The China Mail - Who will staff Trump's government? A look at top contenders

Linda McMahon, a former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, and Howard Lutnick, the founder of the brokerage firm Cantor Fitzgerald, are leading the process.

"There are some people that will be returning (from Trump's first term)," senior Trump aide Jason Miller told Fox Business on Wednesday. "And they’ll be some new people joining the mix."

AFP looks at some of the Trump allies in the running:

- Chief of staff -

Trump churned through chiefs of staff during his first term in office. The longest serving figure, former general John Kelly, even recently described his former boss as a fascist.

Susie Wiles, his most senior election campaign aide, is seen as a likely fit.

She was called on to stage by Trump during his victory speech and has been tipped as the top candidate for Oval Office gatekeeper.

"We call her the 'ice baby'... Susie likes to stay in the background," Trump said of the steely 67-year-old Florida native.

- Attorney General -

Given Trump's radical agenda for mass deportations of illegal immigrants and his ongoing legal problems, the person named as attorney general will hold one of the most sensitive and challenging jobs.

Republican Senators Mike Lee, Eric Schmitt and John Ratcliffe, Trump's former director of national intelligence, were reported by The Washington Post on Wednesday to be under consideration.

- Secretary of State -

The next top US diplomat will play a key role in implementing Trump's "America first" foreign policy, likely to see major shifts in US alliances and forcing Ukraine into negotiations with Russia.

Ric Grenell, an abrasive former ambassador to Germany who also served as acting director of national intelligence under Trump, is seen as a contender.

"If you want to avoid war, you better have a son of a bitch as the secretary of state," he said in a March episode of the "Self Centered" podcast.

The openly gay arch-loyalist, who sought to overturn Trump's 2020 election loss, appeared with Trump during a meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in September.

He could also slot into the crucial National Security Advisor role, with Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a finalist to become Trump's running mate, being mentioned by many as potentially secretary of state.

"I always am interested in serving this country," Rubio told CNN on Wednesday.

- Defense Secretary and CIA director -

America's foreign allies will be closely following the nominations for these two vital positions.

Kash Patel, the son of Indian immigrants and author of a book about the so-called "deep state", has been mentioned as a future CIA chief, as has ultra-conservative Texas Senator Ratcliffe.

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, who called for troops to be used against Black Lives Matters protesters in 2020, has ruled himself out as defense secretary, Axios reported on Wednesday.

Former secretary of state and CIA director Mike Pompeo was namechecked by Trump at one of his final rallies on Monday.

- Treasury Secretary -

Billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, a key donor and advisor, is viewed as a top candidate to be the next treasury secretary in charge of pushing through Trump's agenda of low taxes, low regulation and high tariffs.

John Paulson, another billionaire hedge fund manager and advisor, is also in the running for a top economic portfolio, as is Trump transition co-chair Lutnick.

- "DOGE" -

Trump surrogate and Tesla boss Elon Musk is expected to lead a new "Department of Government Efficiency," targeting $2 trillion in cuts from the federal government's $7 trillion budget -- although no one has explained how such drastic cuts would be made.

The world's richest man has pledged to bring his "hardcore" management style to Washington, while promising "fair and humane" transitions for sacked federal workers.

- Others -

Robert Kennedy Jr., nephew of former president John F. Kennedy and a longtime conspiracy theorist, has been promised a "big role" by Trump after ending his own candidacy to endorse the Republican.

Trump has teased wide-ranging roles for RFK, including allowing the vaccine skeptic to "go wild on health."

It remains to be seen if Trump will promote family members into roles as a aides and advisors, but first-term stalwarts Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner have stepped back from politics for family and business reasons.

Former Democratic Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard will be expecting a reward for lining up behind Trump, while former Fox News host and Trump confidante Tucker Carlson might also be eying a spot.

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