Who has Trump picked for his Cabinet so far? Sean Duffy and Brendan Carr are the latest
Editor's note: For the latest updates on Trump's Cabinet picks, follow along here.
President-elect Donald Trump has made two more selections for his Cabinet: Fox Business host and fellow former reality TV star Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation and Brendan Carr to head the Federal Communications Commission.
Duffy, selected on Monday, is a co-host of "The Bottom Line" on Fox Business and was a Trump loyalist in Congress during Trump's first term. Carr, chosen on Sunday, is a senior Republican on the commission most recently known for criticizing "Saturday Night Live" for an appearance by Vice President Kamala Harris, saying it was a violation of the "equal time" rule governing candidate appearances on television.
Meanwhile peril continued to mount Monday for Trump's pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz. Florida lawyer Joel Leppard, who represented two women in the House Ethics Committee investigation into the former representative, said the women alleged Gaetz paid them for sex, according to multiple media reports.
One of the women also said she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old, according to reports from the Washington Post and ABC News.
The Justice Department's investigation into sex trafficking allegations against Gaetz ended without charges. Gaetz, who has denied wrongdoing, resigned from Congress Wednesday, two days before a House Ethics Committee report about the probe was scheduled for release.
A spokesperson for Gaetz's House office, Jacob Bliss, directed USA TODAY to a statement from Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer, who described the allegations as a "baseless" attempt to derail Trump's upcoming administration.
Here's the latest on Trump's latest choices.
Department of Transportation pick former 'Real World' contestant
Duffy's nomination marks the second Fox connection among those who have been chosen for nomination to the incoming administration.
Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, was chosen to be Trump's Secretary of Defense. Hegseth is currently embroiled in sexual assault and far-right extremism scandals involving his tattoos. Hegseth has denied the sexual assault claims and said he only reached a settlement agreement with the accuser to protect his job in 2020. About the tattoos that led to his removal from a National Guard assignment, he has said they were "just a Christian symbol."
Duffy first appeared on television as a cast member on MTV's "The Real World" in 1997 and later appeared in "Road Rules: All Stars" in 1998 and "Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons" in 2002.
Duffy served as a congressman from Wisconsin's 7th congressional district from 2011 to 2019 and was a frequent Fox News guest during his time in the House. Duffy worked as a district attorney in Ashland County, Wisconsin prior to his stint in Congress.
Duffy's wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, is a host on Fox & Friends Weekend.
"The husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on Fox News, and the father of nine incredible children, Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely, and with peace of mind," Trump said in a statement.
Trump's announcement is an indication that he intends to nominate Duffy for Senate approval, however Trump has floated the demand that Republican Senate leadership allow for recess appointments as an end-around of the confirmation process.
What are recess appointments? What to know as Trump looks to bypass Senate to fill Cabinet
Trump's FCC pick Project 2025 co-author
Trump tapped Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission. Carr is the senior Republican commissioner at the FCC and authored a chapter of Project 2025.
Carr wrote in the guide that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which grants immunity to tech companies that moderate user-generated content, should be stripped to end content moderation that some conservatives view as censorship.
“Congress should do so by ensuring that Internet companies no longer have carte blanche to censor protected speech while maintaining their Section 230 protections,” Carr wrote
Carr supports banning TikTok, claiming that it poses a national security threat, although the president-elect joined the popular social media platform in June.
Carr wrote in Project 2025 that the app “provides Beijing with an opportunity to run a foreign influence campaign by determining the news and information that the app feeds to millions of Americans."
Carr also wrote that the FCC should expedite its review and approval of Starlink internet satellites from tech baron and Trump acolyte Elon Musk's SpaceX.
In a post announcing the Carr's appointment on Truth Social, Trump said Carr is a "warrior for Free Speech."
Trump's picks so far: What we know
Here are Trump's picks for key positions in his administration, as of Sunday night.
Chief of Staff: Trump named his senior campaign adviser Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff, the first woman in history to hold the title. The Florida political consultant largely stays out of the spotlight, but has been credited with helping Trump's political comeback.
Attorney General: Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has been nominated as the next Attorney General overseeing the Justice Department, that he has long criticized.
Secretary of State: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is nominated as the next Secretary of State. He will bring foreign policy experience through his roles in the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A Cuban-American, he is set to be the first Latino person to be Secretary of State.
Director of National Intelligence: Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is nominated as the director of national intelligence. The former Democratic presidential candidate-turned Republican represented Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District from 2013-2021.
Ambassador to the United Nations: Trump nominated Elise Stefanik, a five-term Republican representing a northern New York district, as his pick for UN ambassador. She is the House Republican Conference Chair and a former contender for Trump's running mate.
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Trump has named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The 2024 independent candidate has previously criticized vaccines and questioned the origin of the COVID-19 virus. He is arguably best known for spreading unfounded claims about a link between childhood vaccines and autism.
Secretary of Defense: Trump nominated former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to Defense secretary. A Fox News commentator, Hegseth served in the U.S. Army National Guard and had led veteran's advocacy groups.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Trump has appointed Lee Zeldin as the administrator of The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Zeldin was a Congressman for parts of Long Island, New York and ran but lost against Kathy Hochul in the 2022 gubernatorial race.
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: Trump designated his former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as CIA director. Ratcliffe previously was a House member from Texas before serving as director of national intelligence at the end of Trump's first presidency.
Secretary of Homeland Security: Trump announced his choice of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. The pick puts the hardline conservative governor, who sent the state's National Guard to the southern border, in a key role on immigration.
Secretary of Interior: Trump has nominated Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to be his secretary of Interior coordinating federal policy to several territories. Burgum previously ran to be Republican presidential nominee before dropping out in December and has long been vocal about fossil fuels and energy issues.
Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Trump has nominated former Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Collins to be his secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. He served as a congressman representing Georgia's 9th district from 2013 to 2021. A trusted Trump loyalist, he is a chaplain of the United States Air Force Reserve Command and served in the Iraq War in 2008.
Secretary of the Department of Energy: Trump is nominating oil industry executive Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy and 2024 campaign donor to lead the Department of Energy. Wright, who has expressed skepticism about climate change science, would join a Trump administration that campaigned to roll back climate change policies and clean energy spending ushered in during President Biden's term.
Deputy chief of staff for policy: Long-standing Trump adviser Stephen Miller has been tapped for deputy chief of staff for policy in Trump's next administration. The 39-year-old served as senior adviser to Trump and director of speechwriting during the Republican's first term in the White House and is credited with shaping Trump’s immigration policies.
'Border czar': Trump has appointed Tom Homan to oversee deportation policy and aviation security. Homan was a Border Patrol agent for 34 years and served in Trump's first administration as acting ICE director. He drew controversy for strict immigration enforcement, including the "zero-tolerance" policy which separated families of undocumented immigrants.
National security adviser: Trump has named Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as his national security adviser. Waltz has held civilian positions at the Pentagon, was on the House Armed Services Committee and has supported Trump's isolationist view of foreign relations.
U.S. ambassador to Israel: Trump announced he is nominating former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as his U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a Baptist minister and former Fox News host, who has run for the Republican presidential nomination twice, unsuccessfully. His daughter is Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary during Trump's first presidency.
White House Counsel: Trump tapped William McGinley to serve as his White House counsel. McGinley, a partner at the Washington-based law firm Holtzman Vogel, worked as White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first presidency.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York: Trump has nominated Jay Clayton as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Clayton has previously served as chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump's first term.
Deputy attorney general: Trump has decided lawyer Todd Blanche will serve as deputy attorney general. Blanche is known for aggressively representing the president-elect in his New York hush money trial and in two federal criminal cases.
White House Communications Director: Trump named Steven Cheung to be his communications director in his second term. Cheung worked as the rapid response director for Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and was perhaps the most adversarial of the candidate's spokespersons, describing opponents and "snowflakes" and "cucks" who suffered from "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
White House Press Secretary: Trump named Karoline Leavitt as his second-term White House press secretary. She's expected to be the youngest to ever hold the position.
What are the Cabinet positions?
The Cabinet advises the president on issues related to their respective offices.
These are the Cabinet positions from the 15 executive departments, which must be confirmed by the Senate:
Secretary of State
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Secretary of Treasury
The Cabinet and presidential advisers can also include the vice president, the chief of staff, the ambassador to the United Nations, the director of National Intelligence, the U.S. trade representative, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, the head of the Office of Management and Budget, the head of the Council of Economic Advisors, the head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the head of the Small Business Administration.
Contributing: Aysha Bagchi, Zac Anderson, Darren Samuelsohn, Dan Morrison, Karen Weintraub, Alyssa Goldberg, Tom Vanden Brook, David Jackson, Savannah Kuchar, Victor Hagan, Bart Jansen, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Riley Beggin, Michael Collins, Joey Garrison; Kaycee Sloan, the Cincinnati Enquirer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who are Trump's Cabinet picks so far? Duffy, Carr among latest