Trump’s Initial Appointments Signal Priorities for Second Term

One week after Donald Trump secured a second term in the White House, the framework of his upcoming presidency has begun to emerge. The president-elect has announced nearly a dozen appointees, marking the initial steps toward staffing his White House and key government departments. He has also communicated through media and social media, outlining his priorities for when he assumes office in January, with a particular emphasis on immigration and foreign policy. Following a sometimes turbulent beginning to his first term, Trump is now establishing the foundation for his next administration with a more defined strategy and personnel prepared to execute it. Here is an overview of what has been revealed thus far. Several of Trump’s recently disclosed appointments indicate that the president-elect’s campaign pledge to deport millions of undocumented migrants residing in the US is not an overstatement. Stephen Miller, who has served as Trump’s close adviser and speechwriter since 2015, has been selected as White House deputy chief of staff for policy. He is expected to play a key role in shaping any mass deportation initiatives and in reducing both undocumented and legal immigration. During Trump’s first term, Miller was instrumental in developing some of the administration’s most stringent immigration policies. Thomas Homan, who was the acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency during Trump’s first term, supported the president’s policy of separating undocumented families detained at the US-Mexico border. He now returns with an expanded role, serving as Trump’s “immigration tsar.” “I will run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen,” Homan stated at a conservative conference in July. Critics have cautioned that Trump’s extensive deportation plan could incur costs exceeding $300bn. However, in an interview with NBC News last week, the president-elect asserted that cost was not a concern. “When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they’re going to go back to those countries because they’re not staying here,” he said. “There is no price tag.” Many conservatives hold the view that China represents the most significant threat to ongoing US global dominance, both economically and militarily. While Trump has typically been more reserved, confining most of his criticisms of China to trade matters, he is now populating his foreign policy team with outspoken critics of China. The president-elect has chosen Florida Congressman Mike Waltz, a retired Army colonel, as his national security adviser—a crucial foreign policy position within the White House. Waltz has characterized the US as being in a “cold war” with China and was among the first members of Congress to advocate for a US boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In October, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Trump’s selection for US ambassador to the UN, accused China of “blatant and malicious election interference” amidst reports that hackers supported by China attempted to gather information from the former president’s phones. Although Trump has not yet officially named his pick for secretary of state, Florida Senator Marco Rubio—another prominent China hawk—appears to be the leading candidate for the top diplomatic role. In 2020, Rubio faced sanctions from the Chinese government after he promoted measures to penalize the nation for its suppression of pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. US-China relations were frequently strained during Trump’s initial term, marked by trade disputes and the Covid pandemic. The Biden administration, which maintained many of Trump’s China tariffs and introduced some new ones, only partially eased tensions. It now appears that the forthcoming Trump administration will resume where the previous one concluded. While the roster of Trump’s political appointees continues to grow, another group remains small yet exceptionally influential. Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual, has maintained a constant presence at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago transition headquarters. According to media reports, he is advising the president-elect on cabinet nominees and even participated in a conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week. On Tuesday night, Trump announced his assignment of Musk to collaborate with tech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in a “department of government efficiency” tasked with identifying new budget reductions. Musk has consistently shared his political views on his social media platform X, including endorsing Florida Senator Rick Scott’s campaign to become the next Senate majority leader. Musk’s political action committee contributed approximately $200m to support Trump’s presidential campaign, and he has pledged to continue funding the group’s efforts to advance the president-elect’s agenda and assist Republican candidates in upcoming congressional elections. Meanwhile, the future role of Robert F Kennedy Jr, another significant figure, remains uncertain. Trump has indicated his intention to assign the former Democrat and vaccine skeptic, who ended his independent bid and endorsed the Republican, a role in making America “healthy” again. “He wants to do some things, and we’re going to let him go to it,” Trump stated in his election victory speech. As Trump prepares to take office, Republicans hold control of the Senate and could still secure the House, albeit by a narrow margin. Nevertheless, the president-elect’s initial actions suggest a greater focus on exercising presidential power rather than collaborating with the legislative branch. Last week, he posted on social media that the Senate’s Republican leadership should facilitate more presidential “recess appointments”—enabling him to fill senior administration positions without Senate approval when Congress is not in session. This action would enhance presidential power by undermining the chamber’s constitutional responsibility to “advise and consent” on political appointees. Concurrently, the president-elect continues to diminish those slim congressional majorities. Senators who transition to administration roles can be swiftly replaced by appointment from their home state’s governor. However, any House vacancies—such as those resulting from Stefanik and Waltz’s departures—necessitate special elections that can take months to arrange. Some of Trump’s advisers, including Musk, have cautioned that the president-elect might jeopardize his legislative agenda if he removes too many more Republicans from the chambers. Even under optimal conditions, congressional legislation demands time, effort, and compromise. Executive action, such as new immigration enforcement, can be implemented with a presidential signature. Trump’s current actions suggest he is, at least for now, more inclined towards the latter. Trump has only just begun the process of filling the thousands of positions that become available with a new presidential administration, not including the senior-level career bureaucrats he has stated he will replace. In 2016, as a political newcomer, he had to depend on more established Republicans for crucial roles. This time, he possesses a wealth of potential candidates with demonstrated records of supporting him, and after eight years, Trump loyalists now constitute the Republican establishment. On Tuesday, Trump appointed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary, and Fox News host and conservative author Pete Hegseth as defense secretary. The latter appointment has drawn particular controversy, given Hegseth’s limited experience navigating the extensive US military bureaucracy and his propensity for inflammatory remarks. For Trump, however, his status as an outsider and willingness to engage with contentious cultural issues are perceived as strengths, not weaknesses. Above all, Hegseth and Noem have been unwavering defenders of Trump from the outset. Some of Trump’s other selections, such as Rubio and Stefanik, were initially critics of Trump during his first presidential campaign, but they have since spent years demonstrating that their earlier harsh words are a thing of the past. Rubio, who ran against Trump for president in 2016, may still harbor White House ambitions. Trump frequently grew dissatisfied with appointees who appeared to seek the spotlight during his first term, and even the most cordial relationships could deteriorate. Trump may be prioritizing loyalty with his initial staff announcements, but the demands of governing will ultimately determine whether his second four years in office differ from his first.