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13 November 2024
Trump team TL;DR
President-elect Trump has wasted no time in announcing Cabinet and other senior positions in his administration following his electoral victory last week. Securing the popular vote, a strong majority in the Senate and likely retaining the House, Republicans have both a mandate for their agenda and a clear runway for appointments. Trump’s picks give some of the best insights into both his priorities and his tactics as he prepares to take office again on 20 January 2025.
So far, there are a mix of MAGA and more centrist Republicans. All are Trump loyalists with very little overlap between his first and second administrations. Key appointments include:
Chief of Staff | Susie Wiles: A long-time political operator, Wiles is the first woman appointed to the role. She has served as defacto Chief of Staff for Trump since he left office and has strong ties across both the MAGA and establishment branches of the Republican Party.
Secretary of Defense | Pete Hegseth: The Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran is a non-traditional choice for the role. He has been an ardent supporter of Trump, including supporting Trump’s engagement with Kim Jong-un.
Secretary of State | Marco Rubio: The Floridian senator is one of the most hawkish people in Trump’s orbit with a track record of taking a hard line on China, Iran and Cuba. However, he now says Ukraine has reached a “stalemate”. The former presidential hopeful may have his sights set on 2028.
National Security Adviser | Mike Waltz: The three-term Florida congressman and retired Army National Guard officer from Florida is considered a China hawk. He served in policy positions under former Defense chiefs Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates.
"Border Czar" | Tom Homan: With immigration one of the top issues of Trump’s campaign and a winning one with voters, Trump appointed the former Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting chief to lead on tackling illegal immigration. A former Obama administration appointee as well as an early proponent of family separations and co-author of Project 2025, Homan has pledged to conduct workplace raids in his new role.
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy | Stephen Miller: One of the few holdovers from the first Trump administration, Miller has taken some of the most aggressive positions on immigration among Trump’s inner circle. He was a key figure in the immigrant family separations and repeatedly called for mass deportations during Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Ambassador to the United Nations | Elise Stefanik: A former Trump critic, Stefanik became a vocal supporter of Trump and was even considered as a vice-presidential candidate. She was a leading voice on the criticism of university presidents for antisemitism on campus. She takes on the role held by Nikki Haley in the first Trump administration.
EPA Administrator | Lee Zeldin: The former New York congressman is a Trump loyalist. While he doesn’t have a clear track record on environmental issues, he has said the Trump administration will “restore energy dominance…while protecting access to clean air and water.”
Not on the list? Former Trump administration officials turned critics Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo. Many of these positions require a Senate confirmation, but with a three or four-seat majority in the Senate, confirmations will likely be easier than in Trump’s first term.
NEWS WRAP
14-point swing in Latino vote for Trump
- Trump wins historic share of Latino vote | A majority of Latino voters in the US voted for Vice President Kamala Harris, but there was a 14-point swing towards President-elect Trump. In 2020, 32% of self-identified Hispanic voters supported Trump, but this rose to 46% in 2024, largely due to Trump winning 55% of the vote from Latino men. READ MORE
- Musk on call with Ukraine | On a phone call between President-elect Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump reportedly handed the phone to tech mogul Elon Musk and the two spoke about satellite connectivity for Ukraine via Musk’s company Starlink. READ MORE
- Supreme Court rejects bid to make Georgia case federal | Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows asked the US Supreme Court to move his charges in the Georgia racketeering case to a federal court. Meadows’ team seeks to raise immunity claims linked to the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity for ‘official acts’ earlier this year. READ MORE
- Louisiana court blocks display of Ten Commandments in classrooms | Louisiana lawmakers passed a law to display the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms earlier this year, the first mandate of its kind in 40 years in the United States. However, a federal judge blocked the law as unconstitutional, saying it was “coercive to students.” READ MORE
- General Harriet Tubman | On Veterans Day (Remembrance Day in Australia), former slave turned-abolitionist Harriet Tubman was awarded the rank of general posthumously. She was the first woman to lead a military operation in the United States. READ MORE
This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again.
President-elect Trump in his acceptance speech | 5 November 2024
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Did you USSC?
- COMMENTARY | Don’t worry: America and Australia will survive this election
CEO Dr Michael Green shares his initial reflections on the US presidential election outcome. READ HERE
- COMMENTARY | Trump has vowed to be a ‘dictator’ on day one. With this day now coming, what exactly will he do?
Director of Research Jared Mondschein discusses what to expect when President-elect Trump takes office. READ HERE
- BRIEF | Looking to the skies: The importance of satellite cybersecurity
Research Associate Tom Barrett analyses trends around satellites in cybersecurity following Russia's downing of a major satellite at the start of the war in Ukraine. READ HERE
- COMMENTARY | Why women didn’t win the election for Kamala Harris
Lecturer in American Studies Dr Kathryn Robinson and Director of Economic Security Hayley Channer compare the expectation to the outcome of women voting for Harris. READ HERE
- COMMENTARY | Fasten seatbelts for a wild ride on Trump and trade
Senior Economic Adviser Dr John Kunkel analyses the impact of a second Trump term on trade. READ HERE
- COMMENTARY | Americans have voted for Donald Trump to become president again, and the economy is the biggest reason
Associate Professor David Smith looks at the role the economy played in the election result. READ HERE
BY THE NUMBERS
The US popular vote winner doesn't always win the election
From 1900 to 1996, every winning presidential candidate secured the required majority of electoral votes alongside the popular vote. Since 2000, however, two Republican nominees—George W. Bush in 2000 and Trump in 2016 — have won the presidency without the popular vote.
Trump's victory marks the first time a Republican has won the popular vote since Bush's re-election in 2004, when Bush received 62 million votes, surpassing Democrat John Kerry. This also marks Trump's first popular vote win in his three presidential campaigns, signalling a significant shift in voter support among traditionally Democratic strongholds.
Visit the USSC's 2024 Election Watch hub for more post-election analysis.
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University of Sydney NSW 2006
