Trophy Cabinet: The big hitters being floated for a new Trump administration – Washington Examiner

Former President Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and his team is reportedly already floating ideas for a second-term Cabinet if he wins the November election against President Joe Biden.

The names being considered include two of Trump’s former GOP primary opponents, according to a Bloomberg report that cited anonymous sources familiar with the conversations.

The report claimed that Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran against the former president in the primary but was always complimentary of Trump throughout the campaign, has been ruled out for vice president, but he is being considered for Homeland Security secretary, among other Cabinet positions.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump (right) speaks as Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC, center) and Vivek Ramaswamy (left) watch at a primary election night party in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Ramaswamy isn’t the only former opponent Trump is considering employing in a future administration.

Vice president

Few 2024 rivals are in contention for a spot next to Trump at the top of the ticket in November. But Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is one person the former president hasn’t ruled out.

Scott’s hard-line views on abortion, a topic Trump has said he thinks is a weakness for Republicans, could complicate his viability, but the senator has received support from fellow Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John Thune (R-SD).

Other contenders to be the former president’s vice presidential nominee include Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX).

A decision on who Trump’s running mate will be is likely to occur before the Republican National Convention between July 15 and July 18 in Milwaukee.

Energy secretary

Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) is one of the wealthiest governors in the country, worth an estimated $1.1 billion he amassed after he sold a software company to Microsoft in 2001.

While he doesn’t have a background in energy, Burgum, like Trump, is a strong supporter of fossil fuels and made energy a primary pillar of his White House run.

Burgum’s support for fossil fuels didn’t prevent him from advocating energy independence or leading the country into a carbon-free future. On the campaign trail, the governor talked about his state’s pledge “to get to carbon neutrality by 2030, and we’re doing it with zero mandates, zero regulations.”

Chief of staff

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s rocky relationship with Trump was never as fraught as more powerful figures such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who also came around to line up behind Trump when it was clear he was going to be the party’s nominee.

Though he has left Congress, McCarthy’s connections to members on the Hill and his relationships with other people in Washington are something Trump values, according to the report.

If Trump wins in November, it wouldn’t be the first time he offered McCarthy a job. The former speaker turned down Trump’s offer to be his chief of staff previously, instead opting to stay in the House so he could wield the gavel.

Attorney general

After rotating through multiple acting and confirmed attorneys general in his first term, Trump is considering dipping into the Senate to elevate his next top law enforcement official.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT) have both been floated as options, given their relationships with other senators and what should be a relatively easy confirmation process.

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Trump famously clashed with Cruz on the campaign trail in 2016, but he appears to have recruited the fiery senator into his corner as he rose to the top of the party.

The Washington Examiner reached out to the Trump campaign for comment on the report.

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