The President’s Men: Top contenders for White House posts in Trump 2.0 administration

US President-elect Donald Trump is likely to choose key White House aides in the coming weeks. (AP Photo)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday scripted a remarkable comeback to the White House as he defied the odds to defeat Democrat Kamala Harris, paving the way for his second term as the US President.

Trump, 78, will be the oldest person ever to take oath as President, the first to be elected to the White House despite a criminal conviction and two impeachments while in office and the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years. Trump, who will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States of America on January 20 next year, also won wider margins than 2016 to mark his return to the White House.

In his victory speech after emerging as the winner yesterday, Trump vowed to fulfill his “Make America Great Again” campaign promise. The process is likely to see the involvement of numerous characters and personalities, both old and new.

Here are the individuals who could find a place as President Donald Trump begins the process to select high-ranking administration officials in the White House:

JD Vance

Having once described Donald Trump as America’s ‘Hitler’, JD Vance is set to enter the White House as the youngest Vice President in US history.

The 40-year-old author of the best-selling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy", who had been severely critical of Trump before joining his team, on Tuesday referred to the President-elect’s victory as “the greatest political comeback of all time”.

Elon Musk

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who is tipped to have spent over USD 100 million of his personal fortune to get the Republican elected, is expected to be handed a key role in the White House. On Tuesday, President-elect Trump referred to Trump as a rising star, underlining the importance he attaches to Musk and his abilities.

At the White House, Trump is likely to appoint Musk as a key advisor. He had earlier said that he will ask Musk, the boss of SpaceX, Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), to do a complete audit of the US government to drastically cut waste.

Robert Kennedy Jr

Robert Kennedy Jr, the nephew of former US president John F Kennedy, is expected to be given a key role in the Cabinet. Trump had earlier pledged during his campaign to give a "big role" in healthcare to RFK Jr, who has said he wants to remove fluoride from the US water supply. The son of US's former attorney general and senator Robert F Kennedy, RFK Jr initially ran as an independent in the 2024 US presidential election, but withdrew from the race and endorsed Donald Trump.

The 70-year-old is widely speculated to be appointed Secretary, Health and Human Services. In his victory speech, Trump said Kennedy will "make America healthy again".

Scott Bessent

Scott Bessent, a key economic adviser to Trump, is widely speculated to be the frontrunner for the post of Treasury Secretary. A hedge fund investor who also taught at Yale University for several years, Bessent enjoys good ties with Trump

While Bessent’s ideas have been seen as favouring the economic policies of the pre-Trump Republican Party, he has also spoken highly of Trump’s economic philosophy and his use of tariffs as a negotiating tool.

Richard Grenell

See as among Trump’s key foreign policy advisers, Richard Grenell is seen as the frontrunner for the post of National Security Advisor. Grenell’s private dealings with foreign leaders have often caused controversies.

One of the policies he has advocated include setting up an autonomous zone in eastern Ukraine, a position Kyiv considers unacceptable.

Robert O’Brien

The NSA during Trump’s first term as President, Robert O’Brien is seen as among the top contenders for the post of Secretary of State.

Since Trump’s departure from the White House, O’Brien has maintained close ties with foreign leaders and also met Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel in May.

Marco Rubio

A senator from Florida and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, Marco Rubio is also seen as a frontrunner for the post of Secretary of State.

A contender to be Trump’s 2024 running mate, Rubio has long been involved in foreign affairs in the Senate, particularly as it relates to Latin America.

Mike Pompeo

Having served as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and Secretary of Sate during Trump’s first term as President, Mike Pompeo is seen as a frontrunner for the post of Defence Secretary

His position on Ukraine, however, makes him stand apart among all other high-ranking officials among Trump’s allies. A staunch defender of Ukraine, Pompeo could emerge as a a surprise pick for the post.

Chad Wolf

Having served as acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf may emerge as Trump’s pick for the post he held for 14 months. Wolf had carried out Trump’s hardline immigration policies, and deployed agents to Portland to control protests during the riots that followed the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer.

He quit on January 11, 2021, just days after the January 6 Capitol attack.