With the United States presidential election now concluded, President-elect Donald Trump has a 75-day transition period to assemble his team before the inauguration on January 20.
One of the most critical tasks for the transition team will be to fill nearly 4,000 federal government positions. However, the transition involves more than just appointments. Most presidents-elect receive daily or near-daily intelligence briefings throughout this period.
Trump’s transition team includes close friends and family members, such as John F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, alongside the president-elect’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as Vice President-elect JD Vance.
The transition co-chairs are Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and former professional wrestling executive Linda McMahon, who previously led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.
Lutnick described this year’s operation as “about as different as you can get” from the 2016 transition, which was initially led by Chris Christie. Eight years ago, Trump dismissed Christie’s plans, putting then-Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the transition instead.
In 2016, Trump assembled a Cabinet of more mainstream Republicans and business leaders, though many have since distanced themselves. This time, Trump has emphasized that loyalty will be highly valued in his appointments.
Unlike the campaign of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, Trump’s team did not sign a transition agreement with the General Services Administration (GSA)—which acts as the federal government’s landlord—before Election Day. Consequently, it missed deadlines to secure logistical agreements with the GSA on office space, technical support, and agency access for documents, staff, and facilities.
Uncertainty remains around Trump’s potential Cabinet picks. For example, Trump campaign co-chair Susie Wiles, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and former White House domestic policy adviser Brooke Rollins have been mentioned for White House Chief of Staff. Possible candidates for Attorney General include Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt, while Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, former Deputy Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, and Florida Representative Mike Waltz are being considered for National Security and CIA roles.
For a high-profile role like Secretary of State, the names of Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty are circulating among Washington circles.
Additionally, figures like Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are expected to provide advice to President Trump.
