As former President Donald Trump ’s reelection campaign gains momentum, the Republican National Convention provided the stage for numerous potential future Cabinet members.
After Trump decided that Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) would be his running mate, he called the other top contenders, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), to let them know that he had selected someone else. However, he referred to Burgum as “Mr. Secretary,” implying that a Cabinet role was waiting for the former presidential candidate.
Burgum took the stage on Wednesday evening to speak about energy policy. “Teddy Roosevelt encouraged America to speak softly and carry a big stick,” Burgum said. “Energy dominance will be the big stick that President Trump will carry.” As such, it seems that he is a shoo-in for the job of secretary of energy.
Rubio, on the other hand, is seen as a potential candidate for secretary of state. However, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also seems interested in getting his old job back. To make things even more complicated, former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell has been trying to position himself for the role of secretary of state as well. Grenell has been trying the hardest to appeal to Trump’s base and outlined a dovish foreign policy vision in his speech to convention delegates.
Furthermore, Trump has floated Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) for top national security roles. Cotton addressed the convention on Tuesday evening, focusing on the importance of “a secure border and an immigration system that works for all of our citizens."
Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has expressed his interest in serving in the Trump administration, potentially as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security so that he could oversee immigration. An economic role could be just as plausible. However, as Ramaswamy is a resident of Ohio, he has also said he is open to replacing Vance in the Senate.
Ben Carson, who served as secretary of housing and urban development under the first Trump administration, seems likely to earn a Cabinet position again. He had earlier been considered as a potential running mate for Trump, as he has remained fairly loyal to the former president. Additionally, Trump recently said that he would consider JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon to be treasury secretary.
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While the first Trump administration was plagued by personnel issues and had a high level of Cabinet turnover, the second Trump administration is likely to be more unified in its goals. It remains to be seen, however, how different it will be from a more traditional Republican administration. Vance's selection to be vice president signals that Trump is seeking to fully redefine what conservative governance means.
Trump is seeking to institutionalize Trumpism in the GOP. While his first term did not necessarily accomplish this, his second term might.
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