First Trump Cabinet | |
|---|---|
 Cabinet of the United States | |
| 2017–2021 | |
 The first cabinet of President Donald Trump in March 2017 | |
| Date formed | January 20, 2017 (2017-01-20) |
| Date dissolved | January 20, 2021 (2021-01-20) |
| People and organizations | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| President's history | Chairman ofThe Trump Organization (1971–2017) |
| Vice President | Mike Pence |
| Member party | Republican Party |
| Status in legislature | Majority government (2017–2019) Divided government (2019–2021) 241 / 435 (55%) 52 / 100 (52%) (2017–2019)200 / 435 (46%) 53 / 100 (53%) (2019–2021) |
| Opposition party | Democratic Party |
| History | |
| Election | 2016 presidential election |
| Legislature terms | 115th Congress 116th Congress 117th Congress (17 days) |
| Budgets | 2017 budget 2018 budget 2019 budget 2020 budget |
| Advice and consent | United States Senate |
| Predecessor | Obama cabinet |
| Successor | Biden cabinet |
| ||
|---|---|---|
Business and personal
45th and 47th President of the United States Tenure
Shutdowns Speeches
Opinion polls Legal affairs
Impeachments   | ||
Donald Trump assumed office as the 45thpresident of the United States onJanuary 20, 2017, and his first term ended onJanuary 20, 2021. The president has the authority to nominate members of hiscabinet to theUnited States Senate for confirmation under theAppointments Clause of theUnited States Constitution.
Before confirmation and duringcongressional hearings a high-level career member of an executive department heads this pre-confirmed cabinet on an acting basis. The cabinet's creation was part of thetransition of power following the2016 presidential election.
This article documents the nomination and confirmation process for any successful or unsuccessfulcabinet nominees of thefirst Trump administration. They are listed in order of creation of the cabinet position (also used as the basis for theUnited States presidential line of succession).
All permanent members of thecabinet of the United States as heads of executive departments require theadvice and consent of theUnited States Senate following appointment by the president before taking office. The vice presidency is exceptional in that the position requires election to office pursuant to theUnited States Constitution. Although some are afforded cabinet-level rank, non-cabinet members within theExecutive Office of the President, such asWhite House chief of staff,National Security Advisor, andWhite House press secretary, do not hold constitutionally created positions and most do not require Senate confirmation for appointment.
The following were the final members of President Donald Trump's first cabinet on January 20, 2021.
| First cabinet of President Donald Trump | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Elected to office – all other cabinet members serve at the pleasure of the president Serving in an acting capacity No Senate consent needed | |||
Source:[1] | |||
| Office Date announced / confirmed | Designee | Office Date announced / confirmed | Designee |
 – Vice President Announced July 15, 2016 Elected November 8, 2016 Assumed office January 20, 2017 | .jpg) Governor Mike Pence ofIndiana |  – Secretary of State Announced March 13, 2018 Assumed office April 26, 2018 | .jpg) CIA Director Mike Pompeo ofKansas |
 – Secretary of the Treasury Announced November 30, 2016 Assumed office February 13, 2017 | .jpg) OneWest BankCEO Steven Mnuchin ofCalifornia | .svg) – Secretary of Defense Assumed acting office November 9, 2020 | .jpg) Director of theNational Counterterrorism Center Christopher C. Miller ofIowa |
 – Attorney General Assumed acting office December 24, 2020 |  Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen ofMassachusetts |  – Secretary of the Interior Announced December 15, 2018 Assumed office January 2, 2019[n 1] | .jpg) Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt ofVirginia |
 – Secretary of Agriculture Announced January 18, 2017 Assumed office April 25, 2017 |  FormerGovernor Sonny Perdue ofGeorgia |  – Secretary of Commerce Announced November 30, 2016 Assumed office February 28, 2017 |  WL Ross & Co.CEO Wilbur Ross ofFlorida |
 – Secretary of Labor Announced July 18, 2019 Assumed office September 30, 2019 | .jpg) FormerSolicitor Eugene Scalia ofVirginia |  – Secretary of Health and Human Services Announced November 13, 2017 Assumed office January 29, 2018 | .jpg) FormerDeputy Secretary Alex Azar ofIndiana |
 – Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Announced December 5, 2016 Assumed office March 2, 2017 |  Formerneurosurgeon Ben Carson ofVirginia |  – Secretary of Transportation Assumed acting office January 12, 2021 |  ActingDeputy Secretary Steven G. Bradbury ofOregon |
 – Secretary of Energy Announced November 7, 2019 Assumed office December 1, 2019[n 2] | .jpg) Deputy Secretary Dan Brouillette ofTexas |  – Secretary of Education Assumed acting office January 8, 2021 | .jpg) Deputy Secretary Mick Zais ofSouth Carolina |
 – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Announced May 18, 2018 Assumed office July 30, 2018 | .jpg) Under Secretary Robert Wilkie ofNorth Carolina |  – Secretary of Homeland Security Assumed acting office January 12, 2021 | .jpg) FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor ofRhode Island |
Cabinet-level officials[edit] | |||
| Office Date announced / confirmed | Designee | Office Date announced / confirmed | Designee |
 – White House Chief of Staff Announced March 6, 2020 Assumed office March 31, 2020 | .jpg) U.S. Representative Mark Meadows ofNorth Carolina |  – United States Trade Representative Announced January 3, 2017 Assumed office May 15, 2017 | .jpg) FormerDeputy Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer ofFlorida |
 – Director of National Intelligence Announced February 28, 2020 Assumed office May 26, 2020 | .jpg) U.S. Representative John Ratcliffe ofTexas |  – Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Announced March 13, 2018 Assumed office April 26, 2018[n 3] | .jpg) Deputy CIA Director Gina Haspel ofKentucky |
 – Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Announced July 5, 2018 Assumed office July 9, 2018[n 4] | .jpg) Deputy EPA Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler ofVirginia |  – Administrator of the Small Business Administration Announced April 4, 2019 Assumed office January 14, 2020 | .jpg) Treasurer of the United States Jovita Carranza ofIllinois |
 – Director of the Office of Management and Budget Announced January 2, 2019 Assumed office January 2, 2019[n 5] |  Deputy Director Russell Vought ofVirginia |
| |
 | Theaccessibility of this article is in question. The specific issue is:Text is way too small and distorted to be legible. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. |
For comparison,
Senate confirmation votes of PresidentDonald Trump'sfirst cabinet
Affiliation: D denotesDemocratic, R denotesRepublican, and I-D denotes an independent who caucuses with Democrats. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cabinet confirmation process | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Nominee | State | Announcement | Hearing date | Senate committee vote date | Senate committee vote | Full Senate vote date | Confirmation[2] | Hearings |
| Secretary of State | Rex Tillerson | TX | December 13, 2016 | January 11, 2017 | January 23, 2017 | 11–10[3] | February 1, 2017 | 56–43[4] | [ah] |
| Mike Pompeo | KS | March 13, 2018 | April 12, 2018 | April 23, 2018 | 11–9[5] | April 26, 2018 | 57–42[6] | [ai] | |
| Secretary of the Treasury | Steven Mnuchin | CA | November 30, 2016 | January 19, 2017 | February 1, 2017 | 14–0[7] | February 13, 2017 | 53–47[8] | [aj] |
| Secretary of Defense | Jim Mattis | WA | December 1, 2016 | January 12, 2017 | January 18, 2017 | 26–1[9] | January 20, 2017 | 98–1[10] | [ak] |
| Patrick Shanahan | WA | May 9, 2019 | Nomination withdrawn on June 18, 2019[11] | ||||||
| Mark Esper | VA | June 24, 2019 | July 16, 2019 | July 18, 2019 | Voice vote (26–1)[12] | July 23, 2019 | 90–8[13] | [al] | |
| Attorney General | Jeff Sessions | AL | November 18, 2016 | January 10, 2017 | February 1, 2017 | 11–9[14][15] | February 8, 2017 | 52–47[16] | [am] |
| William Barr | VA | December 7, 2018 | January 15, 2019 | February 7, 2019 | 12–10[17] | February 14, 2019 | 54–45[18] | [an] | |
| Secretary of the Interior | Ryan Zinke | MT | December 15, 2016 | January 17, 2017 | January 31, 2017 | 16–6[19] | March 1, 2017 | 68–31[20] | [ao] |
| David Bernhardt | CO | February 4, 2019 | March 28, 2019 | April 4, 2019 | 14–6[21] | April 11, 2019 | 56–41[22] | [ap] | |
| Secretary of Agriculture | Sonny Perdue | GA | January 18, 2017 | March 23, 2017 | March 30, 2017 | Voice vote (19–1)[23] | April 24, 2017 | 87–11[24] | [aq] |
| Secretary of Commerce | Wilbur Ross | FL | November 30, 2016 | January 18, 2017 | January 24, 2017 | Voice vote[25] | February 27, 2017 | 72–27[26] | [ar] |
| Secretary of Labor | Andrew Puzder | TN | December 8, 2016 | Nomination withdrawn on February 15, 2017[27] | |||||
| Alex Acosta | FL | February 16, 2017 | March 22, 2017 | March 30, 2017 | 12–11[28] | April 27, 2017 | 60–38[29] | [as] | |
| Eugene Scalia | VA | July 18, 2019 | September 19, 2019 | September 24, 2019 | 12–11[30] | September 26, 2019 | 53–44[31] | [at] | |
| Secretary of Health and Human Services | Tom Price | GA | November 29, 2016 | January 18, 2017 | February 1, 2017 | 14–0[7] | February 10, 2017 | 52–47[32] | [au] |
| Alex Azar | IN | November 13, 2017 | November 29, 2017 | January 17, 2018 | 15–12[33] | January 24, 2018 | 55–43[34] | [av] | |
| Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | Ben Carson | FL | December 5, 2016 | January 12, 2017 | January 24, 2017 | 23–0[35] | March 2, 2017 | 58–41[36] | [aw] |
| Secretary of Transportation | Elaine Chao | KY | November 29, 2016 | January 11, 2017 | January 24, 2017 | Voice vote[37] | January 31, 2017 | 93–6[38] | [ax] |
| Secretary of Energy | Rick Perry | TX | December 14, 2016 | January 19, 2017 | January 31, 2017 | 16–7[19] | March 2, 2017 | 62–37[39] | [ay] |
| Dan Brouillette | TX | October 18, 2019 | November 14, 2019 | November 19, 2019 | 16–4[40] | December 2, 2019 | 70–15[41] | [az] | |
| Secretary of Education | Betsy DeVos | MI | November 23, 2016 | January 17, 2017 | January 31, 2017 | 12–11[42] | February 7, 2017 | 51–50[43] | [ba] |
| Secretary of Veterans Affairs | David Shulkin | PA | January 11, 2017 | February 1, 2017 | February 7, 2017 | 15–0[44] | February 13, 2017 | 100–0[45] | [bb] |
| Ronny Jackson | TX | March 28, 2018 | Nomination withdrawn on April 26, 2018[46] | ||||||
| Robert Wilkie | NC | May 18, 2018 | June 27, 2018 | July 10, 2018 | 14–1[47] | July 23, 2018 | 86–9[48] | [bc] | |
| Secretary of Homeland Security | John F. Kelly | MA | December 7, 2016 | January 10, 2017 | January 18, 2017 | Voice vote (14–1)[49] | January 20, 2017 | 88–11[50] | [bd] |
| Kirstjen Nielsen | FL | October 12, 2017 | November 8, 2017 | November 14, 2017 | 11–4[51] | December 5, 2017 | 62–37[52] | [be] | |
| Chad Wolf | VA | August 25, 2020 | September 23, 2020 | September 30, 2020 | 6–3 | Nomination withdrawn on January 7, 2021[53] | [bf] | ||
| Trade Representative | Robert Lighthizer | FL | January 3, 2017 | March 14, 2017 | April 25, 2017 | 26–0[54] | May 11, 2017 | 82–14[55] | [bg] |
| Director of National Intelligence | Dan Coats | IN | January 7, 2017 | February 28, 2017 | March 9, 2017 | 13–2[56] | March 15, 2017 | 85–12[57] | [bh] |
| John Ratcliffe | TX | July 28, 2019 | Nomination withdrawn on August 2, 2019[58] | ||||||
| February 28, 2020 | May 5, 2020 | May 19, 2020 | 8–7[59] | May 21, 2020 | 49–44[60] | [bi] | |||
| Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Mike Pompeo | KS | November 18, 2016 | January 12, 2017 | January 20, 2017 | Voice vote[61] | January 23, 2017 | 66–32[62] | [bj] |
| Gina Haspel | KY | March 13, 2018 | May 9, 2018 | May 16, 2018 | 10–5[63] | May 17, 2018 | 54–45[64] | [bk] | |
| Environmental Protection Agency | Scott Pruitt | OK | December 7, 2016 | January 18, 2017 | February 2, 2017 | 11–0[65] | February 17, 2017 | 52–46[66] | [bl] |
| Andrew R. Wheeler | VA | November 16, 2018 | January 16, 2019 | February 5, 2019 | 11–10[67] | February 28, 2019 | 52–47[68] | [bm] | |
| Small Business Administration | Linda McMahon | CT | December 7, 2016 | January 24, 2017 | January 31, 2017 | 18–1[69] | February 14, 2017 | 81–19[70] | [bn] |
| Jovita Carranza | IL | April 4, 2019 | December 11, 2019 | December 18, 2019 | 17–2[71] | January 7, 2020 | 88–5[72] | [bo] | |
| Management and Budget | Mick Mulvaney | SC | December 16, 2016 | January 24, 2017 | February 2, 2017 | 12–11, 8–7[73] | February 16, 2017 | 51–49[74] | [bp] |
| Russell Vought | VA | March 18, 2020 | June 2, 2020 June 3, 2020 | June 10, 2020 June 11, 2020 | 7–4,[75] 11–10[76] | July 20, 2020 | 51–45[77] | [bq] | |
| Ambassador to the United Nations[br] | Nikki Haley | SC | November 23, 2016 | January 18, 2017 | January 24, 2017 | Voice vote (19–2)[78] | January 24, 2017 | 96–4[79] | [bs] |
| Heather Nauert | IL | December 7, 2018 | Nomination withdrawn on February 16, 2019[80] | ||||||
| Kelly Craft | KY | February 22, 2019 | June 19, 2019 | July 25, 2019 | 15–7[81] | July 31, 2019 | 56–34[82] | [bt] | |
Due to Trump's lack of prior government or military experience, and hispolitical positions,[83] much interest was expressed in the media over his cabinet nominations, as they were believed to show how he intended to govern.
Trump's proposed cabinet was characterized by the media as being veryconservative. It was described as a "conservative dream team" byPolitico,[84] "the most conservative cabinet [in United States history]" byNewsweek,[85] and "one of the most consistently conservative domestic policy teams in modern history" by theLos Angeles Times.[86]The Hill described Trump's potential cabinet as "an unorthodox team" popular with conservatives, that more establishment Republicans such asJohn McCain orMitt Romney likely would not have chosen.[87]CNN agreed, calling the proposed cabinet "a conservative dream team of domestic Cabinet appointments."[88] On the other hand,The Wall Street Journal stated that "it's nearly impossible to identify a clear ideological bent in the incoming president's" cabinet nominations.[89]The Wall Street Journal also stated that Trump's nominations signaled a pro-deregulation administration policy.[90] Several of his cabinet nominees politically opposed the federal departments they were selected to lead.[91]
In terms of total personal wealth, Trump's cabinet was the wealthiest in modern American history.[92] The cabinet was largely made up of nominees who had business experience but minimal or no experience in the government when compared to the administrations ofRonald Reagan,George H. W. Bush,Bill Clinton,George W. Bush andBarack Obama.[93] ThePew Research Center also noted that Trump's cabinet was one of the most business-heavy in American history: "A third of the department heads in the Trump administration (33%) were people whose prior experience had been entirely in the public sector. Only three other U.S. presidents are in the same range:William McKinley (three out of eight Cabinet positions, or 37.5%),Ronald Reagan (four out of 13 positions, or 31%), andDwight Eisenhower (three out of 10 positions, or 30%)."[94] There were no economists in President Trump's cabinet.[95] There were also significantly fewer lawyers in Trump's cabinet compared to previous presidents' cabinets.[96]
Despite being nominated promptly during thetransition period, most cabinet members were unable to take office onInauguration Day because of delays in the formalconfirmation process. By February 8, 2017, President Trump had fewer cabinet nominees confirmed than any prior president two weeks into his mandate, exceptGeorge Washington.[97][98] Part of the lateness was ascribed to opposition by Senate Democrats and part to delays in submitting background-check paperwork.[99] The final initial Cabinet member to take office,Robert Lighthizer, took office asU.S. Trade Representative on May 11, 2017, more than four months after his nomination.[100]
Choosing members of the presidential Cabinet (and other high-level positions) is a complicated process, and began before the November 2016 general election results were known. In the case of theTrump 2016 campaign, his former rival for the Republican nominationChris Christie was appointed to lead thetransition team in May 2016, shortly afterTed Cruz andJohn Kasich suspended their campaigns (thus making Trump the presumptive nominee of the party). In addition to various other responsibilities, the transition team is responsible for making preliminary lists of potentialexecutive branch appointees—at least for the several dozen high-level positions if not for the several thousand lower-level positions—and doing some earlyvetting work on those people. The transition team also hires policy experts (more than a hundred in the case of the Trump transition team by October 2016), using primarily federal funds and federal office space, to help plan how a then-hypothetical Trump administration would implement their policy-goals via the various federal agencies and departments.
After the election on November 8, 2016, when the ticket formed by Trump and Pence defeated theClinton and Kaine ticket as well as variousthird party opponents, the transition teamwas quickly reshuffled and expanded;Mike Pence was given the lead role (overChris Christie), and several additional top-level transition personnel were added to the transition effort, most of them from the now-finished campaign effort. During the remainder of 2016, the team continued finding and vetting potential nominees for the various positions, as theElectoral College process was ongoing (including recounts in some states where the winning margin was relatively tiny) and before the presidentialinauguration on January 20, 2017.
President-elect Trump announced his first post-election Cabinet nominee,Jeff Sessions for the role ofUnited States Attorney General, on November 18, 2016. (Trump had earlier announced Mike Pence as his pick for vice-presidential running mate in July 2016, which was shortly thereafter confirmed by the delegates to theRepublican National Convention when they officially nominated first Trump and then Pence.) Although most positions were simultaneously under consideration by the transition team, the official announcement of offers, and the public acceptance of the offers, usually happens gradually as slots are filled (Richard Nixon being the exception).
| President[101][102][103] | Week (from election to announcement) | Weighted average | Notes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |||
| Nixon '68 | 12 | 6.0 weeks | ThePostmaster General position wasquasi-privatized in 1971. | |||||||||
| Carter '76 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 6.8 weeks | Two new Cabinet positions:Energy in 1977,Education in 1979. | ||||||
| Reagan '80 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 6.6 weeks | Failed attempt toabolish the federal Department of Education. | |||||||
| Bush '88 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 5.3 weeks | TheVA was established in 1989. The four earliest nominees were continuations of theReagan Cabinet. | ||||
| Clinton '92 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 7.0 weeks | ||||||||
| Bush '00 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 7.5 weeks | TheDHS was established in 2003. Announcements of appointees were delayed by theFlorida recount. | |||||||
| Obama '08 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5.4 weeks | Slightly differing figures are given in some sources.[101][104][105][103] | |||||
| Trump '16 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4.9 weeks | |||||
| Biden '20 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6.3 weeks | |||||
| Trump '24 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 2.2 weeks | ||||||||
For purposes of historical comparison, this chart includesonly Cabinet roles, and not the cabinet-level positions. However, note that the number of Cabinet positions has varied from administration to administration: under Nixon there were twelve such roles in 1968, whereas under Trump in 2016 there are fifteen.
AfterElection Day, media outlets reported on persons described by various sources as possible appointments to senior positions in the incoming Trump presidency. The number of people which have received media attention as potential cabinet appointees is higher than in most previous presidential elections, partly because the Trump '16campaign staff (and associatedPACs) was significantly smaller and less expensive,[106] thus there are not as many people already expected to receive specific roles in the upcoming Trump administration. In particular, "Trump ha[d] a smaller policybrain trust [policy group] than a new president normally carries"[107] because as ananti-establishment candidate who began his campaign by largely self-funding his way to the Republican Party nomination,[108] unlike most previous presidential winners "Trump does not have the traditional cadre of Washington insiders anddonors to build out his Cabinet."[109] An additional factor that tends to make the field of potential nominees especially broad, is that unlike most presidential transition teams who select politicians as their appointees, the Trump transition team "has started with a mandate to hire from theprivate sector [as opposed to the governmental sector] whenever possible."[109]
Donald Trump defeated the former secretary of state andDemocratic nominee,Hillary Clinton, in the2016 presidential election, receiving 304 electoral votes compared to Clinton's 227 electoral votes in the election. Theformal certification of the results took place on January 6, 2017. Heassumed office on January 20, 2017.
| President of the United States | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
.jpg) | Donald Trump | June 14, 1946 |  New York |
| [110] |
The vice president is the only cabinet member to be elected to the position who does not require Senate confirmation, and the vice president does not serve at the pleasure of the president. There weredozens of potential running mates for Trump who received media speculation. Trump's eventual pick of the governor of Indiana,Mike Pence, was officially announced on July 15, 2016, and confirmedby acclamation viaparliamentary procedure amongst delegates to the2016 Republican National Convention on July 19, 2016.
Governor of IndianaMike Pence was electedVice President of the United States, receiving 305 electoral votes, compared toUnited States senator,Tim Kaine (D-VA), who received 227 electoral votes in the election. Theformal certification of the results took place on January 6, 2017. Heassumed office on January 20, 2017.
| Vice President of the United States | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
| Mike Pence | June 7, 1959 |  Indiana |
| [111] |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The following cabinet positions are listed in order of their creation (also used as the basis for theUnited States presidential line of succession).
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theForeign Relations committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Before Tillerson was sworn in,Tom Shannon served as the acting secretary from January 20 until February 1, 2017.
President-elect Trump officially selected CEO ofExxonMobilRex Tillerson asSecretary of State on December 12, 2016.[112] Tillerson was first recommended to Trump for the secretary of state role byCondoleezza Rice, during her meeting with Trump in late November.[113] Rice's recommendation of Tillerson to Trump was backed up byRobert Gates three days later.[113]
Tillerson's confirmation hearing with theForeign Relations committee was held on January 11, 2017. During the hearing, Tillerson voiced support for theTrans-Pacific Partnership and opposed aMuslim immigration ban that has been proposed by Donald Trump in the past.[114] Tillerson was approved by the Foreign Relations committee on January 23, 2017, by a vote of 11–10.[115] On February 1, Tillerson was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 56–43 and was sworn in later that day.[116]
| Secretary of State | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Rex Tillerson | March 23, 1952 (age73) |  Texas |
| |
John J. Sullivan served as acting secretary from April 1, 2018, until April 26, 2018.
On March 13, 2018, President Trump dismissedRex Tillerson asSecretary of State, and announced his nomination of CIA DirectorMike Pompeo to the office.[117] On April 26, Pompeo was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 57–42 and was sworn in later that day.[118][119][120] He served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
| Secretary of State | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Mike Pompeo | December 30, 1963 (age61) |  Kansas |
| |
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theFinance committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Adam Szubin served as acting secretary from January 20 until February 13, 2017.
President-elect Trump announced the selection of investment bankerSteve Mnuchin asSecretary of the Treasury on November 30, 2016.[121]The New York Times noted that Mnuchin's selection was surprising, since Trump had attacked the banking industry and Goldman Sachs during the campaign. Mnuchin is the third Goldman alumnus to serve as treasury secretary.[122]
During his confirmation hearing before theSenate Finance Committee on January 19, 2017, Mnuchin was criticized by Democrats due to theforeclosure practices at his company OneWest.[123] Mnuchin also failed to disclose, in required disclosure documents, $95 million of real estate he owned, and his role as director of Dune Capital International, an investment fund in a tax haven. Mnuchin described the omissions as mistakes made amid a mountain of bureaucracy.[124]
Democrats of the Finance Committee boycotted the vote of Mnuchin and many other nominees in response to Trump's controversialimmigration executive order. On February 1, 2017, Republicans suspended committee rules to send the nomination to the Senate floor on a vote of 11–0.[125][124]
Mnuchin was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 53–47 on February 13, 2017. The vote fell alongparty lines with exception ofSenator Joe Manchin as the sole Democratic vote for Mnuchin.[126][127] He served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
| Secretary of the Treasury | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Steven Mnuchin | December 21, 1962 (age62) |  California | ||
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theArmed Services committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
President-elect Trump informally announced the selection of GeneralJim Mattis asSecretary of Defense on December 1, 2016.[128] (The Trump Transition Team formally announced the selection on December 6, 2016.[129]) As with most cabinet roles, the Secretary-designate of Defense undergoes hearings before the appropriate committee of theUnited States Senate, followed by aconfirmation-vote. In the case of Mattis, there was an additional step needed as he had retired from the military three years ago, since statute section 903(a) of theNDAA demands a minimum of seven years as acivilian for Pentagon appointees, therefore Mattis needed a waiver to be allowed to become Secretary of Defense.[130]
During his hearing, Mattis agreed with the assessment thatdebt was the greatest threat to national security. He placed Russia first among the "principal threats" facing the United States and called Iran "the primary source of turmoil" for unrest in the Middle East. In contrast with Trump's campaign promises, Mattis advocated for maintainingNATO and keeping theIran Nuclear Deal. He urged for a clear cybersecurity doctrine to be implemented.[131][132][133]
On January 12, 2017, theSenate Armed Services Committee voted, 24–3, to grant the waiver. The full Senate voted, 81–17, to pass the waiver three hours later. After the Trump transition team canceled a meeting between Mattis and theHouse Armed Services Committee, the waiver narrowly passed the committee by a vote of 34–28. The House voted, 268–151, to grant the waiver.[134] The Senate Armed Services Committee approved Mattis's confirmation on January 18, 2017, by a 26–1 margin, and sent the nomination to the full Senate for consideration.[135] One of Donald Trump's first acts as president was the approval of Mattis's waiver to become Secretary of Defense. After being confirmed by the Senate on the evening of January 20, 2017, in a vote of 98–1, Mattis was sworn in by Vice President Pence on the same evening.[136]
On December 20, 2018, Secretary Mattis announced his intention to resign at the end of February 2019.[137][138] President Trump moved the departure date up to January 1, 2019.[139][140]
| Secretary of Defense | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Jim Mattis | September 8, 1950 (age75) |  Washington |
| |
Upon the end of Secretary Mattis's tenure on January 1,Patrick M. Shanahan, theDeputy Secretary of Defense, became acting Secretary until June 23, 2019.
Five months later, in May, the White House announced its intent to nominate Shanahan to serve as Secretary of Defense on a permanent basis;[141] by June, Shanahan withdrew, citing family issues.[142]
With Shanahan's withdrawal, President Trump namedMark Esper, theSecretary of the Army, as his replacement as acting secretary.[142] Once Esper was officially nominated on July 15, he stepped down in accordance with theFederal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998;Richard V. Spencer, theSecretary of the Navy, then became acting secretary.[143]
On July 23, Esper was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 90–8 and was sworn in later that day.[144]
On November 9, 2020, Esper was removed from his position, and replaced withChristopher C. Miller.[145]
| Secretary of Defense | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Mark Esper | April 26, 1964 (age61) |  Virginia |
| |
Christopher C. Miller served as acting Secretary from November 9, 2020, to the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
The nomination of an Attorney General-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theJudiciary committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Sally Yates served as acting attorney general from January 20, 2017, until her firing ten days later, on January 30, 2017.
On January 30, 2017, Trump appointedDana Boente, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve as acting Attorney General untilJeff Sessions' Senate confirmation.[146] Boente had replacedSally Yates who was fired by Trump for ordering the Justice Department to not defend Trump'sExecutive Order 13769 which restricted entry to the United States.[147] Yates claimed that, "At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities [of the Department of Justice], nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful".[148][149] Boente served until the confirmation of Jeff Sessions on February 9, 2017.
President-elect Trump officially announced the selection of SenatorJeff Sessions from Alabama asAttorney General on November 18, 2016.
Members of theDemocratic party in the Senate had stated their intention to oppose Sessions; that said, successfully defeating the nomination of Sessions would haverequired peeling away the votes of at least two or three Republican members of the Senate body.[126] Republican members of theJudiciary Committee spoke favorably towards Sessions,[150] as Sessions had been a former member of the Judiciary Committee while serving as senator. Although Democratic party senators, includingElizabeth Warren, criticized Sessions, at least one Democratic Senator,Joe Manchin of West Virginia, stated he would vote to confirm Sessions.[150] Historically, there has never been a sitting senator appointed to cabinet position who was denied that post during the confirmation process.[150]
The confirmation process for Trump's nominee SenatorJeff Sessions was described as"strikingly contentious" byThe New York Times;[151] asSenator Mitch McConnell invokedRule XIX to silence SenatorElizabeth Warren for the rest of the consideration of the nomination. While explaining his use of the rule, McConnell said, "She [Warren] was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."[152] The last three words, "Nevertheless, she persisted" were appropriated by feminist and liberals as a rally cry in favor of women's rights. McConnell interrupted Warren as she had read a letter byCoretta Scott King opposing Sessions' nomination to a federal judgeship along with several statements which were made by SenatorTed Kennedy in 1986 during Senate hearings on Sessions' nomination. Afterwards, Warren live-streamed herself reading the letter, critical of Sessions, thatCoretta Scott King had written to SenatorStrom Thurmond in 1986.[153]
On February 8, Sessions was confirmed asUnited States Attorney General by the Senate in a vote of 52–47, with all the Republican senators and Democratic SenatorJoe Manchin voting in favor of Sessions' confirmation and all other senators voting against Sessions' confirmation. Sessions' confirmation ended a nomination battle which was described byThe New York Times as "bitter and racially charged".[154]
On November 7, 2018 – the day after the2018 midterm elections – Jeff Sessions resigned as Attorney General at the president's request.[155][156][157]
| Attorney General | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Jeff Sessions | December 24, 1946 (age78) |  Alabama |
| |
With the resignation of Sessions on November 7, 2018, Trump appointed Sessions' chief of staffMatthew Whitaker to serve as acting attorney general.[158] Multiple legal challenges to Whitaker's appointment were filed.[159] All were dismissed.
William Barr, a formerAttorney General in theGeorge H. W. Bush administration, was nominated to reprise his former role as the permanent replacement for Sessions on December 7, 2018. On February 14, 2019, he was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 54–45 and was sworn in later that day.[160] Barr announced that he would resign as attorney general on December 14, 2020, which came into effect on December 23, 2020.[161]
| Attorney General | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | William Barr | May 23, 1950 (age75) | Virginia |
| |
Jeffrey A. Rosen became the acting Attorney General following the resignation of Barr on December 23, 2020. He served until the end of the Trump administration, January 20, 2021.
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theEnergy and Natural Resources committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Kevin Haugrud served as the actingSecretary of the Interior from January 20 until March 1, 2017.
President-elect Trump announced the selection of RepresentativeRyan Zinke from Montana asSecretary of the Interior on December 15, 2016.[162] His nomination was approved by a 16–6 vote from theSenate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on January 31, 2017.[163] On March 1, 2017, Zinke was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 68–31, becoming the first Navy SEAL to occupy aCabinet position.[164][165]Zinke resigned as Secretary of the Interior on January 2, 2019. Deputy SecretaryDavid Bernhardt became Acting Secretary of the Interior.[166]
| Secretary of the Interior | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
.jpg) | Ryan Zinke | November 1, 1961 (age64) |  Montana |
| |
David Bernhardt served as acting secretary from January 2 until April 11, 2019, when he was sworn in.
On February 4, 2019, President Trump announced his intention to nominate Interior Deputy Secretary and Acting Secretary Bernhardt to be the next United States Secretary of the Interior. On April 11, 2019, Bernhardt was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 56–41. He served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
| Secretary of the Interior | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | David Bernhardt | August 17, 1969 (age56) |  Colorado |
| |
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theAgriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Mike Young served as acting secretary from January 20 until April 25, 2017.
President-elect Trump announced the selection ofSonny Perdue, formerGovernor of Georgia asSecretary of Agriculture on January 18, 2017.[167] On April 24, 2017, Perdue was confirmed by the Senate in an 87–11 vote. He served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
| Secretary of Agriculture | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Sonny Perdue | December 20, 1946 (age78) |  Georgia |
| |
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theCommerce, Science, and Transportation committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
President Trump left this position vacant until Ross was sworn in.
President-elect Trump officially announced the selection of CEOWilbur Ross from Florida (formerly of New York) on November 30, 2016. Confirmation hearings were originally scheduled for January 12, but were postponed because theCommerce Committee had not yet received the ethics agreement from theOffice of Government Ethics and theDepartment of Commerce.[168] On February 27, 2017, he was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 72–27. He assumed office on February 28, 2017,[26] and served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
| Secretary of Commerce | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Wilbur Ross | November 28, 1937 (age87) |  Florida |
| |
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theHealth, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Edward C. Hugler served as acting secretary from January 20 until April 28, 2017.
President-elect Trump officially announced the selection ofAndy Puzder, then CEO ofCKE Restaurants as theSecretary of Labor on December 8, 2016. TheHealth, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee (HELP) delayed Puzder's hearing five times due to missing paperwork from theOffice of Government Ethics.[169] It was revealed that before the nomination Puzder employed a housekeeper who was not authorized to work in the U.S. Puzder failed to pay employer taxes. Puzder fired the housekeeper and amended his taxes only after his nomination.[170] Prior cabinet nominations from theBush andClinton administrations with undocumented housekeepers have had to withdraw their nominations.
On February 8, 2017, theOffice of Government Ethics submitted Puzder's ethics paperwork to Congress.[171] It was also revealed Puzder's ex-wife Lisa Fierstein appeared in disguise onOprah Winfrey's talk show in the 1980s. In the interview, she alleged Puzder beat her. She later recanted. Fierstein sent a letter to Congress shortly after his nomination stating, "Andy is not and was not abusive or violent." Complying with the HELP committee, theOprah Winfrey Network produced tapes from the interview for members of the committee to view.[172] Four Republican Senators from the HELP committee – Susan Collins,Tim Scott,Johnny Isakson, andLisa Murkowski – expressed doubt over Puzder's nomination.[170] On February 15, a day before his scheduled hearing, Puzder released a statement to theAssociated Press officially withdrawing his nomination.[173]
On February 16, 2017,Alexander Acosta, dean of theFlorida International University College of Law and formerJustice Department attorney, was officially selected to be theSecretary of Labor.[174] On April 27, 2017, Acosta was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 60–38.
Acosta announced his resignation on July 12, 2019, following widespread criticism of his handling of the prosecution of and subsequent plea deal withJeffrey Epstein when serving as U.S. District Attorney in Florida. His deputy,Patrick Pizzella, became acting secretary.[175]
| Secretary of Labor | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Alexander Acosta | January 16, 1969 (age56) | Florida |
| |
Patrick Pizzella served as acting secretary from July 20 until September 30, 2019.
On July 18, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to nominateEugene Scalia, the formerSolicitor of Labor and the son ofAntonin Scalia, to be Secretary of Labor;[176] the nomination became official on August 27.[177]
Almost exactly a month later, on September 26, Scalia was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 53–44.[178] He was sworn in four days later.[179] He served until the end of the Trump administration, January 20, 2021.
| Secretary of Labor | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Eugene Scalia | August 14, 1963 (age62) | Virginia |
| |
Although historically the nominee also holds meetings with theHealth, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, officially the nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theUnited States Senate Committee on Finance, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Norris Cochran served as acting secretary from January 20 until February 10, 2017.
President-elect Trump officially announced the selection of RepresentativeTom Price from Georgia asSecretary of Health and Human Services on November 28, 2016.[180][181][182] On February 10, 2017, Price was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 52–47, alongparty lines, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against.[183]
Price resigned on September 29, 2017, amid reports that he had expended more than $1 million of department funds for his own travel on private charter jets and military aircraft.[184] Price is the shortest-serving confirmedSecretary of Health and Human Services, with a tenure of just 231 days.[185]
| Secretary of Health and Human Services | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Tom Price | October 8, 1954 (age71) | Georgia |
| |
Don J. Wright served as acting secretary from September 29, 2017, until his resignation on October 10, 2017.
Eric Hargan served as acting secretary from October 10, 2017, until January 29, 2018.
On November 13, 2017, President Trump announced via Twitter thatAlex Azar was his nominee to be the nextSecretary of Health and Human Services.[186] Azar was the former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services underGeorge W. Bush (2005–2007)[187] and president of Lilly USA, LLC, the largest affiliate of global biopharmaceutical leaderEli Lilly and Company from 2012 to 2017. On January 24, 2018, Azar was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 53–43. He took office on January 29, 2018,[188][189] and served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
| Secretary of Health and Human Services | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Alex Azar | June 17, 1967 (age58) | Indiana |
| |
The nomination of a secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theBanking, Housing, and Urban Affairs committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Craig Clemmensen served as acting secretary from January 20 until March 2, 2017.
President-elect Trump announced the selection ofBen Carson asSecretary of Housing and Urban Development on December 5, 2016.[190] During confirmation hearings, Carson was held under close scrutiny for his lack of relevant experience, and because he has been one of the most hostile critics of HUD's role in enforcing anti-discrimination laws.[191]On January 24, 2017, theSenate Banking Committee voted unanimously to approve the nomination, sending it to the Senate floor for a complete vote.[192] On March 2, 2017, Carson was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 58–41.[193] He served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
| Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Ben Carson | September 18, 1951 (age74) | Florida |
| |
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theCommerce, Science, and Transportation committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Michael Huerta served as acting secretary from January 20 until January 31, 2017.
On November 29, 2016, it was reported that President-elect Trump announced the selection ofElaine Chao, formerSecretary of Labor in theGeorge W. Bush administration as hisSecretary of Transportation.[194][195] On January 31, Chao was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 93–6.[bu] On January 7, 2021, Chao announced her resignation effective January 11, due to theJanuary 6 U.S. Capitol attack.[196]
| Secretary of Transportation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
.jpg) | Elaine Chao | March 26, 1953 (age72) |  Kentucky |
| |
With the resignation of Chao, her deputy,Steven G. Bradbury became acting Secretary on January 11, 2021, and served for the final days until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theEnergy and Natural Resources committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Grace Bochenek served as acting secretary from January 20 until March 2, 2017.
President-elect Trump announced his selection ofRick Perry, formerGovernor of Texas asSecretary of Energy on December 13, 2016.[197] During a previous presidential campaign, Perry said he intended to abolish the department.[198] His nomination was approved by a 16–7 vote from theUnited States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on January 31, 2017.[199] On March 2, 2017, Perry was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 62–37.[200]
On October 17, 2019, Perry informed President Trump that he planned to resign by the end of the year. On October 18, 2019, Trump nominated the Deputy Secretary of Energy,Dan Brouillette, to replace him; Perry left in early December.[201]
| Secretary of Energy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
.jpg) | Rick Perry | March 4, 1950 (age75) | Texas |
| |
Dan Brouillette, the Deputy Secretary, served as acting secretary from December 2 until December 4, 2019. He was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 70–15, on December 2, 2019.[201] He served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
| Secretary of Energy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Dan Brouillette | August 18, 1962 (age63) | Texas | ||
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theHealth, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Phil Rosenfelt served as acting secretary from January 20 until February 7, 2017.
President-elect Trump officially announced the selection of formerRNC memberBetsy DeVos from Michigan asSecretary of Education on November 23, 2016.
Originally scheduled for January 11, but was postponed because theOffice of Government Ethics had not completed its review of DeVos' financial holdings and potential conflicts of interest.[202] On January 20, the Office of Government Ethics completed their ethics report on DeVos, three days after her hearing with theCommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions was held. Senate Democrats requested a second hearing for DeVos after the ethics report was released, but committee chairSenator Lamar Alexander denied it. DeVos repeatedly said she would divest from 102 companies within ninety days if confirmed.[203][204][205] On February 7, 2017, the full senate voted 51–50 – with Vice President Pence casting the tie-breaking vote – to confirm DeVos, with Pence becoming the first vice president to cast the tie-breaking vote for a cabinet nominee[206][207] ever. DeVos resigned on January 7, 2021, due to theJanuary 6 U.S. Capitol attack,[208] effective the next day.
| Secretary of Education | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Betsy DeVos | January 8, 1958 (age67) |  Michigan |
| |
Deputy SecretaryMick Zais succeeded DeVos in an acting capacity on January 8, 2021, and served for the final days until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theVeterans Affairs committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Robert Snyder served as acting secretary from January 20 until February 14, 2017.
On January 11, 2017,David Shulkin, theUnder Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health under PresidentBarack Obama, was selected to be theSecretary of Veterans Affairs.[209] On February 13, he was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 100–0. He assumed office on February 14, 2017.
In February 2018, the VA inspector general issued a report criticizing Shulkin for misusing department funds to pay for his and his wife's personal travel.[210] On March 28, President Trump fired him.[211]
| Secretary of Veterans Affairs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | David Shulkin | July 22, 1959 (age67) |  Pennsylvania |
| |
Robert Wilkie served as acting secretary from March 28 until May 29, 2018.
Peter O'Rourke served as acting secretary from May 29 until July 30, 2018.
President Trump initially said he would replace Shulkin withRonny Jackson, hisWhite House personal physician.[212] Senators expressed skepticism of the nomination due to Jackson's lack of management experience.[213] Current and former employees on theWhite House Medical Unit accused Jackson of creating a hostile work environment, excessively drinking on the job, and improperly dispensing medication.[214] Trump defended Jackson as "one of the finest people that I have met", but hinted that Jackson might withdraw from being considered for the position.[215] Jackson withdrew his nomination on April 26.[216]
President Trump nominated Former Defense Undersecretary and VA Acting SecretaryRobert Wilkie on May 18, 2018, to replace Shulkin. On July 23, 2018, Wilkie was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 86–9. He served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
| Secretary of Veterans Affairs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Robert Wilkie | August 2, 1962 (age63) |  North Carolina |
| |
The nomination of a Secretary-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theHomeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
President-elect Trump announced the selection ofJohn F. Kelly, retired four-star Marine general asSecretary of Homeland Security on December 7, 2016.[217] He was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of88–11 and sworn in on the evening of January 20. Kelly's term ended on July 28, 2017, following his appointment asWhite House Chief of Staff.[218]
| Secretary of Homeland Security | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | John F. Kelly | May 11, 1950 (age75) |  Massachusetts |
| |
Elaine Duke served as acting secretary from July 31 until December 6, 2017.
On October 11, 2017, multiple sources reported President Trump's interest in nominatingKirstjen Nielsen asSecretary of Homeland Security.[219] She had served as PrincipalDeputy White House Chief of Staff to Chief of StaffJohn F. Kelly.[220][221] On December 5, 2017, she was confirmed by the Senate confirmed in a vote of 62–37.[222] She took office the next day. On April 7, 2019, Nielsen resigned, with effect on April 11.[223][224]
| Secretary of Homeland Security | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Kirstjen Nielsen | May 14, 1972 (age53) | Florida |
| |
Kevin McAleenan served as acting secretary from April 11 until November 13, 2019, when he resigned.
Chad Wolf served as acting secretary from November 13, 2019, until he resigned on January 11, 2021.
Pete Gaynor, Administrator of theFederal Emergency Management Agency, succeeded Wolf in an acting capacity on January 12, 2021[225] and served for the final days until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.
Cabinet-level officials have positions that are considered to be of Cabinet level, but which are not part of the Cabinet. Which exact positionsare considered part of the presidential cabinet, can vary with the president. TheCIA andFEMA were cabinet-level agencies underBill Clinton, but notGeorge W. Bush. The head of theOffice of National Drug Control Policy (aka thedrug czar) was a cabinet-level position under both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, but not underBarack Obama. (Not to be confused with the head of theDEA, who has remained in theorg chart underneath the cabinet position held by theAttorney General.) Designation of an agency as being cabinet-level requires[citation needed] thatCongress enact legislation, althoughexecutive orders unilaterally created by the president can be used to create many other types of position inside theexecutive branch.[citation needed] Members of the cabinet proper, as well as cabinet-level officials, meet with the president ina room adjacent to the Oval Office.
TheWhite House Chief of Staff has traditionally been the highest-ranking employee of theWhite House. The responsibilities of the chief of staff are both managerial and advisory over the president's official business. The chief of staff is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of thepresident; it does not requireSenate confirmation.
Trump's selection of formerRNC chairReince Priebus from Wisconsin was officially announced on November 13, 2016. This role does not requireSenate confirmation. The appointment ofSteve Bannon as Chief Strategist was announced simultaneously. Although that strategy-role is not a Cabinet-level position in thestatutory sense, in an "unusual arrangement"[226] Priebus and Bannon were envisioned by the Trump transition team as being equal partners, and were announced simultaneously.[227][228] With Priebus accepting a role within the administration,Ronna Romney McDaniel waselected to replace Priebus in his former role asRNC chair. Priebus resigned on July 28, 2017.[229]
| White House Chief of Staff | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Years | Background | Reference | |
_(cropped).jpg) | Reince Priebus | March 18, 1972 (age53) |  Wisconsin | January 20, 2017 – July 31, 2017 |
| ||
On July 28, 2017, Trump announced hisSecretary for Homeland Security,John Kelly, would serve as his chief of staff.[230] On December 8, 2018, Trump announced that Kelly would be leaving as chief of staff.[231]
| White House Chief of Staff | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Years | Background | Reference | |
.jpg) | John F. Kelly | May 11, 1950 (age75) | Massachusetts | July 31, 2017 – January 2, 2019 |
| ||
OMB DirectorMick Mulvaney concurrently served as acting White House Chief of Staff from January 2, 2019, until March 31, 2020.
Mark Meadows replaced Mick Mulvaney on March 31, 2020.[232]
| White House Chief of Staff | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Years | Background | Reference | |
 | Mark Meadows | July 28, 1959 (age66) | North Carolina | March 31, 2020 – January 20, 2021 |
| ||
The nomination of a Director-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theUnited States Senate Committee on Finance then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Maria Pagan served in this position from January 20 until March 2, 2017.
Stephen Vaughn served in this position from March 2 until May 15, 2017.
On January 3, 2017,Robert Lighthizer, a formerDeputy United States Trade Representative under PresidentRonald Reagan, was selected to be theUnited States Trade Representative.[233] Due to Lighthizer'sprior representation of foreign governments with a trade dispute with the United States, he will first need to obtain a special waiver to bypass theLobbying Disclosure Act. The waiver would need to passCongress and have the President's signature to assume the position. Congress waived the ban forCharlene Barshefsky,President Clinton's choice for Trade Representative in 1997.[234][235] Lighthizer was confirmed as U.S. Trade Representative on May 11, 2017, by a margin of 82–14.[236][237]
| United States Trade Representative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Robert Lighthizer | October 11, 1947 (age78) | Florida |
| |
Mike Dempsey served in this position from January 20 until March 15, 2017.
On January 7, 2017,Dan Coats, former senator of Indiana, was officially selected to be theDirector of National Intelligence.[238] On March 15, 2017, Coats was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 85–12.[239] On August 15, 2019, Coats resigned from his position as Director of National Intelligence.
| Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Dan Coats | May 16, 1943 (age82) | Indiana |
| |
Joseph Maguire took over as acting director on August 16, 2019. He resigned on February 21, 2020.
Richard Grenell took office as acting director on February 21, 2020, and resigned to take a position in the 2020 Trump Campaign.
Former CongressmanJohn Ratcliffe was confirmed and assumed the position May 26, 2020.
| Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | John Ratcliffe | October 20, 1965 (age60) | Texas |
| |
Like all ambassadorships and all official Cabinet positions, the nominee for this ambassador to theU.N. requires confirmation by the Senate. The nomination of an Ambassador-designate to the United Nationsis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theSenate Foreign Relations Committee, and then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Michele J. Sison served in this position from January 20 until January 27, 2017.
Trump officially announced GovernorNikki Haley fromSouth Carolina as his selection for this role on November 23, 2016. She was confirmed on January 24, 2017, and subsequently resigned as South Carolina governor. Haley supportedMarco Rubio in the Republican primaries and caucuses, but later endorsed Trump as the presumptive Republican nominee.[240] Haley's lieutenant governor,Henry McMaster, who was an early supporter of Trump, was also under consideration for a role in the Trump administration, but since he did not accept such a role, he succeeded to the governorship of South Carolina upon Haley's resignation.[241] On October 9, 2018, Haley announced that she was resigning her position as Ambassador effective at the end of 2018.[242][243]
| U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Nikki Haley | January 20, 1972 (age53) |  South Carolina |
| |
Jonathan Cohen served in this position from June 8 until November 17, 2019.
On December 7, 2018, Trump nominatedHeather Nauert for UN Ambassador.[244] Nauert withdrew her nomination on February 22, 2019.
On February 22, 2019, AmbassadorKelly Craft was nominated by President Donald Trump to replace Nikki Haley, who had resigned two months prior, as his envoy to the United Nations.[245] Craft was confirmed on July 31, 2019.
| U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Kelly Craft | February 24, 1962 (age63) | Kentucky |
| |
The nomination of a Director-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theHomeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee andBudget Committee then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Mark Sandy served in this position from January 20 until February 16, 2017.
On December 13, 2016,Mick Mulvaney,U.S. Representative forSouth Carolina's 5th congressional district, was selected to be theDirector of the Office of Management and Budget.[246]
In his statement to the Senate Budget Committee, Mulvaney admitted that he had failed to pay $15,000 in payroll taxes from 2000 to 2004 for a nanny he had hired to care for his triplets. Mulvaney said he did not pay the taxes because he viewed the woman as a babysitter rather than as a household employee. After filling out a questionnaire from the Trump transition team, he realized the lapse and began the process of paying back taxes and fees. Senate Democrats noted that Republicans had previously insisted that past Democratic nominees' failure to pay taxes for their household employees was disqualifying, including former Health and Human Services nomineeTom Daschle in 2009.[247][248]
Budget Chairman SenatorMike Enzi (R-Wyoming) noted on the Senate floor, "According to Senate records from President Jimmy Carter to President Obama, the longest it has ever taken to approve a first budget director for a new president was one week – one week."[249] On February 16, 2017, the Senate confirmed Mulvaney, 51–49.[250]
| Director of theOffice of Management and Budget | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Mick Mulvaney | July 21, 1967 (age58) | South Carolina |
| |
Russell Vought has served in this position from January 2, 2019 until July 22, 2020, when he was sworn in.
On January 2, 2019, President Trump announced that he would nominateRussell Vought to be theOMB director. On July 20, 2020, Vought was confirmed by the Senate in a 51–45 vote, officially giving him the post.
| Director of theOffice of Management and Budget | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
.jpg) | Russell Vought | March 26, 1976 (age49) | Virginia |
| |
On February 8, 2017, President Trump outlined the 24 members of the Cabinet with theDirector of the Central Intelligence Agency being newly included.[251] The nomination of a Director-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theUnited States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Meroe Park served in this position from January 20 until January 23, 2017.
On November 18, 2016,Mike Pompeo, the Representative ofKansas's 4th congressional district, was officially selected to be theDirector of the Central Intelligence Agency.[252] He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on January 23, 2017, with a vote of 66–32.[253] Pompeo was opposed by 30Democratic Senators while the sole Republican vote against him came fromRand Paul. He was sworn in on the same night byVice PresidentMike Pence.
On March 13, 2018, Pompeo was named as secretary designate of theState Department following the dismissal ofRex Tillerson.
| Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Mike Pompeo | December 30, 1963 (age61) | Kansas |
| |
Gina Haspel served in this position from April 26, 2018, until May 21 when she was sworn in.
On March 13, 2018, President Trump announced viaTwitter that he would nominateGina Haspel to be theCIA director.[254] On May 17, Haspel was confirmed by the Senate in a 54–45 vote, officially giving her the post, and making her the first full-time female CIA director.
| Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Gina Haspel | October 1, 1956 (age69) | Kentucky |
| |
The nomination of an Administrator-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theEnvironment and Public Works Committee,[255] then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Catherine McCabe served in this position from January 20 until February 17, 2017.
On December 7, 2016,Scott Pruitt,Attorney General of Oklahoma was selected to be theAdministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.[256][257] In response to the nomination, Pruitt said, "I intend to run this agency in a way that fosters both responsible protection of the environment and freedom for American businesses."[258]
During his January 18 confirmation hearing, Pruitt's testimony openly acknowledgedclimate change. Pruitt declared the EPA has a "very important role" in regulating carbon dioxide emissions. Pruitt has sued theEnvironmental Protection Agency as theAttorney General of Oklahoma on more than a dozen occasions. When pressed by SenatorEd Markey on whether he would recuse himself from ongoing lawsuits, Pruitt "would not commit to recusing himself from all the cases he had brought."[259][260] Pruitt deflected questioning from SenatorBernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on the issue of whether human activity is largely responsible for climate change. Stating, "I believe the ability to measure, with precision, the degree of human activity's impact on the climate is subject to more debate on whether the climate is changing or whether human activity contributes to it."[261] Pruitt declined to comment on whetherCalifornia could set its ownemission standards and said he would review the policy.[262]
Amid 15 federal investigations of his conduct ranging from criminal record destruction to corrupt allocation of funds and abuse of power, Pruitt announced he would resign from office on July 6, 2018, leavingAndrew R. Wheeler as the acting head of the agency.[263][264][265]
| Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Scott Pruitt | May 9, 1968 (age57) |  Oklahoma |
| |
Andrew R. Wheeler served in this position from July 9, 2018, until February 28, 2019, when he was sworn in.
On November 16, 2018, President Trump nominated Acting AdministratorAndrew Wheeler to the position full-time. Wheeler was confirmed by the senate on February 28, 2019, with a 52–47 vote.
| Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Andrew R. Wheeler | December 23, 1964 (age60) | Virginia |
| |
The nomination of an Administrator-designateis reviewed during hearings held by the members of theUnited States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Joseph Loddo served in this position from January 20 until February 14, 2017.
On December 7, 2016,Linda McMahon, former CEO ofWorld Wrestling Entertainment Inc. andSenate nominee, was selected to be the head of theSmall Business Administration.[266][267] McMahon was confirmed by a Senate vote of 81–19 on February 14, 2017.
McMahon earned approval votes from SenatorsRichard Blumenthal andChris Murphy from Connecticut, who had both defeated McMahon in their respective Senate races. SenatorJim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of theSenate Committee on Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship, said, "Mrs. McMahon made it very clear that she has the experience, understanding and instincts necessary to bolster America's small business community and advocate for much-needed regulatory reforms."[268]
| Administrator of the Small Business Administration | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Linda McMahon | October 4, 1948 (age77) |  Connecticut |
| |
Chris Pilkerton served in this position from April 13, 2019, until January 14, 2020.
On April 4, 2019, President Trump nominated Treasurer of the United StatesJovita Carranza to theSmall Business Administration, replacingLinda McMahon.[269] Carranza was confirmed by a vote of 88–5 in the Senate on January 7, 2020.[270]
| Administrator of the Small Business Administration | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Date of birth | State | Background | Reference |
 | Jovita Carranza | June 29, 1949 (age76) |  Illinois |
| |
On February 8, 2017, President Trump outlined the 24 members of the Cabinet, excluding theCouncil of Economic Advisers chairman position.[251] In addition to the chairman, the council had two other members, also appointed by the president, as well as a staff ofeconomists,researchers, andstatisticians. Historically,appointees to chair the council have heldPh.D.s in economics, and the role of the group is to provide advice in the form of economic analysis with respect to policy, as distinct fromshaping economic policy per se.[271][272]
Trump releaseda list ofhis campaign's official economic advisers in August 2016,[273][274] which simultaneously was anti-establishment[275] and therefore leant on those with governmental experience,[276] yet at the same time aimed to include some members of business and finance.[273] Many of thelisted names received media attention as potential appointees to the Council of Economic Advisers, or inother Trump administration roles.
Although removed from the Cabinet, the chair-designate,must be reviewed during hearings held by the members of theUnited States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and then presented to the fullSenate for a vote.
Various otherTrump administration appointees are directly involved with economic matters, for example, former director of theNational Economic CouncilGary Cohn, formerNational Trade Council directorPeter Navarro,SEC chairmanJay Clayton,OMB directorMick Mulvaney,Treasury secretarySteven Mnuchin,Commerce secretaryWilbur Ross,U.S. Trade RepresentativeRobert Lighthizer and formerSBA administratorLinda McMahon. On May 16, 2017, Trump nominated Dr.Kevin Hassett to be chair of the council. He took office on September 13, 2017.
_(3x4_close_cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)First presidency of Donald Trump (2017–2021) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||
| General |
| ||||||||||
| Events |
| ||||||||||
| Policies |
| ||||||||||
| Protests |
| ||||||||||
| Related |
| ||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
