iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Before taking office, Donald Trump and his transition team managed to fill each Cabinet position, checking off one of the top priorities in the transition process by staffing the incoming administration.
At a Jan. 19 press conference, then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence said, “I’m proud to be at a place where we’ve named our entire cabinet before we reach that historic day tomorrow.”
More than 170 people interviewed for a position in the Trump administration prior to the election and more than 200 people received a “full vetting and full review” since the election, according to Pence.
A number of appointees have already had their Senate confirmation hearings. All Cabinet-level appointments need to be confirmed by the Senate before they are officially appointed.
While it’s been a custom for the next president to pick an appointee from the opposite party as a way to extend an olive branch, none of Trump’s Cabinet nominees are Democrats. His Cabinet includes one African-American man and three women — one of which is Asian-American and another is Indian-American.
Here is the full list of Cabinet picks:
Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson, CEO ExxonMobil Corporation – Offer announced Dec. 13.
Tillerson, who has spent his career at ExxonMobil, would be the first secretary of state without government or military experience if confirmed. He has a decades-long business relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which has raised eyebrows among Democratic and some Republican lawmakers.
The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Tillerson in early January.
Attorney General
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. – Offer announced on Nov. 18
Sessions, the senator from Alabama who is currently in his fourth term, has been a longtime Trump supporter who campaigned with him throughout the election.
Education Secretary
Betsy DeVos – Offer announced on Nov. 23
DeVos, a Michigan education activist and major GOP donor, is an advocate for school choice and charter schools, and has drawn criticism in conservative circles for being associated with groups that support Common Core.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Rep. Tom Price – Offer announced on Nov. 28
The Georgia Republican, who met with Trump in New York City earlier this month, is a longtime Obamacare critic and was one of the first House committee chairmen to endorse the presidential candidate.
Secretary of Transportation
Elaine Chao – Offer announced Nov. 29
Chao previously served as labor secretary for former President George W. Bush and was the only Cabinet official to serve through all eight years of his presidency.
Secretary of Treasury
Steven Mnuchin – Announced Nov. 30
Mnuchin worked for 17 years at Goldman Sachs where he served as the chief information officer. He also founded the investment firm Dune Capital Management and the entertainment financing company RatPac-Dune Entertainment.
Secretary of Commerce
Wilbur Ross – Announced Nov. 30
Ross is a billionaire investor and founder of the investment firm W.L. Ross and Co. Ross has been described as the “King of Bankruptcy” for his work restructuring failed companies, and was a key economic adviser to Trump during his run for the presidency.
Secretary of Defense
Gen. James Mattis (Ret.) – Confirmed Jan. 20
Mattis retired from the Marine Corps in 2013 following a storied 41-year career that included leading U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and in Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War. He most recently served as head of U.S. Central Command. In addition to his nomination requiring Senate confirmation, Congress would also have to pass a special law to exempt Mattis from the requirement that commissioned officers be out of active duty at least seven years before serving as defense secretary. Congress passed a measure last week to expedite that process.
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Dr. Ben Carson – Offer announced Dec. 5
Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, was once Trump’s rival during the 2016 Republican primaries and now serves as the vice chairman on the Trump transition team. He has never held elected office or worked in government.
Secretary of Department of Homeland Security
Gen. John Kelly – Confirmed Jan. 20
Kelly is a retired four-star general and the former commander of U.S. Southern Command. In addition to his experience leading troops overseas, he is known for his strong knowledge of border issues and the drug trade in South and Central America.
Secretary of the Interior
Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont. – Announced Dec. 15
Zinke is the member of Congress from Montana and a retired Navy SEAL. Zinke endorsed Trump for president back in May.
Donald Trump Jr., an avid hunter and outdoorsman, was involved in the Interior secretary selection process, including telephone calls and meetings with the candidates, according to a source familiar with the process.
Secretary of Energy
Rick Perry – Announced Dec. 14
The former Texas governor will lead the federal agency he said he wanted to eliminate but couldn’t name in his famous “oops” moment during a 2011 GOP primary debate.
Secretary of Veteran Affairs
Dr. David Shulkin – Announced Jan. 11, 2017
Shulkin is currently serving as under secretary of health for the VA under the Obama administration. If confirmed, Shulkin would be the first VA secretary in the agency’s history not to have served in the military.
Secretary of Agriculture
Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Purdue – Announced Jan. 19, 2017
Perdue, 70, served as the Republican governor of Georgia from 2003 to 2011. He worked on Trump’s agricultural advisory committee during his presidential campaign.
There have been several other high-profile picks for positions considered Cabinet-level:
Chief of Staff
Reince Priebus – Appointed Nov. 13. This is the only Cabinet-level position that does not need Senate confirmation.
The selection of Priebus as Trump’s chief of staff was the first Cabinet-level announcement.
Ambassador to the United Nations
Gov. Nikki Haley – Offer announced on Nov. 23. This position requires Senate confirmation.
Haley, the child of Indian immigrants, brings diversity to the nascent administration but has had little international experience as governor of South Carolina.
Administrator of Small Business Administration
Linda McMahon – Announced Dec. 7
Linda McMahon is the co-founder and former CEO of WWE, and prior to the announcement was an adviser to global businesses as part of APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council. McMahon also served on the Connecticut Board of Education and serves on the boards of Sacred Heart University and the Close Up Foundation. She was a top donor to Trump through his campaign. She ran for the U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut in 2010 and 2012, losing both times.
Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency
Scott Pruitt – Announced Dec. 7
Pruitt is the Oklahoma Attorney General and has been a critic against the EPA. Pruitt’s actions largely mirror Trump’s own rhetoric on the campaign trail, framing the EPA as an all-too-powerful agency pursuing an ideological agenda based on what he considers dubious science.
And then there were two other early announcements that are senior positions but outside of the Cabinet:
National Security Advisor (non-Cabinet senior position)
Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn (Ret.) – Offer announced Nov. 18
Flynn was a prominent campaign surrogate for Trump throughout the election cycle, often introducing the candidate at rallies and appearing on television in support of Trump.
CIA Director (non-Cabinet agency position)
Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan. – Offer announced Nov. 18. This position requires Senate confirmation.
Pompeo, who supported Sen. Marco Rubio during the GOP primaries, represents Kansas’ 4th Congressional District.
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