Trump in the White House: A Glimpse into a Potential Presidency

Tech billionaire, vaccination opponent, immigration hardliner: Trump has a number of allies who could secure important government jobs. Who could be in charge in Washington soon?

Donald Trump promises his country a prosperous future, a “golden age.” During the election campaign, the Republican indicated who he wanted to have by his side for his second term in office and spoke of the “best minds” in the country. Critics, on the other hand, see the potential candidates as more of a “chamber of horrors” because some of them spread conspiracy theories and display a questionable understanding of democracy.

There are no concrete announcements yet about who the newly elected 47th President of the USA wants to form his cabinet. But some names are already circulating. Who could Trump trust with what tasks? Overview

During the election campaign, Trump had promised to trust the technological billionaire Elon Musk with the leadership of a committee that would scrutinize the spending of the US government if he won the election on November 5th. Whether it will make this happen remains to be seen. However, Musk actively interfered in Trump’s election campaign, including giving millions in donations to voters. It stands to reason that the 53-year-old man will claim an important job for himself.

However, there could be a conflict of interest because Musk’s company SpaceX is a contractor for the US government and Tesla is dependent on the decisions of US regulators. At the same time, Musk’s electric car factory is the focus of several investigations. Therefore, observers consider the job of minister to be unquestionable, but the role of counsel is not. Musk is also the owner of the online platform X, on which he often spreads conspiracy theories.

Richard Grenell is a well-known name in Berlin. As president, Trump sent him as ambassador to Germany in 2018 – and Grenell hardly made any friends in political Berlin. He never felt treated very well there. Grenell did not ignore criticism of then Chancellor Angela Merkel – NATO commitments were often the subject of discussion. German diplomats still have to take a deep breath when Grenell comes up.

Even after his time in Berlin, Grenell repeatedly dealt with Germany. When the Foreign Office took aim at a statement made by Trump from a televised contest during the election campaign on Platform X, Grenell did not go unnoticed. He called the intervention after the election and wrote: “We clearly see this and will act accordingly.”

Grenell’s name comes up again and again when it comes to filling the important post of foreign minister. In terms of foreign policy, the 58-year-old represents Trump’s “America First” policy. And even if Grenell does not move into the State Department in Washington, the loyalist is likely to be considered for a job in the Trump administration.

A few days before the election, Trump announced that he would entrust a role in health policy to the well-known anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy had previously announced that Trump had promised him “control” of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture. He announced that he wanted to make Americans healthier, among other things, by moving away from the widespread use of pesticides in agriculture.

Kennedy initially ran in the presidential election as an independent candidate, but then withdrew his already hopeless candidacy and switched to the Trump camp. He comes from the prominent Kennedy family and is criticized for spreading conspiracy theories and links to extreme right-wing politicians.