BuzzFeed News has obtained a list of 41 people who have apparently been selected by President-Elect Donald Trump’s team to make up the top layers of his administration next year.
On the list are some familiar faces like former governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Gov. Chris Christie, along with some lesser known names like Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr., who is apparently being considered for attorney general, BuzzFeed reports.
The list covers positions in 13 different departments, including the Department of Defense, the State Department, the Education Department (which Trump talked about cutting completely during his campaign) and the Treasury Department.
BuzzFeed reports that an anonymous source who is familiar with the list says it is not final, and that even now it may have been narrowed down or had names added to it.
While many positions have two or three potential candidates listed, in some situations there appears to be only one nominee. For example, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus is the only name listed for chief of staff, BuzzFeed reports.
Some surprising possibilities include Ben Carson as secretary of education (he’s a surgeon) and Sarah Palin for secretary of the interior. BuzzFeed speculates that these picks might be due to their loyalty, or maybe even just to “create buzz.” Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who presided over the unconstitutional stop-and-frisk program, is listed as a possibility for attorney general.
There is concern within the campaign about finding high-profile women to serve in the Trump cabinet, Politico reports, given Trump’s history with women.
According to Politico, team Trump wants to hire from the private sector whenever possible, so we can expect to see quite a few businessmen in the White House in a few months’ time.