To form his cabinet and his government team, recently re-elected American President Donald Trump seems to prioritize loyalty above all. Several positions have already been awarded to Republicans who have supported his campaign and his actions since 2016, such as that of general secretary of the White House, national security adviser or director of the Environmental Protection Agency. The billionaire’s objective, according to several American media, is to be able to implement his program without the same constraints as during his first mandate, during which his advisors sometimes contradicted or even forced him to backtrack.
Marco Rubio Secretary of State?
According to information from New York Times and of Wall Street JournalDonald Trump plans to appoint the influential Florida senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state, who had once been tipped to become the Republican vice-presidential candidate, before Donald Trump preferred JD Vance. If this nomination is confirmed, it would mark a spectacular turnaround on the part of Marco Rubio, who in 2016, while facing Donald Trump in the Republican primaries, had described the billionaire as a “scammer” and “the most vulgar who ever aspired to the presidency.
Donald Trump has already announced that he has chosen Susie Wiles as secretary general of the White House. According to the WSJ“the discipline she brought to the campaign earned her credit with Trump, according to people close to the future president.”
The faithful rewarded
Donald Trump also chose Elise Stefanik, a 40-year-old representative from New York State, for the post of United States ambassador to the United Nations. “Elise is an America First fighter, incredibly strong, tenacious and intelligent,” he said. Elected to Congress in 2014 at just 30 years old, Elise Stefanik defended the president during his first impeachment proceedings in 2019, then refused to certify the presidential election won in 2020 by Joe Biden. In American political life, the post of United States Ambassador to the United Nations often serves as a springboard towards higher functions, as evidenced by the careers of Susan Rice, National Security Advisor under Barack Obama, or George Bush Sr., who became president.
Donald Trump also announced that he would entrust the burning issue of immigration control at the borders to Tom Homan, a hard-liner, who will be responsible for implementing the candidate’s promise to carry out the largest migrant expulsion operation. illegals in the history of the United States. Another “hawk,” Florida Rep. and former Special Forces fighter Michael Waltz, will be named to the crucial post of National Security Advisor, daily newspapers said. Washington Post And Wall Street Journal Monday. He also shares Donald Trump’s views on American support for Ukraine. The new president also appointed Lee Zeldin, another close friend of his, to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and should finally appoint deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, one of his close advisors since the time of his first successful campaign for the White House, also a supporter of a hard line on immigration.
According to the WSJDonald Trump has not yet indicated who he would choose as secretaries of defense and treasury, but the names of Scott Bessent and billionaire investor John Paulson, both of whom publicly supported his campaign, are circulating.
Dissident Republicans sidelined
If the faithful are rewarded for their loyalty, Donald Trump rejected, while thanking them for “their service” on his Truth social network, Mike Pompeo, who served as head of the Central Intelligence Agency and secretary of state during the first mandate, but who was a strong supporter of American aid to Ukraine, and Nikki Haley, his former ambassador to the UN but also his rival for the presidency.
Quoted by the WSJJohn Bolton, national security adviser during the first term and now very critical, says that “what Trump will look for in senior officials appointed in a second term is loyalty. He wants ‘blessed -Yes yes'”.
Hence a “housekeeping” among the Republicans in order to avoid any opposition to his policies. “President Trump has publicly stated that he has learned the lessons of his first term,” the news agency told Reuters Mike Davis, a conservative lawyer close to the re-elected president. “Dear Trump Job Seekers […] Before you ask me for help, I’m going to ask you to provide me with concrete proof of your loyalty to Trump,” he also wrote on X. “If you can’t provide much, stop asking me “.
According to Reuters, the president-elect’s campaign team is now carrying out a “careful examination” of the past of those who can be appointed, sifting through statements critical of Donald Trump and donations to Democrats, or even to dissident Republicans.
While it is normal for presidents to assign key positions to loyal allies, they typically open some positions to other wings of their own party. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, for example, declared herself open to appointing a Republican to her cabinet.
Bypass the Senate
To quickly complete his appointments, Donald Trump has demonstrated his desire to bypass the laborious confirmation processes, by senators, of the people he appoints, despite the fact that the Republicans have regained control of the upper house of Congress. . To do this, he plans to use a clause that allows the president to make temporary appointments when the Senate is not in session.
“Any Republican senator interested in the coveted position of majority leader in the United States Senate must agree to (this clause), without which we will not be able to have people confirmed on time,” he said. writes Donald Trump, who will be received at the White House on Wednesday by Joe Biden.