Who's in? Who's out? The cast of characters who could end up in Trump's new administration
WASHINGTON – The election is over. Now comes the real work.
President-elect Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s election marked the end of a long, divisive campaign that will see the Republican return to the White House just four years after voters ejected him from the job.
With the campaign behind him, Trump can now turn his attention to putting together a cabinet and a staff to carry out his agenda.
A familiar cast of characters – some of whom had jobs in his first administration – stand ready to serve. Others ? like the many who officials from his first administration who subsequently questioned his fitness for office ? not so much.
Here’s a look at who’s in and who isn't.
The new insiders:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Hailing from one of the country’s most iconic Democratic families, Kennedy mounted his own bid for president as an independent after failing to gain traction in the Democratic primary. When that didn’t work out, the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump. Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist with no medical degree, is expected to land a prominent position in the new administration. Trump told supporters at a rally in Madison Square Garden last month that he would let Kennedy “go wild on health.”
Elon Musk
The billionaire businessman and investor is an ardent Trump supporter who contributed more than $118 million to a Trump-backing political action committee used his social media platform X to spread false and misleading claims about voter fraud. Trump returned the favor by praising the tech titan at his rallies and during his victory speech in West Palm Beach, Florida, early Wednesday morning. Trump has said he plans to establish a government efficiency commission to be headed by Musk.
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Stephen Miller
Known for his anti-immigration views, Miller served as senior advisor to Trump during his first term and is credited with shaping Trump’s immigration policies, which included separating migrant children from their families and a ban on travel from predominantly Muslim countries. Trump has vowed to mobilize mass deportations during his second term. Miller, who campaigned for Trump 2.0, is expected to play a role in that effort.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy, a brash biotech entrepreneur who has never held public office, sought the GOP nomination for president but backed Trump after suspending his campaign in January. Ramaswamy eagerly embraced his role as a Trump surrogate, appearing frequently on the cable news shows to defend Trump against his critics. Trump has hinted that Ramaswamy could have a role in his administration, suggesting that he could oversee major government initiatives.
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Michael Flynn
A retired Army lieutenant general, Flynn was an early supporter of Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign and served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term. Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials in late 2016. Trump pardoned Flynn in the final weeks of his first term. Flynn, among the most vocal of a cadre of Trump allies calling for prosecution and even violence against Trump’s political enemies, spent the past year crisscrossing the country recruiting an army of volunteers to help carry out Trump’s vow of retribution on the “enemy within.”
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Who’s out?
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump
The president-elect’s eldest daughter and son-in-law were among his closest advisers during his first term but stepped away from politics after his defeat in 2020. When Trump began his third bid for the White House nearly two years ago, Ivanka Trump said she and her husband planned to prioritize their children and family life. Neither played a role in his re-election campaign, although they did appear on stage with him at his victory celebration in West Palm Beach, Florida, early Wednesday morning.
Nikki Haley
The former South Carolina governor served as U.N. ambassador during the first two years of Trump’s first term but criticized his character while challenging him for the Republican presidential nomination earlier this year. "If you mock the service of a combat veteran, you don’t deserve a driver’s license, let alone being president of the United States,” Haley said after Trump joked about her husband's military deployment. The last of Trump’s Republican rivals to exit the race, Haley waited two months before endorsing Trump but eventually released her delegates so they could support him at the Republican National Convention. Haley reportedly offered to campaign for Trump and even provided a list of dates she would be available. The campaign’s response: No thanks.
Mike Pence
Vice president and a loyal soldier for most of Trump’s first term, Pence broke with Trump after the president pressured him to refuse to certify Joe Biden’s victory during the 2020 election. Pence was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and had to be rushed to a secure location after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the building. Informed that Pence was in danger, Trump replied: “So what?” according to special prosecutor Jack Smith. Pence announced earlier this year that he would not endorse Trump for re-election.
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Chris Christie
The former New Jersey governor was a key adviser and surrogate for Trump during his 2016 campaign. He was considered for various jobs during Trump’s first administration, including attorney general, a position that went to Jeff Sessions instead and initially oversaw Trump's transition team. But Christie turned into one of Trump’s most vocal critics after Trump refused to accept his loss in the 2020 election. In January, Christie ? who ran for the GOP nomination ? released a video saying “I made a mistake” in backing Trump eight years ago and warning that Trump “will sell the soul of this country.”
John Kelly, Mark Milley, et al
Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general who was Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff, and Milley, a retired Army general who was chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, are among more than a dozen former Trump aides who have publicly denounced their former boss. Milley warned in a book by author Bob Woodward that Trump as “fascist to the core,” and Kelly said in an interview with The New York Times that he believed Trump met the definition of a fascist. A group of “lifelong Republicans” who were staffers in Trump’s administration signed a letter last month adding their voices to the criticism of their former boss. Don’t expect any of them to be invited to the White House anytime soon.
Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on X @mcollinsNEWS.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's new administration could include this cast of characters