Here’s where Trump’s Cabinet nominees stand

A slate of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees have appeared before senators in recent weeks for key hearings on their road to confirmation.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) was the first to be confirmed, securing the secretary of State position with a unanimous vote on inauguration day. Other Trump picks, though, faced more resistance: Vice President Vance had to break a Senate tie to confirm Pete Hegseth as Trump’s secretary of Defense. 

A handful of other nominees have already advanced out of committees, teeing up floor votes. But hearings are yet to be scheduled for still more of Trump’s choices as he looks to solidify his inner circle of second-term advisers.

Here’s the latest on key Trump picks to join his administration:

Confirmed

Secretary of State: Marco Rubio

The Senate unanimously confirmed former Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as America’s 72nd secretary of State.

The vote came in on Trump’s inauguration day, cementing the first member of the president’s Cabinet just as he assumed office. 

Rubio’s seat in the Senate will be filled by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.  

CIA Director: John Ratcliffe

John Ratcliffe, Trump’s former director of national intelligence, will lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in his second term. 

After a largely cordial hearing, the Senate Intelligence Committee advanced his nomination with a 14-3 vote. The full chamber confirmed him 74-25, as 21 members who caucus with Democrats voted alongside every present Republican.  

After Rubio, Ratcliffe's confirmation puts half of Trump's national security team in place in his first week in office. 

Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth

Vance broke a Senate tie to confirm Hegseth as Trump’s secretary of Defense. 

GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine) and Mitch McConnell (Ky.) voted “no,” forcing the tiebreaker after a long battle over the nominee. 

Hegseth was the first of Trump’s Cabinet picks to appear before a Senate committee in the week ahead of his inauguration. The former Fox News host has been one of the president’s most controversial choices, drawing sharp criticism from Democrats over his qualifications, views on women in combat and allegations of infidelity and excessive drinking, which he denies.

The Senate had advanced Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Pentagon on a largely party-line, 51-49 vote. Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) voted against Hegseth.

Homeland Security secretary: Kristi Noem

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) was confirmed in a 59-34 vote to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Noem has been vocal about immigration and border issues, though the Mount Rushmore State is far from the U.S-Mexico line. She was floated as a possible running mate for Trump before a controversial anecdote from her memoir appeared to dull her chances.  

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced Noem by a largely bipartisan 13-2 vote. Senators then voted 61-39 to break a filibuster on her nomination and advance her to a final confirmation vote.

Treasury secretary: Scott Bessent

Scott Bessent, the billionaire founder and CEO of hedge fund Key Square Group, will lead the Treasury Department, overseeing U.S. financial security.

Senators voted 68-29 on Bessent’s nomination, making him the first openly LGBTQ Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate under a Republican president.

The Senate Finance Committee had voted 16-11 to advance Bessent, teeing up a floor vote. Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) notably bucked party lines to join Republicans in backing the nomination. The Senate then voted 67-23 to tee up a final passage on Bessent’s nomination.

Transportation secretary: Sean Duffy

Former Wisconsin congressman Sean Duffy, will oversee national transportation systems and infrastructure as Transportation secretary.

He cleared the Senate in a 77-22 vote after being unanimously advanced through his upper chamber panel and a procedural vote.

He told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee that, if confirmed, he’d dig into issues around Boeing and buck pressure to interfere with Tesla – the company helmed by top Trump ally Elon Musk.

Interior secretary: Doug Burgum

The Senate confirmed former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) to lead the Interior Department in a 79-18 vote, with a majority of Democrats joining Republicans to approve him.

The Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee had advanced Burgum, seen as one of the least controversial among Trump's nominees, by an 18-2 vote. 

Burgum, who ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, faced Democratic questions about the new administration’s controversial climate stances, though the hearing was largely cordial.

If confirmed to the post, Burgum would also be in charge of Trump’s new “Council of National Energy.”

EPA director: Lee Zeldin

Former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin (R) was confirmed to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a 56-42 vote. 

Democrats Mark Kelly (Ariz.), John Fetterman (Pa.) and Ruben Gallego (Ariz.) voted with Republicans to approve him. 

Zeldin had gone before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in January and advanced in an 11-8 vote, with Kelly as his lone Democratic supporter. 

In nominating Zeldin, the president promised that his pick 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.”

In Progress

Office of Management and Budget director: Russel Vought

Russell Vought is on track to be Trump’s next director of the Office of Management and Budget, reprising first-term role.

Democrats grilled Vought during in two hearings about his ties to Project 2025, the conservative Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for a second Trump term. 

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8-7 to advance the would-be budget chief. Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee advanced him 11-0, while Democratic committee members boycotted in protest. 

Senate Democrats had demanded that a vote on Vought be postponed after the budget office on Monday issued a memo freezing a swath of federal funding.  

Attorney General: Pam Bondi

Pam Bondi, Florida’s former attorney general, is Trump’s second choice to lead the Department of Justice after his initial pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) withdrew from consideration amid controversy.

Bondi was a senior adviser on the defense team for Trump’s first impeachment and has backed Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. 

She appeared earlier in January before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she was grilled by Democrats over Trump’s potential influence over a Bondi-led DOJ. She advanced from the panel on a party-line vote.

Housing and Urban Development secretary: Scott Turner

An alum of Trump’s first administration, Scott Turner was previously executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. For the president’s second term, he’s been tapped to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

The former NFL player appeared in January before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, and was advanced with a 13-11 vote. 

Energy secretary: Chris Wright

Chris Wright, the founder and CEO of Liberty Energy, is Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Energy Department amid Trump’s pledges to “drill, baby, drill” and roll back environmental regulations. 

The Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 15-5 to advance him. 

If confirmed to the post, Wright will also serve on a newly formed “Council of National Energy” led by Burgum.

United Nations ambassador: Elise Stefanik

Trump’s pick to represent the U.S. in the United Nations, Elise Stefanik, an outspoken Trump ally and defender of Israel, advanced out of the Foreign Relations Committee on a voice vote in January. 

Veterans Affairs secretary: Doug Collins

Former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, overseeing the body tasked with providing health care and other benefits to former members of the military. 

A vocal Trump ally and defender, Collins served as counsel for Trump after the 2020 presidential election, as Trump questioned Georgia’s election results. 

The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs advanced him by an 18-1 vote, with the lone dissent coming from Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). 

Agriculture secretary: Brooke Rollins

Brooke Rollins, a former White House aide in Trump’s first administration, appeared before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. A vote on whether to advance her is expected Monday, according to Bloomberg Government.

Health and Human Services secretary: RFK Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ran an independent bid for president in 2024 before endorsing Trump, is on tap to helm the Health and Human Services Department. 

But the vaccine skeptic has faced pushback from public health experts as senators ready to review the nomination.

Democrats grilled him during two hearings — before the enate Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — on his stances on vaccines, abortion access and more.

And even one Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), said he was "struggling" with the nomination.

Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee for a confirmation hearing on Jan. 30 and faced tough questions from both sides of the aisle about her past support for Edward Snowden, a meeting with now-deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and other controversial comments about Ukraine and Russia.

Gabbard's nomination is considered to be the shakiest among Trump's picks. She can't afford to lose any GOP votes and advance out of committe, and at least two Republicans, Sens. Todd Young (Ind.) and Susan Collins (Maine), have signaled they have misgivings.

Collins has said she doesn't believe Gabbard had a change of heart on a foreign surveillance tool upon which U.S. intelligence relies, while Young grilled Gabbard during the hearing about Snowden and appeared visibly frustrated with her answers.

Commerce Secretary: Howard Lutnick

Howard Lutnick, chair and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, is Trump’s pick for Commerce Secretary. Lutnick’s hearing was also reportedly held up by paperwork delays, but he appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

Lutnick assured senators during the hearing that he won't try to dismantle the nation's climate, oceans and weather science agency amid concerns that some Republicans think it should be broken up. 

SBA: Kelly Loeffler

Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) would serve as administrator of Trump’s second-term Small Business Administration. She was previously rumored to be Trump’s pick for secretary of Agriculture before the role went to Rollins.  

Loeffler was scheduled to appear before the Senate Small Business and Leadership Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 29. 

Trade Rep: Jamieson Greer

Jamieson Greer, an aide in the trade office during Trump’s first term, has been nominated as U.S. trade representative. The president has said Greer “played a key role” with tariffs and other moves in his first term. 

He's set to go before the Senate Finance Committee on Feb. 6. 

Nominated/nothing scheduled yet

Education Secretary: Linda McMahon

Linda McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term, and she’s his pick for Education secretary in his second tenure. She’s chair of the board at America First Policy Institute, a pro-Trump think tank, and served on his transition team. Politico reported earlier this month that McMahon's hearing was waiting on paperwork delays. 

Labor Secretary: Lori Chavez-DeRemer

Former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), who flipped her Oregon district in the midterms but lost reelection in November, is Trump's pick to lead the Labor Department. Her nomination was taken by some as a signal that Trump's second administration could have a more receptive stance to unions.