Trump recruited his team: Elon Musk, former intelligence officer, and TV host

Tengrinews.kz - US President-elect Donald Trump has made a number of appointments to key positions in his administration and government, according to American media.

Earlier, the media reported that billionaire Elon Musk and businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. The new body should reduce government spending and, as Trump previously stated, significantly reduce the size of the government apparatus. It is expected to eliminate or reduce employees in federal agencies.

Last year, Ramaswamy, who campaigned on a promise to dismantle the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Education, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, released a white paper outlining a legal framework that he said would allow the president to dismantle federal agencies of his choosing.

Vivek Ramaswamy. Photo: depositphotos.com/Photo by jhansen2

Elon Musk has also previously said that their appointments "will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people."

Elon Musk. Video screenshot ©️ YouTube

CNN notes that the appointment of Ramaswamy, and especially Musk, who runs companies with existing government contracts, immediately raises questions about potential conflicts of interest.

"Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies," Trump said in a statement.

Former TV host Pete Hegseth has been named Defense Secretary, a surprise to both the military brass and Trump's supporters. They say the decision was made at the last minute. "Everyone is just shocked," one Defense Department official said. Another Pentagon official who has been monitoring potential Defense Secretary nominations learned of Hegseth's possible nomination only hours before the nomination was announced and, like others who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, was unsure how to react.

Pete Hegseth. Photo: instagram.com/petehegseth

In a statement announcing Hegseth, Trump praised his combat record, as well as his work as a Fox News host and his best-selling book (Hegseth is the author of several books about the U.S. military). Media outlets say Hegseth is likely to give Trump a loyalist to lead a department with which he often had a rocky relationship during his first term.

To head the Central Intelligence Agency, Trump chose John Ratcliffe, the former director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term. His nomination was more expected. Ratcliffe had emerged as a key defender of the president during the first impeachment trial in 2019. The Senate later voted to confirm him as intelligence chief.

John Ratcliffe and Donald Trump. Photo: instagram.com/dni_ratcliffe

Another important post in the US security bloc - the position of Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs - is to be filled by a member of the House of Representatives from Florida, Republican Michael Waltz. Waltz was previously decorated for combat merit, as a "Green Beret" he participated in combat operations in Afghanistan and was a political adviser to the White House and the Pentagon. Trump suggested that his national security team would be tasked with reviewing the United States' position on Ukraine, Russia, the conflict in the Middle East, China, and Iran.

Michael Waltz. Photo: instagram.com/michaelgwaltz

The United States Secretary of Homeland Security will be 52-year-old Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota. She will oversee a vast agency that oversees many areas from US Customs and Border Protection and Immigration Services to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United States Secret Service. Since taking office in 2019, Noem has established herself as a Trump supporter and has long sought to ingratiate herself with the president-elect. She has been a vocal opponent of Covid-19 safety measures such as mandatory mask-wearing. Noem supports Trump on his policies regarding illegal immigration and deportation of migrants.

Kristi Noem. Photo: instagram.com/kristinoem

Also chosen to be the US ambassador to Israel is former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Huckabee has been a vocal defender of Israel throughout his career, including regarding the country's claims to the West Bank.

Mike Huckabee. Photo: depositphotos.com/photo by CJHPhotography

Lee Zeldin, a former New York congressman, has been appointed to head the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin said on social media that he and Trump will work to restore energy dominance, revive the auto industry, and make the United States a world leader in AI.

Lee Zeldin. Photo: instagram.com/leezeldin

Tom Homan has been chosen for the position known in the States as "border czar," the director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trump added that "there is no one better to police and control our borders," and that Homan "will be responsible for all deportations of illegal immigrants back to their country of origin."

Tom Homan. Photo: instagram.com/realtomhoman

President-elect Donald Trump may appoint Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state.

Media sources reveal Trump’s first-day plans as president