The US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he wants to appoint a television presenter as defense minister in times of great international tensions and military conflicts: Pete Hegseth is best known to viewers of the right-wing conservative TV channel Fox News and was once a soldier himself, but has no political experience or expertise in national security .
The tech billionaire Elon Musk in turn – in an unusual role outside the government but in collaboration with the White House – is intended to help Trump cut spending and reduce bureaucracy. This personality is also highly controversial, as the richest person in the world and boss of various companies could be suspected of having some conflicts of interest – and as the head of the online platform Ex-Siemens boss Joe Kaeser expects that Musk becomes the first oligarch in the USA
could rise.
The future president announced further decisions regarding senior personnel, such as the head of the Department of Homeland Security, and is thus accelerating in putting together his government team. On January 20th, Trump is scheduled to replace current President Joe Biden in the White House.
Biden meets successor in the White House
Part of the complex procedure for the transfer of power is a meeting between the incumbent president and his chosen successor, which is scheduled for today: The two political rivals sit down in the Oval Office, the president’s office in the White House. Such a meeting is part of normal business. However, Trump broke with tradition in 2020 and neither invited Biden to the White House nor attended his inauguration. It is unclear whether Trump’s wife Melania will also come to the government headquarters – and thus follow an invitation from the current First Lady Jill Biden.
Before his appointment at the White House, Trump plans to meet with leading Republicans in Congress. It is still unclear whether the Republicans will have the say in both chambers of Parliament in the future. They have already secured a majority in the Senate. Many of Trump’s personal details have to be confirmed there. And when it comes to filling the top positions at the Pentagon, even Trump’s party colleagues might have some questions.
A TV presenter as defense minister
The candidate for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has no political experience apart from an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the Minnesota State Senate – but is said to be one of the most important ministries in the Pentagon USA lead. CNN quoted a Pentagon official as saying: “Everyone is just shocked.”
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Pete Hegseth becomes Defense Minister: “Everyone is just shocked”
Photo: Timothy A. Clary / AFP
Trump, on the other hand, enthused that Hegseth had spent “his life fighting for the troops and the country” and was a staunch supporter of the “America First” policy. Trump highlighted Hegseth’s military experience, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a presenter on Fox News and as an author, Hegseth campaigned for veterans for many years.
A multi-billionaire as savings commissioner
In the newly created “Department of Government Efficiency,” the eccentric businessman Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy are supposed to help streamline government spending, reduce bureaucracy and eliminate unnecessary regulations. The advisory body will not be part of the government, but should work closely with the White House to advance comprehensive structural reforms, Trump said. The work should be completed by July 2026.
Musk donated around $120 million to Trump’s campaign and sees reducing government spending as an urgent task. However, his new role presents potential conflicts of interest as his car company Tesla receives state funding and the space company SpaceX, which is also run by Musk, benefits from government contracts worth billions. In addition, an investigation by the US traffic safety authority NHTSA against Tesla is currently underway.
A controversial governor as homeland security secretary
With South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Trump has chosen a staunch supporter to lead the Department of Homeland Security. The department is responsible for immigration and border protection – and Trump has made mass deportations a central priority of his term in office.
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Kristi Noem becomes Secretary of Homeland Security: The governor shot her dog herself because it wasn’t good as a hunting dog
Photo: Angela Weiss / AFP
Noem was “very committed to border security” and was the first governor to send National Guard soldiers to “help Texas combat the Biden border crisis,” Trump said. Noem was at times discussed as his running mate during the election campaign, but her memoirs made negative headlines: In it, Noem described how she shot her young dog, Cricket, with her own hands because she was unsuitable as a hunting dog. She later explained that this showed her willingness to make tough decisions.
An old confidant as CIA chief
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John Ratcliffe becomes CIA chief: cross-party doubts about his professional qualifications
Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP
Trump wants to entrust the CIA foreign intelligence service to his long-time companion John Ratcliffe. The former congressman from Texas already worked as intelligence coordinator in Trump’s first term in office and was criticized at the time. The Democrats accused him, among other things, of abusing his position for political purposes. Before his appointment, there were also cross-party doubts about his professional qualifications for the post. Trump now praised Ratcliffe as a “fighter for the truth”.
More on the topic
Trump also wants Republican Representative Mike Waltz at his side as national security adviser. Real estate investor Steven Witkoff is to become special envoy to the Middle East, and lawyer Bill McGinley is to serve as legal advisor in the White House. Trump had announced further personal details in the days before.