The Fast and Furious Formation of Trump’s Second White House

President-elect Donald Trump is moving quickly and furiously to fill out his White House cabinet and senior advising positions just one week after winning the election. The appointments so far suggest that the 47th president will, as expected, surround himself with MAGA loyalists, though his foreign policy picks are set to promote a more hawkish agenda abroad than neoconservatives feared.Mike Waltz, National Security AdviserTrump announced on Tuesday his national security adviser will be Republican Florida Congressman Mike Waltz, a former White House and Pentagon policy advisor who has served on House committees focusing on the military, intelligence agencies, and foreign affairs.The first Green Beret to be elected to Congress, Mr. Waltz served in the US Army and National Guard for 27 years, completing multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. He rose to the rank of colonel and received four Bronze Stars, including two for valor.As national security adviser, a role which does not require Senate confirmation, Mr. Waltz will be responsible for briefing Trump on an array of geopolitical conflicts and coordinating with various agencies. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda, and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace Through Strength!” Trump said in a statement. A leading critic of Communist China, Mr. Waltz has promoted legislation to reduce America’s reliance on critical minerals from China and safeguard American colleges and universities from Chinese espionage, as well as demanded that America’s military prepare for a potential conflict in the Asia-Pacific.Mr. Waltz rebuked the Biden administration for the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. On Ukraine, he told NPR last week that the war could end with “some type of diplomatic resolution” if Washington uses energy sanctions and energy exports at the negotiating table as leverage against President Putin. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Trump is expected to tap another Florida Republican, Senator Rubio, to serve as his secretary of state, selecting the most hawkish option on Trump’s shortlist for America’s top diplomat after eschewing him for the vice president role. The three-term senator built his political brand around criticizing the Democrats’ policy of appeasement in Cuba and Venezuela. He earned Trump’s trust during his first term as a point-person for America’s strategic aims in Latin America — where Russia and China are tightening their grip. While the senator has in prior years advocated for a strong-armed foreign policy toward American adversaries including China, Iran and Cuba, he has recently criticized past presidents for leading America into costly and aimless wars. Mr. Rubio told the Today show last week that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is “a stalemate war, and it needs to be brought to a conclusion.”Mr. Rubio also has emphasized the importance of America’s alliance with Israel. He has refused to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, asserting in a video going viral on X that he wants Israel “to destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on. These people are vicious animals who did horrifying crimes.”The son of Cuban immigrants, Mr. Rubio would make history as the first Latino to serve at the helm of the State Department. Kristi Noem, Homeland Security SecretaryReports surfaced on Tuesday that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will serve as the next Secretary of Homeland Security, a role that oversees border security and immigration, disaster response, and the U.S. Secret Service.Once seen as a possible running mate for Trump — until writing in her memoir about shooting her 14-month-old dog — Ms. Noem is currently serving a second four-year term as South Dakota’s first female governor.She drew national attention for refusing to impose a statewide mask mandate during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is also known for her opposition to transgender athletes competing in women’s sports and to marriage equality for same sex couples. In a sign that she would be tough on immigration issues, Ms. Noem deployed South Dakota’s National Guard to the Texas border to assist with the migrant crisis stemming from Mexico in 2021. Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations Trump’s envoy to the United Nations will be a congresswoman from New York and the Chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, Elise Stefanik, he announced on Monday. Ms. Stefanik’s entrance to the headquarters of the world’s governing body, replacing President Biden’s appointee, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, could beget a blow to the anti-Israel consensus echoing at Turtle Bay, as she has emerged as one of the strongest Israel defenders in Congress. She made headlines in December of 2023 for interrogating former Harvard President Claudine Gay over pro-Palestinian protests that erupted on Harvard’s campus.Ms. Stefanik has expressed support for Israel’s decision to cut off aid for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine. A number of staff members at the agency were found to have participated in the October 7th attacks on Israel, yet, as the Congresswoman asserted in a statement last week, “the Biden-Harris Administration has sent over $1 billion to UNRWA since 2021, filling the coffers of this terrorist front. This must end.”Ms. Stefanik will arrive at the U.N. after bold promises by Trump to end Israel’s war in Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine war. The President-elect called her “an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.”Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency Heading the Environmental Protection Agency will be a staunch ally, and former New York Congressman, Lee Zeldin, Trump said on Monday, asserting that the will “ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses.” Some have found this pick surprising, given that in his own campaigns and in appearances on behalf of Trump, Mr. Zeldin focused on issues including the military, national security, antisemitism, U.S.-Israel relations, immigration, and crime. He left Congress in January 2023 and mounted a barely unsuccessful bid for governor of New York in 2022, and while in Congress did not serve on committees with oversight of environmental policy.In the 2022 governor’s race, Mr. Zeldin vowed to reverse a fracking ban imposed by Democrats. He told Fox News Channel on Monday that he will work to “pursue energy dominance” and “bring back American jobs to the auto industry and so much more.” Trump said the former Congressman will maintain “the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet,” as part of the administration’s overhaul of the nation’s energy policy.Thomas Homan, “Border Tsar”In a critical step toward carrying out his campaign promise of deportations of illegal immigrants, Trump on Sunday night announced that the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during his first administration, Thomas Homan, will run America’s borders. That job extends to the southern border, the northern border and all maritime and aviation security, Trump said in the announcement. Mr. Homan said he plans to deport illegal immigrants who pose safety and security threats and to ramp up workplace raids that would address labor and sex trafficking as part of the administration’s broader immigration crackdown.Trump has selected another immigration hardliner as his deputy chief of policy, longtime adviser Stephen Miller, according to reports on Monday. He would have a key role in future staffing decisions, and his anticipated selection was described by the vice-president elect, Senator Vance, as “another fantastic pick.”Other notable appointments to the upcoming administration include the former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, as America’s envoy to Israel, Trump announced Tuesday.A longtime supporter of the Jewish State, Mr. Huckabee has opposed efforts to negotiate a ceasefire deal in the region. Back in 2017, he spoke in the West Bank in front of a banner vowing to ‘Build Israel Great Again.’ “He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in his announcement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”At the helm of this staffing ship will be Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, he announced last week. One of two campaign managers credited with running his stunning political comeback, Ms. Wiles will be the first ever female chief of staff in the White House. The longtime Florida-based Republican strategist is seen as a strong source of authority in Trump’s inner circle, and is poised to instill a sense of order that was often lacking during Trump’s first term amid a revolving door of staff chiefs.

The Fast and Furious Formation of Trump’s Second White House

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