Trump picking Cabinet at breakneck speed compared to 2016

President-elect Trump has hit the ground running on filling out his potential future cabinet, announcing names for key positions well before he did following his 2016 election win.

Trump has announced six Cabinet picks in the week since winning the election, most recently tapping Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to serve as his national security adviser.

“Mike is the first Green Beret to have been elected to Congress, and previously served in the White House and Pentagon. Mike served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years where he was deployed multiple times in combat for which he was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two with Valor,” Trump said on Truth Social Tuesday when announcing the selection.

The announcement for Waltz came just a week after Election Day and well before Trump tapped former Army Gen. Mike Flynn to fill the same position after the 2016 election, having announced Flynn on Nov. 18, 10 days after the election.

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President-elect Trump. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump has also made a quick announcement with his pick of Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. The president-elect made that announcement on Nov. 11, nearly two weeks earlier than his Nov. 23 announcement in 2016 of then-Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina to fill that role. Haley went on to run unsuccessfully in 2024 for the GOP presidential nomination.

“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement following the pick of Stefanik.

Two days earlier via a Truth Social post, Trump said of Haley that he would “not be inviting” her to join the new administration, although he added he “very much enjoyed and appreciated working with” her.

Joining the flurry of Nov. 11 announcements was former New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a pick Trump didn’t make until Dec. 7, 2016, when he tapped Scott Pruitt to serve in the role.

“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, including the cleanest air and water on the planet,” Trump said in a statement on the Zeldin selection. “He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.”

Zeldin ran unsuccessfully for New York governor in 2022, losing to Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, but receiving praise from Republicans for a valiant effort that helped Republicans in the midterms. 

“Lee Zeldin probably helped save the House by bringing four new Republican congressmen-elect across the finish line,” wrote Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., in a Nov. 14, 2022 Facebook post. “We owe him a lot.”

Lee Zeldin will lead Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency. (Jason DeCrow/AP )

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Trump also moved swiftly to announce longtime adviser Susie Wiles would serve as his chief of staff on Nov. 6, the day after the election. In 2016, Trump announced his choice of Reince Priebus for chief of staff on Nov. 13, five days after his victory at the polls.

“Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud,” Trump said after the selection of Wiles.

Joining the group in the administration will be longtime Trump adviser Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Tom Homan, who has served under six administrations and for presidents of both parties dating back to former President Ronald Reagan and will serve the Trump administration as “border czar.”

“I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders. Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job,” Trump said of Homan, who was the executive associate director of enforcement and removal operations for ICE under former President Barack Obama.

Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s border czar pick, is seen here. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is reported to be in line to serve as secretary of state, while North Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is reported to be Trump’s pick to head the Department of Homeland Security, though Trump has yet to make either selection official.

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.