Though the President heads the executive branch, they don’t do it alone. Every four years, dozens of advisors, secretaries and staff members are tapped for important roles in every administration — and Donald Trump’s second has been no exception. Here’s a look at some of the most notable figures in the President-Elect’s second administration.

Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff

Wiles, a political operative from Florida and Trump’s campaign co-chair, was selected to be Trump’s chief of staff within a day of his election victory. Wiles served on Trump’s campaign staff for the duration of his 2024 effort, a rarity in the President-Elect’s circles. Chief of staff is considered to be the most prestigious of the non-cabinet positions, and Wiles will be the first woman to serve in the role (her nomination does not need cabinet approval).

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

Among the more experienced members of Trump’s cabinet, Rubio will serve as one of the most powerful men in the executive branch as the foreign affairs advisor following 14 years of legislation as a Florida Senator. Once a political rival to Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign, Rubio has since worked closely with Trump as one of the few members of the modern-day Republican Party that has maintained some agency separate from the President-Elect. Given the GOP’s strong majority, Rubio’s nomination is expected to pass the Senate easily.

Pam Bondi, Attorney General

Trump initially nominated Florida Representative Matt Gaetz to the position of the nation’s top attorney, but following controversy around Gaetz’s several scandals relating to sexual misconduct, he withdrew himself from consideration. Consequently, Trump instead selected Bondi, who served on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial, as Gaetz’s replacement. Bondi worked closely with Trump’s campaign to file voting-related lawsuits in battleground states in 2024 and has held close ties with the President-Elect since the early days of her political career, including advising him on pardons he made towards the end of his first term. She is likely to pass Senate confirmation.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services 

Kennedy, one of two former Democrats in Trump’s second administration, initially ran for President as an independent against Trump before dropping out and endorsing the Republican nominee on August 23rd. Controversy throughout Kenedy’s campaign surrounding his stances on vaccine skepticism and alternative medicine has resulted in him often being at odds with the public health organizations he’d oversee. Kennedy’s doubt about the safety of fluoride in water and belief that vaccines are linked to autism (both claims which have been thoroughly debunked) have given some Senators pause about his confirmation – though he is still expected to be confirmed to the position.

Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence 

The second former Democrat among Trump’s cabinet selections, Gabbard ran for President as a Democratic Representative in 2020 before joining the GOP and campaigning with Trump in 2024. As the DNI, Gabbard will oversee 18 spy agencies and work closely with the president on intelligence briefs, making him extremely important in ensuring national security. She has garnered criticism for her embrace of Russian-supported stances – such as the United States funding biological weapons labs in Ukraine – and meetings with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Gabbard’s confirmation is in question, though her role as a former Democrat may help her fill the position after all is said and done.

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense

Since he was selected for the position on November 12th, Hegseth, like Gaetz, has faced a slew of challenges to his nomination. A veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Hegseth’s role in the military was much lower than those who typically fill the position, and he has primarily served as a co-host of the talk show “Fox & Friends” since 2014. Hegseth was strongly aligned with Trump during his first term — and potentially influenced some of his personnel decisions as a host of a show that Trump watches frequently. His confirmation battle will remain extremely difficult: numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement and alcohol abuse have made getting the Senate’s approval a challenge.

Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education

A longtime supporter of Trump’s political ambitions, McMahon has been a leader of Trump’s transition team after a career as a professional wrestling executive and the head of the Small Business Administration in the President-Elect’s first term. However, McMahon has limited teaching background and experience in education policy, breaking from the traditional qualifications a nominee to head the department has had. McMahon will likely oversee the attempted dismantling of the department – a goal of Trump’s second term – and should pass her confirmation vote without trouble.

Elon Musk, Department of Government Efficiency

Though the department is not yet official – Congressional approval would be required in order to do so department – the lack of an official role hasn’t stopped Musk or former head Vivek Ramaswamy, who announced their intent to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget; not in any detail, though, and federal budgeting is the role of Congress. Musk was the top donor of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and has maintained a close relationship with the President-Elect on the campaign trail and during the transition process. Musk has aimed to slash government regulations and agencies, including the Department of Education, F.B.I. and Internal Revenue Service, alongside a planned 75% layoff of the over 3 million federal employees. It remains to be seen whether or not the department, regardless of its legitimacy, will make an impact on the structure of the executive branch.

Russ Vought, Office of Management and Budget Director

A leading figure in Project 2025 (the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation’s vision for a second Trump term that came into national focus during the campaign due to its far-right platform), Vought is one of several members of the President-Elect’s second administration who had significant ties with the project that Trump denounced on the campaign trail. He was one of the authors of Project 2025, and his foundation the Center for Renewing America is on the plan’s advisory board. His role as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget — one that requires confirmation — will entail overseeing the production of the president’s budget and agency compliance with governmental policies.