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Trump Names Bold New Leaders to Shape His Future Administration

Milton Quintanilla

President-elect Donald Trump made a number of selections on Tuesday as he continues to grow his cabinet in the upcoming administration. 

Department of Government Efficiency

Among the picks named are Billionaire CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy who will co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a non-cabinet post, CBN News reports.

"Together, these two wonderful Americans 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. 

Responding to a post on X, Musk explained that the department's findings will be published online "for maximum transparency" and will feature a "leaderboard for the most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars."

Secretary of Defense

Trump also named longtime Fox News host Pete Hegseth to oversee the Pentagon as Secretary of Defense. Hegseth, who served in Afghanistan, is the recipient of two Bronze Stars, as well as Combat Infantryman's Badge. 

"Pete is tough, smart, and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down," the president-elect wrote. 

Secretary of Homeland Security

South Dakota Gov. Krist Noem was appointed by Trump as Secretary of Homeland Security, which oversees the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In response to the announcement, Noem said she was "honored and humbled" that Trump had appointed her to the position. 

"I look forward to working with Border Czar Tom Homan to make America SAFE again," she said. "With Donald Trump, we will secure the border and restore safety to American communities so families will again have the opportunity to pursue the American Dream."

Ambassador to Israel

On Tuesday, the president-elect nominated former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee as the ambassador to Israel. 

"Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East," Trump said in a statement.

Huckabee, a former Baptist minister and Fox News host, currently hosts the "Huckabee" show for the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).

His daughter, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, previously served as White House press secretary during Trump's first team.

National Security Adviser

Serving as Trump's new national security advisor will be Florida Congressman Mike Waltz, the first retired Green Beret to serve in Congress and was one of Trump's most visible campaign surrogates, often making an appeal to military members.

As reported by Fox News, he also helped with the Veterans For Trump coalition. During his time as a House member, Waltz has served on the Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence committees.

"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 Strength."

Under this position, which doesn't require Senate confirmation, this person must coordinate among all the top national security agencies and is tasked with briefing the president and executing his policies.

CIA Director

Trump selected John Ratcliffe, who served as Trump's Director of National Intelligence at the end of his first term.

"I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions," Trump said in a statement, calling him a "fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans" who would ensure "the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH."

During the final year and a half of Trump's first term, Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special Envoy to the Middle East

On Tuesday, Trump named real estate investor Steven Witkoff as special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff, 67, is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination, Associated Press reports.

Witkoff "is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy," Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. "Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE and make us all proud."

White House Counsel

William McGinley, a lawyer who served in Trump's first presidency as White House Cabinet secretary and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign, will be his White House counsel.

"A smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement," Trump said of MGinley in a statement.

White House Senior Staff

On Wednesday, Trump named Dan Scavino, Stephen Miller, and James Blair, who were all top advisors in his presidential campaign, as White House Senior Staff. 

"Dan, Stephen, James, and Taylor were 'best in class' advisors on my winning campaign, and I know they will honorably serve the American people in the White House," the president-elect wrote. "They will continue to work hard to Make America Great Again in their respective new roles."

As Crosswalk Headlines previously reported, Trump appointed former ICE director Tom Homan as border 'czar.' 

Others appointed to Trump's upcoming administration so far include Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff, Rep. Elise Stefanik as Ambassador to the United Nations, Stephen Miller as deputy Chief of Policy, and former Rep. Lee Zeldin as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Photo Credit: ©RNS/AP Photo/Chris Carlson

Milton QuintanillaMilton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.