WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump and his team is rushing to fill cabinet positions after his re-election last week. National security picks, from the likes of Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mike Waltz as the next secretary of state and national security adviser, respectively, to TV stars and prominent far-right Christian figures, have stirred controversy.

Trump confirmed Rubio as his choice for secretary of state on Tuesday. Sen. has long had a soft spot for Iran, supporting Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) and supporting his campaign to push for tough sanctions on Iran.

Rubio is also a staunch supporter of Israel and has remained so throughout his war on Gaza. In an interview on October 9, 2023, when asked by CNN whether Israel could avoid civilian casualties in its pursuit of stopping Hamas, Rubio replied, “I don’t think there’s any way to expect Israel to coexist or to find a diplomatic side. -ramp with these savages. … You cannot coexist. They must be eradicated.” Reading Report by Elizabeth Hagedorn on the pick

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump confirmed that he has tapped Florida Republican Congressman Mike Waltz to serve as his national security adviser. Waltz, who previously served as a senior Pentagon policy official in the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, is widely known on the Hill as a leading China and Iran hawk and a supporter of Israel. Reading Reporting by Jared Szuba on the incoming national security adviser.

Trump also announced Tuesday his choice of prominent Jewish real estate investor and campaign donor Steve Witkoff to be his special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff has no experience in diplomacy, but is a close personal friend of the future president. Reading Report by Jack Dutton on Witkoff.

The president-elect has also used positions as ambassador to Israel and the United Nations. For the former, Trump on Tuesday announced his choice of former Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who maintains close ties to Israeli settler communities. In 2008, he said that “there really is no such thing as a Palestinian” and has since made several statements to the same effect. Reading Report by Rosaleen Carroll on Huckabee.

For US ambassador to the UN, Trump tapped New York Republican congresswoman and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik. Stefanik has criticized what she sees as an anti-Israel orientation of the UN, calling in October for a “complete reassessment of US funding of the United Nations”. Reading Report by Elizabeth Hagedorn.

To lead the Pentagon, Trump announced on Tuesday that he had chosen Fox News TV host Pete Hegseth, sending shockwaves through the US defense community. Hegseth, a Trump loyalist, is the host of “Fox & Friends” and a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The TV host has advocated for the elimination of diversity and inclusion programs in the military and called for the firing of top generals involved in such efforts. Reading Reporting by Jared Szuba on Hegseth.

On Wednesday, Trump announced his pick of controversial South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for Homeland Security Secretary. Noem, a rising figure in the now reshaped Republican Party, did little experience with homeland security issues, but has been a vocal critic of President Joe Biden’s border policy. In his controversial memoir published this year, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, Noem claimed to have met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his time in Congress. and said he canceled a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron because of an alleged “pro-Hamas” comment by him. Macron’s office said no meeting had ever been scheduled. Also, no evidence of a meeting with Kim Jong Un was found.

For CIA director, Trump on Wednesday tapped former Texas Republican congressman and director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, John Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe, who currently serves as co-chair of the Center on American Security at the conservative America First policy institute, is seen as a Trump loyalist and an Iran hawk. Reading Al-Monitor’s report on Ratcliffe.

Trump announced his pick of Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence on Wednesday, putting the former congresswoman from Hawaii in charge of overseeing all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. Trump’s selection of Gabbard has sparked controversy, rekindling accusations of her support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the spread of Russian propaganda. Reading Elizabeth Hagedorn’s report on Gabbard here.

Key foreign policy and national security positions — which will impact the Middle East and North Africa — remain to be filled, including the FBI director, several ambassadors to the Middle East and North Africa, the treasury secretary and more.