, after serving as a longtime Trump communications staffer (he was held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify in the House Jan. 6 committee investigation, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute him).

James Blair will work as deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, after spearheading Trump’s grassroots voter outreach efforts and making frequent media appearances.

Taylor Budowich was picked for deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel, after running the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC.

Trump is expected to name James Braid his director of legislative affairs, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources—Braid is Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance’s former deputy chief of staff and worked in the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term.

Trump tapped William Scharf to be White House staff secretary: Scharf, a former prosecutor who ran in the Republican primary for Missouri attorney general, was part of Trump’s legal team that successfully argued he has immunity from official acts he took during his first term.

Sergio Gor, president and co-founder of Donald Trump Jr.’s Winning Team Publishing company, has been tapped to lead the Presidential Personnel Office.

Other Justice Department Jobs

Todd Blanche, Trump’s hush money trial lawyer, was tapped as the president-elect’s deputy attorney general. Blanche was lauded as “an excellent attorney who will be a crucial leader in the Justice Department,” which Trump has often criticized throughout his criminal and civil cases.

Trump picked another of his attorneys, Emil Bove, as principal associate deputy attorney general. Bove represented Trump alongside Blanche throughout the hush money trial and is a former federal prosecutor.

Dean John Sauer was chosen for for solicitor general, after he was credited with helping win Trump’s presidential immunity case, which resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that presidents have some immunity for official acts they take in office. Sauer also served as solicitor general of Missouri for six years and clerked for late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton was chosen as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, widely seen as one of the most prestigious prosecuting jobs due to the high-profile cases filed in the district, which includes New York City.

Trump decamped to Mar-a-Lago after his win, holding meetings with his inner circle, administration hopefuls and transition team to craft his second term agenda and build out his staff. Trump is shaping his second-term agenda with the help of several right-wing groups, his closest allies and billionaire backers. Musk, who has been spotted on numerous occasions alongside Trump since his election, is among those who appear to be influencing Trump’s policy and personnel decisions. Lutnick is also overseeing a team making recommendations for personnel picks and vetting potential candidates, and Miller is expected to play a key role in making the final decisions. The right-wing think tank America First Policy Institute is reportedly the primary driver of Trump’s transition plans and has been crafting possible executive actions for Trump once he takes office. The organization is chaired by McMahon and led by former Trump Domestic Policy Counsel Director Brook Rollins.