US President-elect Donald Trump named new members of his incoming administration on Monday, selecting loyalists for several key posts after signaling his desire to confirm his cabinet without Senate oversight.

His personnel choices are the subject of intense speculation and scrutiny, with Trump promising that his second administration will oversee a radical shake-up of the federal government.

The 78-year-old Republican tycoon said Sunday he would nominate immigration official Tom Homan as the country’s “border czar,” while Lee Zeldin, an early political ally, has been tipped to head the U.S. Protection Agency Environment (EPA).

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York has been given the nod for UN ambassador, while US media say Stephen Miller, who was the architect of Trump’s so-called “Muslim ban” immigration policy during his first term, is following to be its deputy head. personal.

The election underscores Trump’s willingness to deliver on key campaign messages, with Homan’s tough stance on deportations and previous work as head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) making him a widely expected choice.

Trump promised to carry out “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country” early in his term — a goal Homan has previously embraced.

Stefanik, who has voiced strong support for Israel, will represent the administration as the UN grapples with the burning in Gaza and Lebanon.

The nominations of Stefanik and Zelden would need Senate approval, but Trump hopes to bypass the upper chamber by making appointments while it is in recess.

He turned the issue into a test of loyalty, insisting Saturday that any Republican who wants to be Senate leader “has to be OK” with recess appointments.

The three senators jockeying for the job immediately issued statements saying they supported the move or were at least open to the idea.

– Deregulation –

Trump will not be inaugurated until January and previously made a cabinet-level appointment, naming his campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, a position that does not require Senate confirmation.

Homan, a former acting director of ICE, has tough views on immigration, as does Miller, who served as Trump’s senior adviser and speechwriter during his first term.

Curbing illegal immigration has served as one of the central campaign promises of Trump, who has pledged to launch the largest round of deportations of undocumented immigrants in US history from day one.

“I’ve known Tom for a long time and there’s no one better at policing and controlling our borders,” Trump said of Homan on Truth Social, adding that he will be in charge of “all deportations of illegal aliens back to their country. of origin”.

As head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Trump said Zeldin would be tasked with making “right and quick deregulatory decisions,” with the Republican president vowing to dismantle safety and pollution rules he sees as an impediment for business owners.

Stefanik, a key ally of Trump, now in his fifth term, has been a staunch defender of Israel and will head to the UN as the wars in Gaza and Lebanon dominate diplomacy.

“The work ahead is immense as we see anti-Semitism skyrocketing, coupled with four years of catastrophically weak US leadership that has significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of allies and adversaries alike ,” she said in a statement on Monday.

Israel welcomed the appointment.

“At a time when hate and lies fill the halls of the UN, your unwavering moral clarity is needed more than ever,” his UN ambassador Danny Danon wrote on X, wishing him “success in standing firm for the truth and justice”.

bur-bfm-adp/dw