From State to CIA, here are Trump's key foreign policy, national security appointments
US President-elect Donald Trump has been rolling out his picks for key positions in his administration, many of which will impact Middle East relations.
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump and his team are rushing to fill cabinet positions following his reelection last week. National security picks, thus far ranging from establishment figures such as Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mike Waltz as next secretary of state and national security adviser, respectively, to TV stars and prominent far-right Christian figures, have sparked controversy.
Foreign policy
Trump confirmed on Tuesday Rubio as his pick for secretary of state. The senator has long held hawkish views on Iran, backing Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) and supporting his maximum pressure campaign of harsh sanctions on Iran.
Rubio is also a staunch supporter of Israel and has remained so throughout its war in Gaza. In an Oct. 9, 2023, interview, when asked by CNN whether Israel could avoid civilian casualties in its pursuit to stop Hamas, Rubio responded, “I don’t think there’s any way Israel can be expected to coexist or find some diplomatic off-ramp with these savages. … You can’t coexist. They have to be eradicated.” Read Elizabeth Hagedorn’s report on the pick.
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump confirmed he tapped Republican Florida Congressman Mike Waltz to serve as his national security adviser. Waltz, who previously served as senior Pentagon policy official in the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, is widely known on the Hill as a leading hawk on China and Iran and a supporter of Israel. Read Jared Szuba’s report on the incoming national security adviser.
Trump also announced on Tuesday his pick of prominent Jewish real estate investor and campaign donor Steve Witkoff to be his special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff has no background in diplomacy but is a close personal friend of the incoming president. Read Jack Dutton’s report on Witkoff.
The president-elect has also tapped ambassadorial positions to Israel and the United Nations. For the former, Trump announced on Tuesday his pick of former Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who maintains close ties with Israeli settler communities. In 2008, he said that “there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian,” and he has since made multiple statements to the same effect. Read Rosaleen Carroll’s report on Huckabee.
For the US ambassador to the UN, Trump tapped Republican New York Congresswoman and Chair of the House Republican Conference Elise Stefanik. Stefanik has criticized what she sees as the anti-Israel bent of the UN, calling in October for a “complete reassessment of US funding of the United Nations.” Read Elizabeth Hagedorn’s report.
Defense
To lead the Pentagon, Trump announced Tuesday his choice of Fox News TV host Pete Hegseth, sending shock waves through the US defense community. Hegseth, a fierce Trump loyalist, is the host of “Fox & Friends” and a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The TV host has advocated for eliminating diversity and inclusion programs in the military and called for the dismissal of top generals involved in such efforts. Read Jared Szuba’s report 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, has little experience with homeland security issues but has been a vocal critic of President Joe Biden’s border policy. In her 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 her time in Congress, and said she canceled a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron over an alleged “pro-Hamas” comment of his. Macron’s office said no meeting was ever scheduled. Also, no evidence of a meeting with Kim Jong Un was found.
Intelligence
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 the co-chair of the Center for American Security at the conservative America First Policy Institute, is seen as a Trump loyalist and Iran hawk. Read Al-Monitor's report on Ratcliffe.
Trump also announced on Wednesday his pick of Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, positioning the former Hawaii congresswoman to oversee all 18 US intelligence agencies. Trump's choice of Gabbard sparked controversy, resurfacing accusations of her support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and of her spreading Russian propaganda. Read Elizabeth Hagedorn’s report on Gabbard here.
Key positions in foreign policy and national security — which will have impacts on the Middle East and North Africa — remain to be filled, including FBI director, more Middle East and North Africa ambassadorships, treasury secretary and more.
