With his inauguration getting closer every day, President-elect Donald Trump is continuing to roll out his picks for Cabinet and administration positions. As The Washington Stand has previouslyreported, Trump’s second White House will so far consist of campaign co-chair Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff, with longtime advisors and allies Dan Scavino, Stephen Miller, James Blair, and Taylor Budowich as Deputy Chiefs of Staff, and seasoned Republican lawyer William McGinley serving as White House General Counsel.

Trump has tapped immigration hardliner Tom Homan to serve as his “border czar,” former congressman Lee Zeldin as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) as National Security Adviser, former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe as Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director, and businessmen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as heads of the new Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE). South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) has been named Secretary of Homeland Security, and military veteran and Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth has been announced as Secretary of Defense.

While Hegseth’s appointment has caused some controversy over his alleged lack of experience, the president-elect’s Wednesday night announcements (one in particular) caused an uproar amongst the Washington establishment. Here’s who Trump picked.

Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

Rumors circulated for days that Trump was planning to select Senator Marco Rubio to serve as his Secretary of State. When several days passed without an official announcement, it was just as quickly speculated that the president-elect was having second thoughts or perhaps looking for a leak in his own staff. But all rumors were laid to rest Wednesday night, when Trump officially nominated Rubio to the post.

“Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,” Trump stated. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” the president-elect continued. He added, “I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again!”

Rubio accepted the nomination, posting on social media, “Leading the U.S. Department of State is a tremendous responsibility and I am honored by the trust President Trump has placed in me. As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda.” He continued, “Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else.” Rubio added, “I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate so the President has his national security and foreign policy team in place when he takes office on January 20.”

While Rubio initially ran against Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, he has since become a Trump ally and even campaigned with the former president in 2024. During his nearly 15 years in the U.S. Senate, Rubio has distinguished himself as a foreign policy guru and a staunch opponent of foreign nations like China and Iran. He has scored a lifetime rating of 96% from FRC Action for his defense of pro-family and pro-life principles, although he did falter when addressing abortion earlier this year in what was seen as a bid to win favor with Trump and potentially nab the Republican vice presidential nomination. According to numerous reports, Rubio was considered for the V.P. slot, but it eventually went to his colleague, Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).

Rubio has also earned praise for his work in promoting religious liberty across the globe.

Tulsi Gabbard

In a more surprising move, Trump appointed former Democratic politician and military veteran Tulsi Gabbard to serve as his director of national intelligence. “For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans. As a former candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties — She is now a proud Republican!” Trump announced. He continued, “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!”

Gabbard thanked Trump “for the opportunity to serve as a member of your cabinet to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people.” She added, “I look forward to getting to work.”

The former Democrat began her career at the age of 21, when she became the youngest representative elected to Hawaii’s state legislature. Until 2004, she worked for The Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values, an organization working to pass an amendment in the Hawaii legislature to clarify that marriage is only between a man and a woman. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Gabbard joined the Hawaii Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq in 2004. In 2007, she graduated from the Alabama Military Academy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. She has since been deployed numerous times, as recently as 2021, has earned the rank of lieutenant colonel, and has been awarded the Combat Medical Badge and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Gabbard was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, where she introduced numerous successful bills centered on assisting and honoring veterans and military servicemembers, as well as election integrity legislation. She also introduced the No More Presidential Wars Act, which sought to restrict the president’s ability to begin or involve the U.S. in wars and return that power to Congress.

In 2019, Gabbard announced that she would not be running for reelection to the House and would instead be running for President in the Democratic primary. Google censored searches for Gabbard after the first Democratic presidential primary debate, and the nomination eventually went to former Vice President (and now-incumbent President) Joe Biden. Following the debate, Gabbard made headlines for her handling of then-Senator Kamala Harris, who dropped out of the race shortly afterward. Trump reportedly had Gabbard on his preparation team before debating Harris earlier this year.

In 2022, Gabbard left the Democratic Party and declared herself an Independent. Earlier this year, she officially became a Republican. Over the course of her career, Gabbard has been a strident opponent of U.S. military involvement in unnecessary wars. Explaining her departure, she condemned the Democratic Party for having fallen “under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)

So far, Trump’s most controversial administration pick has been that of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for attorney general. “Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice,” Trump announced.

He continued, “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.” The president-elect hailed Gaetz as “a Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Matt will root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution. We must have Honesty, Integrity, and Transparency at DOJ.” He added, “Under Matt’s leadership, all Americans will be proud of the Department of Justice once again.”

Gaetz responded, “It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!” On Thursday, Gaetz resigned his seat in the House, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). Johnson explained, “If you start the clock now, if you do the math, we may be able to fill that seat as early as January 3 when we take the new oath of office for the new Congress.” Although Gaetz has not been an ally of the speaker’s, Johnson did say of the attorney general nominee, “He’s a reformer in his mind and heart, and I think he’ll bring a lot to the table on that.”

In 2010, Gaetz began his political career in the Florida legislature, working with then-governor Rick Scott, now a U.S. senator and Trump ally. In 2016, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, taking the seat previously held by his father, Don Gaetz. Over the years, Gaetz has taken positions that more moderate Republicans have considered extreme. When then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated with Democrats to pass a spending bill without ensuring that it contained provisions sought by Republicans, Gaetz filed a resolution in October of 2023 to remove McCarthy as speaker, a move that some Republicans criticized as chaotic and divisive, but which ultimately resulted in Johnson’s election as speaker.

Gaetz has long been a vocal Trump supporter and ally. In 2020, following the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, the Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an investigation into Gaetz, accusing him of illicit drug abuse and sex trafficking a minor. Gaetz has vehemently and consistently denied the accusations and claimed that the investigation was part of “an organized criminal extortion involving a former DOJ official seeking $25 million while threatening to smear my name.” In 2022, the DOJ concluded its investigation and did not charge Gaetz with any crimes, with prosecutors being wary of the credibility of the alleged witnesses that the case was built upon.

Since Gaetz’s nomination was announced, numerous Democrats and DOJ bureaucrats have expressed alarm and dismay. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who orchestrated impeachment attempts against Trump during his first term and proliferated the debunked Russian collusion hoax, posted on social media, “Confirming him would mean affirming the worst potential abuses of DOJ. He must be rejected by the Senate.” According to MSNBC, senior officials at the DOJ have called Gaetz’s nomination “unbelievable,” “stunning,” and even “insane.” Politico wrote that Gaetz’s nomination shows that Trump “wants a MAGA zealot in the post, one who has shown unbreakable loyalty to the president-elect and wrath for his adversaries, real and perceived. Gaetz fits that profile to a T.”

However, even some Republicans have signaled alarm over the appointment. Puchbowl News Co-Founder John Bresnahan reported that Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was “exasperated” upon learning of Gaetz’s nomination and stood “stonefaced for 30 seconds.” A Republican senator speaking on the condition of anonymity told Fox News that Gaetz “will never get confirmed,” even though Republicans hold a majority in the Senate.

Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) said that Gaetz “will go through the nomination process just like everyone else.” Newly-minted Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said, “I think what we can tell you right now is that we always allow the president to have the benefit of the doubt, but we still have to do our role in terms of due diligence.” Numerous Senate Republicans have raised concerns over the DOJ’s previous investigation into Gaetz, with some wondering whether the allegations of sex trafficking are credible and others fearing Gaetz may further politicize the DOJ, which has already been politicized under Biden.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) hypothesized that Trump may be planning to use recess appointments to bypass the confirmation process for controversial picks like Gaetz. Axios posited that Gaetz may be “a sacrificial sucker, put up to be rejected so Trump can smuggle through a controversial but more acceptable alternative.” Federalist CEO Sean Davis suggested that Trump might offer Senate Republicans an ultimatum: either confirm Gaetz as attorney general or he will be appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) to fill the seat left vacant by Rubio. “Would be interesting to see senators have to choose between Gaetz as AG or as their colleague for years to come,” Davis wrote.

Others

Trump has yet to announce secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Treasury, or Veterans Affairs (VA). He has also yet to name a surgeon general, appoint anyone to head institutions like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or name appointments to a whole host of other administrative roles.

It has been speculated that former Democrat Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. may be tasked with eliminating corruption from health agencies like the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health. While Donald Trump, Jr. has said that his father plans to honor his promise to Kennedy, no appointment has been made yet.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story suggested that Rep. Matt Gaetz was a member of the House Freedom Caucus.  He was not.