Associated Press

President-elect Donald Trump is beginning to fill key positions in his second administration, focusing so far on aides and allies who have been his strongest supporters during the 2024 campaign.

Here’s a look at who has selected so far.

Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff

Wiles, 67, was a senior advisor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and his de facto manager.

Wiles has experience in Florida politics. She helped Ron DeSantis win his first run for governor of Florida. Six years later, she was the key to Trump’s defeat in the 2024 Republican primary.

Wiles’ hiring was Trump’s first major decision as president-elect and one that could be a defining test of his future administration given her close relationship with the president-elect. Wiles is said to have earned Trump’s trust in part by guiding what has been the most disciplined of Trump’s three presidential campaigns.

Wiles was able to keep Trump on track like few others, not criticizing his impulses but earning his respect by demonstrating success after taking his advice.

Tom Homan, “Border Czar”

Homan, 62, he was pregnant with Trump’s top priority to carry out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history.

Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration as head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was expected to be offered a post related to the border, an issue Trump has made central to his campaign.

Although Homan has insisted that such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a staunch supporter of Trump’s policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to “conduct the largest operation of deportation this country has ever seen.”

Democrats criticized Homan for defending Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border.

Elise Stefanik, UN Ambassador

Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump’s staunchest defenders returning to his first impeachment.

Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was chosen by her colleagues in the House of Representatives to serve as chair of the House Republican Conference in 2021, when former Wyoming representative Liz Cheney was removed from office after publicly criticizing Trump for supporting in falsely that he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has since filled that role as the third member of the House leadership.

Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over anti-Semitism on their campuses helped lead to the resignation of two of those presidents, further raising her national profile.

If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the UN as Trump promises to end Russia’s war against Ukraine that began in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and invading Lebanon to target Hezbollah. .

Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

Miller, year the hardline immigranthe was a vocal spokesman during the presidential campaign for Trump’s priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old served as a senior adviser during Trump’s first administration.

Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump’s policy decisions, particularly his move to separate thousands of immigrant families.

Trump argued during the campaign that the nation’s economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as president of America First Legal, an organization of former Trump advisers that aims to challenge the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others on issues such as free speech and national security .