A Guide to the MAGA Loyalists

Trump Campaign Co-Chair Susie Wiles has been rewarded for her success reelecting Trump with one of the most powerful positions in the Executive Branch: White House Chief of Staff.

Wiles, an effective if publicity shy political operative, is the first woman to ever hold the position. She will have a direct hand in shaping the tone and makeup of Trump’s second administration, and a direct line of communication to the man she helped elect. Trump has an abysmal track record retaining his chiefs of staff, however, especially those who seek to curb his impulsiveness. Wiles may find herself walking a shaky tightrope to keep his favor, but she’s in his good graces for now.

Longtime border hawk Tom Homan — who was a driving force behind the first Trump administration’s family-separation policy — was one the fist appointments the president-elect made following his victory, a sign that his campaign promise of mass deportations and a crackdown on immigration remains a priority. 

Homan will be “in charge of our Nation’s Borders (‘The Border Czar’)” and be “in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post announcing the news. Homan previously served as the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation enforcement under President Barack Obama — where he set records for undocumented immigrant removals — and as acting director of ICE under Trump. Homan has suggested family-separation will not be an issue in Trump’s second term — as the administration can simply deport entire families together. 

Stefanik, a U.S. House representative from New York, has been one of Trump’s most fervent supporters in Congress. She was rewarded for it when the president-elect announced her nomination for ambassador to the United Nations. “She will be an incredible Ambassador to the United Nations, delivering Peace through Strength and America First National Security policies!” Trump wrote.

Stefanik is also likely to put Israel first. She has been a staunch advocate for the nation as it has bombarded Gaza, leading the congressional crusade against university presidents who she feels didn’t do enough to crack down on pro-Palestine protests, and attacking the U.N. as “antisemitic” for not being more deferential to Israel as it laid waste to Gaza.

Stephen Miller was a key Trump adviser during the president-elect’s first term in office, especially on immigration. He spent his four-year interim from the White House crafting plans to further carry out the draconian immigration policy, and he has become a key member of the Trump braintrust building out legal and logistical strategies to round up and deport millions of undocumented migrants with little to no due process. 

His appointment to a major policy role in Trump’s second term is a clear affirmation of the priority the incoming administration is placing on its immigration platform. Miller’s influence will extend far beyond immigration policy alone.

In 2021, former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) earned himself the worst lifetime record on environmental policy in the entire New York congressional delegation from the League of Conservation Voters. He will now head the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Zeldin’s priority will not be the preservation and protection of America’s natural habitats, but “unleashing America’s energy potential,” as Trump often puts it, through deregulation, increased fossil fuel reliance, and a decisive move away from green energy initiatives. 

In a statement announcing Zeldin’s appointment, Trump wrote that he “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards.”

Trump and Rubio famously feuded during the 2016 Republican primary, with the Florida senator mocking Trump’s hand size and Trump responding on the debate stage by defending his manhood. Rubio, like many other former Trump critics in Congress, has since come around, and is one among the most MAGA members of the Senate. Trump is now expected to nominate him as Secretary of State.

Rubio is a China hawk who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Intelligence Committee. He’s also been very clear about his belief that Israel should have free rein to respond to whatever it deems necessary to take out Hamas, emphatically telling protesters that he doesn’t want a ceasefire, that he wants Israel to “destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on,” and that Hamas is solely to blame for deaths of the civilians Israel has killed in Gaza. Rubio also wrote a letter to current Secretary of State Antony Blinken asking him to “eradicate” anyone who “endorses” Hamas from the United States.

Trump has reportedly tapped puppy-killing South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to head the Department of Homeland Security, the agency tasked with carrying out Trump’s extremist immigration agenda. Pending Senate confirmation, Noem will be in charge of everything from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP,) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to the Secret Service, the Coast Guard, and the TSA. Her key qualifications seem to be an undying loyalty to Trump and staunch support for his immigration agenda.

Noem was reportedly on the short list for Trump’s vice presidential pick, but lost favor after bragging in her memoir about shooting and killing a pet puppy she found unmanageable. Maybe it was the inherent cruelty, maybe it was her justification that the puppy execution showed how she doesn’t “shy away from tough challenges” — but something about Noem led Trump to select her to oversee one of the dirtiest jobs in Trump’s presidential Cabinet.

National Security Adviser under Trump hasn’t exactly been the most stable job. Michael Flynn was his first one, but resigned after less than a month after admitting he lied about his foreign communications before Trump took office. Then came H.R. McMaster, whom Trump ultimately fired and has since trashed. Then came John Bolton. Ditto. Robert O’Brien, Trump’s final National Security Adviser, was rumored to be in contention to land the role to start of Trump’s second term, but he is reportedly giving the gig to Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.)

Waltz is a Trump loyalist and veteran who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and House Intelligence Committee. He’s known as a China and Iran hawk, voted against military support for Ukraine, and is an ardent supporter of Israel. The New York Times also points out that he’s become a fixture on Fox News discussing foreign policy, which may be his most important qualification for Trump.