MILWAUKEE — With J.D. Vance named as the Republican vice presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump has already cleared out his pool of candidates to fill his second Cabinet position, with more than a dozen Republicans vying for the No. 2 spot on the shortlist.
If Trump wins in November, he will have to fill 15 Cabinet posts as a consolation prize for whoever loses out as his running mate, as well as hundreds of other positions in the White House and across federal agencies.
And it is only natural that Trump would grill the senators, congressmen, governors and former rivals his campaign has already vetted, campaigned with him for months and defended convicted felons on cable news.
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Many don’t have to leave their current jobs if they don’t want to, and some are waiting for the opportunity to run for president, but the pull of a presidential appointment can be strong.
From “Little Marco” to Secretary of State?
People who know Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) say he would be a particularly good fit for the job, as he stands to become chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee if Republicans take control of the Senate in November.
Rubio and Trump had a bitter rivalry in the 2016 Republican primary, with Trump forcing Rubio out of the race with insults including the pejorative “Little Marco,” but Rubio was considered a front-runner to challenge Trump for the 2024 nomination.
“I think he’s a natural fit to be our chief statesman around the world,” said Tom Rooney, a former Florida congressman who co-chaired Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign in Florida.
Dario Moreno, a political science professor who teaches three courses with Rubio at Florida International University, said that as America’s top diplomat, Rubio would be able to calm the nerves of European allies.
“I think he’s an ideal choice for secretary of state, and he’d be a calming presence, especially for the Europeans,” Moreno said. “I think he’s the right choice, he’s close enough to the president to serve, and I think having Rubio there would ease the fears of allies who are nervous.”
From the plains to the swamps?
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum launched his own presidential campaign in June 2024, emerging from political obscurity to become one of President Trump’s leading surrogates.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-Ill.) said Burgum’s “background in both business and government will make him an excellent fit for any Cabinet position.”
Both Cramer and Republican consultant Alex Conant cited Burgum as a good choice for Commerce, Interior and Agriculture. Cramer also mentioned him as a possible Energy secretary. Conant added the EPA to the list.
“He leads an energy and agriculture state,” Conant said. “It’s common for Midwestern governors to become secretaries of agriculture.”
Ramaswamy hints at Department of Homeland Security
Vivek Ramaswami, a 38-year-old former biotech entrepreneur who endorsed MAGA as part of his presidential campaign, was in early discussions as a vice presidential candidate but did not make the final selection.
In an interview in Milwaukee on Monday, Ramaswami told USA Today he’s interested in working to dismantle the “administrative state,” which he describes as the network of government officials who interpret and implement federal laws passed by Congress and executive policies set by the president. He called the administrative state an “unconstitutional fourth branch of government.”
During his vice presidential campaign, Ramaswami hinted at other attractive roles in the Trump administration, including as secretary of Homeland Security, a post that would oversee immigration enforcement.
But given his business background, “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he ended up in an economics role,” Conant said.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is reportedly seeking the top post at the National Rifle Association rather than a Cabinet post, and she dropped out as a vice presidential candidate shortly after publishing a book that included a story about how decades ago she killed a puppy that was struggling to be trained to be a hunting dog.
Ben Carson, who served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during Trump’s first term, was never at the forefront of consideration for a vice presidential candidate, but his loyalty as one of the few Cabinet members who remained loyal to Trump throughout the four years could secure him a spot in a second Trump administration.
Some of the senators and representatives nominated may not want to leave their jobs.
“It depends on the senator and where they are in their career, but I’m not sure why anyone would leave the Senate to become a cabinet member,” Cramer said.
If Republicans take control of the Senate, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., would become chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Scott has pledged to serve only two terms, with his second term ending in 2028.
“Tim Scott will be great wherever he serves, wherever he wants to serve. I’d like Tim to stay in the Senate if not as vice president, because he’s very important to us,” Cramer said, “but I’m confident we can replace him with a Republican, that’s the most important thing, and I’ll give him a little bit of seniority.”
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Conant said Scott would be suitable for almost any Cabinet post if he were to leave the Senate.
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York serves as chair of the House Republican Conference and could one day become Speaker of the House.
When asked by USA Today if she would like the No. 2 position, Stefanik replied, “I would be honored to serve in the Trump Administration in any capacity.”
Republican Governor Punts
Several governors have sidestepped speculation about serving in a Trump administration: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a former spokesman for President Trump, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have all said they are happy in their current jobs.
Those hoping for a long political career and a shot at the presidency may not think the White House or a Cabinet post is necessarily a rosy prospect: Several members of President Trump’s first Cabinet term saw their careers and reputations implode.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was hounded by activists throughout her time in public life. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson left a high-paying job as CEO of ExxonMobil only to be fired by Trump about a year later. Attorney General Jeff Sessions left a long career in the Senate to run for the president only to be fired about a year and a half into his term. He tried to return to the Senate but lost to a candidate backed by Trump.
Trump’s second cabinet is expected to be very different from his first: No more political novices who hired friends and business associates and sought party help to fill the remaining posts.
This approach has left Trump with a mixed bag of appointees who were unprepared for the job, unaware of government ethics rules and unrelated appointees who were resistant to the reforms he wanted.
Trump’s cabinet has seen record turnover, with some personnel replaced so frequently that many never even received a formal Senate hearing and instead served only in “interim” capacities.
“I’m not going to bring back a lot of those people,” Trump told Time magazine in April. “Some of them were great, but some of them were bad.”
“My strength now is that I know everybody,” he says. “I know people. I know the good people, the bad people, the stupid people, the smart people.”
Contributors: Ken Tran, Zachary Anderson, and Riley Begin
