Donald Trump, center, during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. Photo: VCG

US President-elect Donald Trump is starting to fill key posts in his second administration, putting an emphasis so far on aides and allies who were his strongest backers during the 2024 campaign, the AP reported on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Trump picked Fox News host and military veteran Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, describing him as "tough, smart and a true believer in America First," according to the Xinhua News Agency.

During his first administration, Trump nominated James Mattis and later Mark Esper to lead the Defense Department. Mattis resigned in December 2018 and Esper was fired in 2020, both after disagreements with the president, Xinhua said.

Trump also announced on Tuesday that he has chosen entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new "Department of Government Efficiency" in his second administration, Xinhua reported.

"Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies," Trump said in a statement, the Xinhua report said.

Despite the name, the department will not be a government agency. Trump said in a statement that Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside government to offer the White House "advice and guidance" and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to "drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before." He added that the move would shock government systems, the Guardian reported.

With many links to Washington, Musk gave millions of dollars to support Trump's presidential campaign and made public appearances with him. Adding a government portfolio to Musk's plate could benefit the market value of his companies and favored businesses such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, Reuters reported.

According to Xinhua, Trump also tapped South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who was once considered a possible running mate, to be Homeland Security Secretary. She would play a key role in implementing Trump's border policies, including his mass deportation plan.

Trump previously announced that Tom Homan, the former acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement who is an anti-illegal immigration hard-liner, would serve as his administration's "border czar," Xinhua said.

According to China Central Television (CCTV), Trump tapped Republican former congressman Lee Zeldin of New York to serve as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator.

Zeldin said it was an honor to join Trump's cabinet as EPA administrator, read the CCTV report.

Trump has picked House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York to be his next ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik, 40, has been a vocal ally of Trump, the CCTV report said.

According to the Washington Post, in a sweeping shift toward a hard-line approach, the new Trump administration is tipped to put some of Washington's most ardent China critics in key foreign policy positions - signaling a potentially more confrontational stance with Beijing.

Trump on Tuesday also announced his decision to pick Florida's Republican Congressman Mike Waltz as the national security advisor in his forthcoming administration, and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as the next US ambassador to Israel, according to Xinhua.

Global Times