Trump names more cabinet picks

(The Center Square) – President-Elect Donald Trump has named several more names to fill out his cabinet as the Trump administration begins to take form.

Trump named veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of Defense and former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

“From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public,” Trump said. “When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People.”

Trump also named former Congresswoman and current governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem, to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

“She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times,” Trump said. “She will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the Border, and will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries.”

The announcement that has immediately grabbed the most attention is Trump’s decision to name billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to help with a new initiative.

“I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (‘DOGE’). 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 – Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement.”

Trump also announced William Joseph McGinley will serve as White House Counsel and Steven C. Witkoff to be Special Envoy to the Middle East.

Those announcements come after Trump had already announced other picks and more are expected this week.

As The Center Square previously reported, Trump named former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, a veteran, to serve as the Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

In addition, Trump chose U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as Secretary of State and named former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan as his new “border czar.”

Trump also said Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., will serve as national security advisor, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will serve as ambassador to Israel, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will serve as ambassador to the U.N.