Top jobs under Trump Will Elon Musk soon be in the White House?
A Secretary of Education who wants to abolish her own agency, many loyalists and the richest man in the world could soon be sitting in the US Cabinet: An overview of possible top jobs in the White House.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Donald Trump has won the presidential election in the USA.
- In addition to familiar faces, some political newcomers can also hope for a position at the cabinet table under Donald Trump.
- In addition to tech billionaire Elon Musk, Robert Kennedy Jr, Richard Grenell and others are being considered for important positions in the White House.
When Republican Donald Trump returns to the White House in January, he will be able to fill a number of new positions. Almost none of those who were on Trump's staff from 2017 to 2021 will be considered, as most of them are refusing to follow him this time. His former chief of staff John Kelly even described Trump as a "fascist".
Some controversial figures such as tech billionaire Elon Musk and anti-vaccination campaigner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are now being touted as future members of the new Trump administration. An overview:
Elon Musk
The richest man in the world supported Trump during the election campaign with a lot of money, his online service X as a mouthpiece and his own campaign appearances. The USA has never seen such interference from a multi-billionaire in an election campaign. Trump showed his appreciation in his victory speech with the words: "A new star is born - Elon."
Trump has earmarked the 53-year-old high-tech entrepreneur for a post in his administration, where he will cut red tape and get rid of public servants. Musk is closely linked to the Pentagon and NASA, particularly through his company SpaceX - and is subject to regulatory oversight that could be removed in a Trump administration.
Richard Grenell
Trump calls Richard Grenell "my envoy". As such, Grenell caused a great deal of resentment in Germany by publicly lecturing the German government on what he considered to be the right foreign policy on several occasions during his two years as US ambassador in Berlin (2018-2020) and continues to do so after his term of office.
The 58-year-old was an unconditional supporter of the Republican in the election campaign and hopes to become Secretary of State. He is also being considered for the post of National Security Advisor.
He is still not diplomatic: just a few days ago, he called Federal Finance Minister Christian Linder (FDP) "naive" in the online service X after the latter said during a visit to Washington in the face of impending US tariffs that there could only be losers in such trade conflicts.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The nephew of former US President John F. Kennedy stood as an independent candidate in the presidential election. However, he withdrew in August and expressed his support for Trump. As a thank you, the Republican promised Kennedy that he would play a "major role" in healthcare under him.
Kennedy, who spreads conspiracy lies about vaccinations, is now being tipped as the future Secretary of Health and Human Services. In his victory speech, Trump announced that Kennedy would "make America healthy again".
Betsy DeVos
Betsy DeVos, who was already Secretary of Education during Trump's first term, stood out above all because as a cabinet member she called for the abolition of her own agency. She also introduced new sexual misconduct policies, rallied support for free school choice and continues to be active in education policy.
Once a key supporter of Trump, their relationship deteriorated when DeVos resigned from her post after storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021. However, the billionaire philanthropist now has the support of some Republican MPs. They want her or someone like her in the post. This also has to do with the fact that she is calling for school choice tax credits to be introduced. DeVos has said she doesn't expect a call from Trump, but is open to returning.
Jeff Clark
Clark is best known for pressuring Justice Department officials in 2020 to prevent the transfer of power after Trump's 2020 defeat. As a result, a disciplinary committee recommended that Clark's law license be revoked for two years. He was also indicted along with Trump in Georgia for allegedly attempting to overturn the election results.
Clark is being touted as a candidate for a top job in the Justice Department because of his loyalty. He briefly served as Deputy Attorney General in the Justice Department's Civil Division.
Lara Trump
In March, Trump's daughter-in-law was appointed co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), the organizing body of the Republican Party. The 42-year-old wife of Trump's son Eric coordinated fundraising during the election campaign and organized the nominating convention in July. Members of the family clan, such as his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, rose to the highest government offices during Trump's first term in office.
Other contenders
Campaign strategist Susie Wiles, who is considered the architect of the Trump comeback, is being touted as the future chief of staff in the White House. The governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum, is considered a contender for the post of Secretary of Energy, while Senator Tom Cotton could become Secretary of Defense.
With material from the AFP news agency.
