Former President Donald Trump announced a series of prospective appointments for his potential next administration, focusing on key areas such as defense, technology, and agriculture. He began by nominating Stephen Alexander Vaden, who served as General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture during Trump’s first term, for the position of Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Trump highlighted Vaden’s legal victories before the Supreme Court, his efforts to reorganize the USDA to benefit rural America, and his subsequent confirmation as a judge on the Court of International Trade. Vaden’s background in agriculture and legal experience were emphasized as qualifications for the role.
Trump then unveiled a number of nominations for the Department of Defense, starting with Stephen Feinberg as Deputy Secretary of Defense. Feinberg, a successful businessman and former chairman of Trump’s Intelligence Advisory Board, was touted as someone who would “Help Make the Pentagon Great Again.” Elbridge “Bridge” Colby was nominated for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, with Trump emphasizing Colby’s alignment with an “America First” foreign policy and his previous experience at the Pentagon. Colby’s role would involve restoring military power and achieving “peace through strength.”
Michael Duffey and Emil Michael were nominated for Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, respectively. Duffey’s focus, according to Trump, would be on revitalizing the defense industrial base and rebuilding the military. Michael, a Harvard and Stanford graduate with a background in technology, would be tasked with ensuring the military’s technological superiority while maintaining cost-effectiveness. These nominations underscore Trump’s emphasis on both military strength and technological advancement.
Further defense nominations included Keith Bass, a retired Navy commander, for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and Joe Kasper as Chief of Staff for the Secretary of Defense. Bass’s role would focus on ensuring troop health and quality medical care, while Kasper’s previous experience in the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill would serve him in his chief of staff role. Trump also tapped Scott Kupor, the first employee and current managing partner of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, to lead the Office of Personnel Management, aiming to bring “much needed reform” to the federal workforce.
Trump’s focus then shifted to technology-related positions, beginning with Michael J.K. Kratsios as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. Kratsios’s previous experience as Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering was highlighted as relevant to his new role. Trump also nominated Dr. Lynne Parker, a former Deputy U.S. CTO and Founding Director of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office, as Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Finally, Trump announced the creation of the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets, to be led by Bo Hines, and the appointment of Sriram Krishnan as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence. Hines’s role would involve fostering innovation and growth in the digital asset space, while Krishnan, with his experience at Microsoft, would focus on maintaining American leadership in artificial intelligence and coordinating AI policy across the government. These final nominations demonstrate Trump’s interest in emerging technologies and their potential impact on various sectors. Throughout his announcements, Trump emphasized the nominees’ experience, credentials, and alignment with his “America First” vision.
