Donald Trump Is
Choosing His Cabinet.
Here's the Latest Shortlist.

By THE NEW YORK TIMES UPDATED NOV. 18, 2016

Current and former officeholders have been filtering in and out of Trump Tower this week as Donald J. Trump's transition team works to assemble leaders of the new administration. Here are some possibilities for the cabinet and other key posts, compiled by reporters for The Times, using information from the Trump transition team, lawmakers, lobbyists and Washington experts.

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C.I.A. Director

Mr. Trump takes over at a time of diverse and complex threats to American security. The new C.I.A. director will have to decide whether to undo a C.I.A. "modernization" plan put in place this year by Director John O. Brennan, and how to proceed if the president-elect orders a resumption of harsh interrogation tactics — which critics have described as torture — for terrorism suspects.

Mike Pompeo, Representative of Kansas and a former Army officer, has been selected. Mr. Pompeo is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and was a sharp critic of Hillary Clinton during the congressional investigation into the 2012 attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Attorney General

The nation's top law enforcement official will have the authority for carrying out Mr. Trump's "law and order" platform, including his threat to "jail" Hillary Clinton. The nominee can change how civil rights laws are enforced.

Jeff Sessions, Senator of Alabama, has been selected by Mr. Trump. Mr. Sessions is a strong proponent of strict immigration enforcement, reduced spending and tough-on-crime measures. His nomination for a federal judgeship in 1986 was rejected because of racially charged comments and actions, which arevery likely to become an issue as he faces another set of Senate confirmation hearings.

National Security Adviser

The national security adviser, although not a member of the cabinet, is a critical gatekeeper for policy proposals from the State Department, the Pentagon and other agencies, a function that takes on more importance given Mr. Trump's lack of experience in elective office.

Michael T. Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency has been selected. General Flynn has been outspoken about his view of the threat posed by Islamist militancy and was an ardent supporter of Mr. Trump during the campaign.

White House Chief of Staff

The chief of staff manages the work and personnel of the West Wing, steering the president's agenda and tending to important relationships. The role will take on outsize importance in a White House run by Mr. Trump, who has no experience in policy making and little in the way of connections to critical players in Washington.

Reince Priebus Mr. Trump announced on Sundaythat he had chosen Mr. Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Chief Strategist

Stephen K. Bannon was also considered for chief of staff, but Mr. Trump instead named him chief strategist and senior counselor in the White House, saying that he and Mr. Priebus would be "working as equal partners" in the administration.

Stephen K. Bannon Also on Sunday, Mr. Trump announced the appointment of Mr. Bannon, a right-wing media executive and the chairman of the president-elect's campaign. Many have denounced the move, warning that Mr. Bannon represents racist views.

Secretary of State

Whether Mr. Trump picks an ideologue or a seasoned foreign policy hand from past Republican administrations, his challenge will be that the State Department is the centerpiece of the post-1945 experiment of alliance-building and globalism, which Mr. Trump said he would dismantle.

 John R. Bolton Former United States ambassador to the United Nations under George W. Bush

 Bob Corker Senator from Tennessee and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

 Rudolph W. Giuliani Former New York mayor who campaign officials said on Tuesday is the leading contender for the job

 Nikki R. Haley Governor from South Carolina

 Zalmay Khalilzad Former United States ambassador to Afghanistan

 Stanley A. McChrystal Former senior military commander in Afghanistan

 Mitt Romney The 2012 Republican presidential nominee and former governor of Massachusetts

Treasury Secretary

The secretary will be responsible for government borrowing in financial markets, assisting in any rewrite of the tax code and overseeing the Internal Revenue Service. The Treasury Department also carries out or lifts financial sanctions against foreign enemies — which are key to President Obama's Iran deal and rapprochement with Cuba.

 Thomas Barrack Jr. Founder, chairman and executive chairman of Colony Capital; private equity and real estate investor

 Jeb Hensarling Representative from Texas and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee

 Steven Mnuchin Former Goldman Sachs executive and Mr. Trump's campaign finance chairman

 Tim Pawlenty Former Minnesota governor

Defense Secretary

The incoming secretary will shape the fight against the Islamic State while overseeing a military that is struggling to put in place two Obama-era initiatives: integrating women into combat roles and allowing transgender people to serve openly. Both could be rolled back.

 Tom Cotton Senator from Arkansas who saw combat in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army infantry officer

 Stephen J. Hadley National security adviser under George W. Bush

 Duncan Hunter Representative from California and Marine reserve officer who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan

 Jon Kyl Former senator from Arizona

 James N. Mattis Retired Marine Corps general and former commander of United States Central Command

Interior Secretary

The Interior Department manages the nation's public lands and waters. The next secretary will decide the fate of Obama-era rules that stop public land development; curb the exploration of oil, coal and gas; and promote wind and solar power on public lands.

 Jan Brewer Former Arizona governor

 Robert E. Grady Gryphon Investors partner

 Harold G. Hamm Chief executive of Continental Resources, an oil and gas company

 Forrest Lucas President of Lucas Oil Products, which manufactures automotive lubricants, additives and greases

 Sarah Palin Former Alaska governor

Agriculture Secretary

The agriculture secretary oversees America's farming industry, inspects food quality and provides income-based food assistance. The department also helps develop international markets for American products, giving the next secretary partial responsibility to carry out Mr. Trump's positions on trade.

 Sam Brownback Kansas governor

 Chuck Conner Chief executive officer of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

 Sid Miller Texas agricultural commissioner

 Sonny Perdue Former Georgia governor

Commerce Secretary

The Commerce Department has been a perennial target for budget cuts, but the secretary oversees a diverse portfolio, including the Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

 Dan DiMicco Former chief executive of Nucor Corporation, a steel production company

 Lewis M. Eisenberg Private equity chief for Granite Capital International Group

Labor Secretary

The Labor Department enforces rules that protect the nation's workers, distributes benefits to the unemployed and publishes economic data like the monthly jobs report. The new secretary will be in charge of keeping Mr. Trump's promise to dismantle many Obama-era rules covering the vast work force of federal contractors.

 Victoria A. Lipnic Equal Employment Opportunity commissioner and work force policy counsel to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Health and Human Services Secretary

The secretary will help Mr. Trump achieve one of his central campaign promises: to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The department approves new drugs, regulates the food supply, operates biomedical research, and runs Medicare and Medicaid, which insure more than 100 million people.

 Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas governor and 2016 presidential candidate

 Bobby Jindal Former Louisiana governor who served as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals

 Rick Scott Florida governor and former chief executive of a large hospital chain

Energy Secretary

Despite its name, the primary purview of the Energy Department is to protect and manage the nation's arsenal of nuclear weapons.

 James L. Connaughton Chief executive of Nautilus Data Technologies and former environmental adviser to President George W. Bush

 Robert E. Grady Gryphon Investors partner

 Harold G. Hamm Chief executive of Continental Resources, an oil and gas company

Education Secretary

Mr. Trump has said he wants to drastically shrink the Education Department and shift responsibilities for curriculum research, development and education aid to state and local governments.

 Williamson M. Evers Education expert at the Hoover Institution, a think tank

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The secretary will face the task of improving the image of a department Mr. Trump has widely criticized. Mr. Trump repeatedly argued that the Obama administration neglected the country's veterans, and he said that improving their care was one of his top priorities.

 Jeff Miller Retired chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee

Homeland Security Secretary

The hodgepodge agency, formed after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has one key role in the Trump administration: guarding the United States' borders. If Mr. Trump makes good on his promises of widespread deportations and building walls, this secretary will have to carry them out.

 Joe Arpaio Departing sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz.

 David A. Clarke Jr. Milwaukee County sheriff

 Rudolph W. Giuliani Former New York mayor

 Michael McCaul Representative from Texas and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee

E.P.A. Administrator

The Environmental Protection Agency, which issues and oversees environmental regulations, is under threat from the president-elect, who has vowed to dismantle the agency "in almost every form."

 Myron Ebell A director at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a prominent climate change skeptic

 Robert E. Grady Gryphon Investors partner who was involved in drafting the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990

 Jeffrey R. Holmstead Lawyer with Bracewell L.L.P. and former deputy E.P.A. administrator in the George W. Bush administration

U.S. Trade Representative

The president's chief trade negotiator will have the odd role of opposing new trade deals, trying to rewrite old ones and bolstering the enforcement of what Mr. Trump sees as unfair trade, especially with China.

 Dan DiMicco Former chief executive of Nucor Corporation, a steel production company, and a critic of Chinese trade practices

U.N. Ambassador

Second to the secretary of state, the United States ambassador to the United Nations will be the primary face of America to the world, representing the country's interests at the Security Council on a host of issues, from Middle East peace to nuclear proliferation.

 Kelly Ayotte Departing senator from New Hampshire and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

 Richard Grenell Former spokesman for the United States ambassador to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration

Produced by Mikayla Bouchard, Alicia Parlapiano and Wilson Andrews