Donald Trump announces top nominees for his new administration, including John Ratcliffe as CIA Director, Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defence, and Elon Musk.

Trump names more nominations, border still in focus

United States President-elect Donald Trump continues to add to his new Administration, set to take over in January.&nbsp;On Wednesday (Tuesday GMT) Trump confirmed John Ratcliffe will serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), after advising the former-and-future President on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-erratic-foreign-policy-meet-a-world-fire-2024-11-06/">national security policy</a>&nbsp;during his 2024 election campaign.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Trump named Army National Guard officer and&nbsp;Fox News Channel host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defence. The 44-year-old has been <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6355106230112">outspoken against diversity</a>, equity and inclusion in the military.&nbsp;"Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First," <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pete-hegseth-defense-secretary/">Trump said in a statement.</a> "With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice - Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down."&nbsp;As anticipated, <a href="https://azzet.com/news/tesla-shares-surge-on-trump-victory-musk-set-to-gain">Elon Musk</a> and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.&nbsp;Trump said that Musk and Ramaswamy: "will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”&nbsp;And South Dakota's governor Kristi Noem will serve as the next&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-picks-south-dakota-gov-kristi-noem-homeland-security-secretary-cnn-reports-2024-11-12/">homeland security secretary</a>, despite having little national security experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;Noem is a supporter of tough border security and said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KristiNoem?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">X post</a> that she looked forward to working with Homan to "make America SAFE again."&nbsp;&nbsp;The 52-year-old garnered nationwide attention after refusing to impose a statewide mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;Former New York congressman Lee Zeldin has been picked to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, with cutting regulations the main priority.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/nov/11/kremlin-denies-reports-of-trump-putin-ukraine-war-call-us-politics-live">Trump said</a>: “Lee, with a very strong legal background, has been a true fighter for America First policies. He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://sources.azzet.com/media/2394/df3330f8-2f82-493c-ab2f-7eac045a00e2.jpg" alt="U.S. flag behind barbed wire." onerror="this.src=&quot;/images/News/NewsInfoPlug.png&quot;;"><figcaption>U.S. flag behind barbed wire. Credit: Pixabay</figcaption></figure>Trump’s campaign promise of a broad crackdown on immigration has seen him name a former border patrol agent on his <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump">Truth Social account</a> on Monday (Tuesday AEDT).&nbsp;&nbsp;Thomas Homan will be in charge of the U.S. borders and prioritise deporting illegal immigrants who pose safety and security threats to the country. &nbsp;&nbsp;Homan has worked in law enforcement for over 30 years, including as a border patrol agent and served as a senior immigration official in Trump’s last Administration.&nbsp;&nbsp;Homan has vocally declared he is an avid supporter of Trump’s immigration rhetoric and mass deportation plans.&nbsp;&nbsp;The policy details for Trump’s next administration are still unclear, however Homan has suggested the incoming Republicans could resume large-scale immigration raids on workplaces to target unauthorised workers.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Public safety threats and national security threats will be the priority...they pose the most danger to this country," <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-appoint-former-ice-director-tom-homan-countrys-border-czar-2024-11-11/">Homan told Fox News in an interview</a>, adding: "Worksite operations have to happen."&nbsp;Vice President-elect JD Vance has suggested he could potentially remove an estimated one million people per year.&nbsp;Last Thursday Trump announced that one of his two campaign managers, Susie Wiles will be his <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-20-who-would-be-running-top-jobs-trumps-second-administration-2024-11-06/">White House chief of staff</a>. &nbsp;Elise Stefanik is Trump's pick to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik is a New York Representative and a vocal supporter of Trump. And Stephen Miller was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Policy. Miller is a longtime adviser to Trump and an immigration hard-liner.

Trump's picks for key Cabinet roles; border remains focus

News

Discover opportunities from Azzet™ members

Featured investments

Read popular news stories from Azzet’s business editors

Trending news

Browse upcoming business & networking events near you

Upcoming events

Discover helpful insights from verified executives

Featured insights

Discover these popular investment opportunities

Popular listings

Trump's picks for key Cabinet roles; border remains focus | Azzet™ - Where decisions are made