Polls suggest the 2024 election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is within the margin of error. But that has not stopped the Beltway from playing one of politicos’ favorite parlor games: guessing and gossiping about who could be in Trump’s second Cabinet.
The Trump campaign is adamant there have been no “formal discussions” regarding who could serve in a second administration of the former president.
“President Trump will choose the best people for his Cabinet to undo all the damage Crooked Joe Biden has done to our country,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told the Washington Examiner.
A source close to the Trump campaign agreed there are “no frontrunners” for the former president’s Cabinet, particularly because he considers it “bad luck” to measure the drapes.
“He’ll make his mind up if he gets to be president,” the source told the Washington Examiner. “Up until Trump’s president, he’s not spending a whole heck of a lot of time on those kind of things.”
But representatives of Trump and Harris’s campaigns meeting this week with White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and the White House Transition Coordinating Committee has only stoked speculation.
Harris and her campaign are trying to leverage the talk against Trump, with ads needling the former president over his claim that he only employs the “best people” when many of them are not endorsing or are actively campaigning against him.
Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe was candid about Trump’s Cabinet talent pool, contending there are “a lot of highly qualified people that could do an amazing job who aren’t willing to serve in a Trump administration.”
“That’s unfortunate because it doesn’t leave the best options,” Cabel Roe told the Washington Examiner.
Former Trump administration official Olivia Troye amplified Cabel Roe’s point: “Oh I have a lot of concerns on this aspect!”
But other Republicans counter Cabel Roe’s criticism, asserting the party has a deep bench, especially now that Trump has reasserted control over the congressional GOP.
“I don’t think that there are broad concerns about the level of talent that will occupy the secretarial positions,” a former Trump administration official told the Washington Examiner. “Even if you look back at the first Trump administration, you look at the level of people that occupied those positions, either first or the subsequent replacements, you had people like Rex Tillerson, and Steven Mnuchin, and Mike Pompeo. They were really talented.”
Another former Trump administration official predicted a 2024 transition would “be nothing like 2016.”
“It has been in the works for a long time and run by professionals,” the official told the Washington Examiner. “I don’t think he will have trouble filling out the administration.”
Those professionals include former Trump Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon, who is now at the America First Policy Institute, Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, in addition to vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Hawaii Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
“So long as they win, it’ll be like Chris LaCivita, and Susie Wiles, and Trump, who are making the shots unless outside family members are involved,” a source familiar told the Washington Examiner, mentioning Trump’s campaign co-chairs.
However, as names continued to be circulated, the first former Trump official advised caution because “what is true today is not necessarily true tomorrow” when it comes to the former president.
“It’s one of those things that depends on what his mood is at the time when a transition begins,” the official said.
The Cabinet parlor game is not all fun and games. It has also created a serious turf war over influence with Trump, chiefly between AFPI and the Heritage Foundation, as Democrats criticize the latter conservative think tank’s Project 2025 policy proposals as “extreme.”
“AFPI, and Linda, and those folks are certainly up right now,” the same former Trump official said of Linda McMahon. “I think anytime you take an obscure policy shop, an even more obscure policy plan, and you somehow become a talking point in a campaign where there’s fairly high name recognition and fairly high negatives associated with your policy plan, you’re a risk now. And I think you’ve seen their influence wane a little bit.”
“There are still people in the Trump orbit that, I think, value the work that has been done by the Heritage folks,” he added. “The Heritage folks have turned it all over, all that work to the campaign, and, I would imagine, to the transition as well. So that work is not all for not, right? I’m sure it’ll still be utilized in some regard… Russ Vought is still intimately involved. Russ, I think, especially, has been part of that Heritage work. Russ has a lot of sway and I think that still means a lot.”
Vought was Trump’s former White House Office of Management and Budget director and policy director of this cycle’s Republican National Committee platform committee.
“In 2016, it really felt like Heritage was driving the ship,” a Republican strategist told the Washington Examiner. “That feeling definitely isn’t there now. Heritage had a website of references of different jobs, and it was very well understood that that was a really important spot for filling positions. I would be not surprised at all if that has splintered and that there are, you know, there’s a lot of other folks who are vying to take that mantle.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers rumored to be in the mix for Trump’s Cabinet are providing mixed responses when asked about their interest in serving in a second Trump administration.
There is conjecture that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), a runner-up in the race to become Trump’s second vice presidential nominee, is seeking to become the former president’s secretary of state, CIA director, director of national intelligence, or even commerce secretary.
“That’s just theoretical. There’s an election to be had. There’s nothing for me to consider,” Rubio told the Washington Examiner.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is speculated to be a possible commerce or treasury secretary. Although the South Carolina legislator has been proposed as a secretary of housing and urban development or a health and human services secretary, that is less likely to happen, sources familiar told the Washington Examiner.
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), who could be Trump’s attorney general or commerce secretary, underscored that he was concentrating on representing Missouri and reelecting the former president, but told the Washington Examiner he does not “reveal [his] private conversations with the president.”
In comparison, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), who could be commerce secretary, told the Washington Examiner he would not “rule it out” and that “it’d be a great honor,” but that he has not spoken to Trump or his transition team about it.
In the House, Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) has been tipped as a possible energy secretary.
“His work in the energy space, along with the district he represents, he’s the most knowledgeable on oil and gas issues in all of Congress, and then that, given his loyalty to Trump, is being considered for secretary of energy,” a source familiar told the Washington Examiner of Hunt.
Even former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has been pitched as a White House chief of staff, though Trump campaign co-managers Wiles and LaCivita are more likely to be appointed to that position.
“He’s a team player — and if President Trump needs to stack his team, McCarthy would be an all-star recruit,” a former McCarthy spokesman told the Washington Examiner.
Another former House lawmaker, one-time New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, is supposedly under consideration for Trump’s Cabinet after the former president told a crowd in Uniondale this week that he wanted Zeldin in Washington. Zeldin and his spokesman did not supply additional comment on what for.
“We have a lot of dynamic people in the House of Representatives that could play a really good role in the White House,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) told the Washington Examiner. “I think, you know, I think a lot of it’s going to depend on how close the majority is, right? He’s not going to want to start taking people out of seats that are swing seats.”
“Ronny Jackson was the White House physician,” she said. “Mark Green, who is Homeland Security chairman. I mean, maybe he could be DHS Secretary.”
A Republican strategist concurred with Malliotakis, arguing there could be a similar dynamic in the Senate, where it could become harder for Trump to confirm more controversial nominees without a clear majority in the chamber.
“It’s going to be, really be dictated by how many senators we have,” the strategist told the Washington Examiner.
Off Capitol Hill and outside of Washington, the likes of billionaire hedge fund manager and Paulson & Co founder John Paulson, who could be treasury secretary, appeared amenable to becoming part of Trump’s Cabinet.
“John is focused on the campaign. But he has said he will help President Trump if he wins anyway he can. It’s premature to speculate on what that may mean,” Paulson spokesman Michael McKeon told the Washington Examiner.
But for a source close to the Trump campaign, Trump “would love to have [JPMorgan Chase CEO] Jamie Dimon as [treasury] secretary.”
“He loves smart guys,” the source told the Washington Examiner. “He loves smart rich guys… Trump would salivate to have Jamie Dimon.”
Several past Trump administration officials could return to a leadership position, such as former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell as a national security adviser or secretary of state. Other previous officials who could come back to a Trump White House too, range from former senior adviser for policy Stephen Miller to acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, even former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.
“Ric Grenell is one of President Trump’s top surrogates and trusted advisers,” a source close to the Trump campaign told the Washington Examiner. “Heck, Ric could easily be secretary of state, he has never lost a confirmation vote in the Senate, and would easily be confirmed in a GOP Senate.”
A source close to the Trump campaign downplayed the likelihood that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would return since defense secretary would “be a step down.”
One other former Republican presidential hopeful, one-time biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswarmy, has been floated for commerce secretary, but may opt to contest Ohio’s governorship instead.
“I think more like an immigration role,” a source familiar told the Washington Examiner of Ramaswarmy’s preferences.
“I don’t think he’s particularly suited for DHS,” a source close to the Trump campaign reacted. “He’d get the s— kicked out of him at his confirmation hearing.”
One Republican encouraged parlor game players to not be confined to the party since Trump could appeal to independents with a Democratic, or former Democratic, pick.
“There’s a whole slew of Republicans that have served in a variety of capacities, and there are probably some, even a few Democrats that would take a position,” like Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV),” former Haley campaign communications director Nachama Soloveichik told the Washington Examiner.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Here are some of the names rumored to be under consideration for Trump’s Cabinet:
Secretary of State
Sen. Bill Hagerty
Sen. Marco Rubio
Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Rick Grenell
Rep. Michael Waltz
Gov. Doug Burgum
Secretary of the Treasury
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon
Susquehanna International Group co-founder Jeff Yass
Paulson & Co founder John Paulson
Key Square Group founder Scott Bessent
Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick
Sen. Bill Hagerty
Sen. Tim Scott
Secretary of Defense
Sen. Tom Cotton
Rep. Michael Waltz
Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Attorney General
Sen. Eric Schmitt
Sen. Mike Lee
Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe
Sen. Tom Cotton
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi
Secretary of the Interior
Gov. Doug Burgum
Gov. Kristi Noem
Secretary of Agriculture
Gov. Doug Burgum
Secretary of Commerce
Former SBA Administrator Linda McMahon
M Crowd Restaurant Group co-founder Ray Washburne
Former Ambassador to Netherlands Pete Hoekstra
Sen. Eric Schmitt
Rep. Jason Smith
Sen. Roger Marshall
Sen. Tim Scott
Sen. Marco Rubio
Sen. Marsha Blackburn
Former biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
Gov. Doug Burgum
Secretary of Labor
Former biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Former HHS chief of staff Paul Mango
Sen. Tim Scott
Secretary of Energy
Former Undersecretary of Energy for Science Paul Dabbar
Rep. Wesley Hunt
Secretary of Education
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik
Sen. Tommy Tuberville
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Rep. Brian Mast
Rep. Ronny Jackson
Secretary of Homeland Security
Former acting ICE Director Tom Homan
Former biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
Rep. Mark Green
Director of National Intelligence
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik
Sen. Marco Rubio
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe
Rep. Michael Waltz
Sen. Tom Cotton
Sen. Marco Rubio
Ambassador to the United Nations
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik
Chief of Staff
Susie Wiles
Chris LaCivita
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy
Former SBA Administrator Linda McMahon
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik
National Security Adviser
Former Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell
Former acting national security adviser Keith Kellogg
Former National Security Council chief of staff and executive secretary Fred Fleitz
Rep. Michael Waltz
