It’s been a week since America spanked the Democrats and sent Donald J. Trump back to the White House. I feel invigorated and deeply satisfied while still harboring some anxiety about getting him sworn in on January 20.

PTSD from 2020’s stolen election, I’m sure.

Trump has wasted no time in nominating and appointing a strong stable of leaders who will join his administration. Since they have been coming in a few at a time, I thought I’d collect them here for you. As of Tuesday night, Trump had named:

Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla, National Security Adviser: “Waltz, a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida, was the first Green Beret elected to the U.S. House, and easily won reelection last week. He has been chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.” *snip* “In a statement last year, Waltz said that as head of the readiness subcommittee: ‘I am ready to get to work to better equip our military and turn our focus away from woke priorities and back to winning wars. Our national security depends on it.'”

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Department of Government Efficiency: “Trump said that the pair will work together to ‘dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.’ It will become, potentially, “The Manhattan Project” of our time,’ the announcement on Tuesday evening said. ‘Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of ‘DOGE’ for a very long time.’ The president-elect said that Musk and Ramaswamy will provide ‘advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.'”

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense: A Fox News host? I didn’t see this one coming. “‘Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,’ Trump said. ‘Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our “Peace through Strength” policy.'”

Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel: In a statement Trump said, “I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be The United States Ambassador to Israel. Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!” Huckabee is the first evangelical Christian to hold the position.

John Ratcliffe, CIA Director: “Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence for the final months of Trump’s first term, leading American spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic and as the U.S. government contended with foreign efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election. His past experience in intelligence makes him a more traditional pick for the job, which requires Senate confirmation, than some rumored loyalists pushed by some of Trump’s supporters.” *snip* “Ratcliffe was elected to Congress in 2014, but his visibility rose in 2019 as an ardent defender of Trump during the House’s first impeachment proceedings against him.”

SD Gov. Kristi Noem, Department of Homeland Security: “In a statement released on Tuesday night, the Trump transition team said the South Dakota governor has a ‘very strong’ track record on border security. ‘She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times,’ the statement reads. ‘She will work closely with “Border Czar” Tom Homan to secure the Border, and will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries.'”

Tom Homan, Border Czar: “The man tapped by Donald Trump to enact his clampdown on rampant illegal immigration in the U.S. said Monday he is ready for Democrats decrying the get-tough action, declaring: ‘I don’t care what people think of me.’ Tom Homan, Trump’s newly-picked ‘border czar,’ said he will make it a priority to ‘secure the border and do this deportation operation.'”

Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Ambassador to the United Nations: “Stefanik joined Congress as a moderate Republican but became one of Trump’s key defenders after his first impeachment and after his 2020 election loss. She joined House leadership in 2021 as chair of the House Republican Conference.” She is the highest-ranking Republican woman in the House.

Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator: Zeldin is a Jewish former four-term representative from Long Island. “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. “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.”

Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff: “Wiles spent the past two years co-running Trump’s campaign and is well-respected as a political operative. She will become the first woman to serve as a White House chief of staff. Wiles, among the people Trump thanked after his 2024 victory, was largely a behind-the-scenes figure during his run. She has also worked for Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and was a deputy director during former President Reagan’s 1980 campaign.”

Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy: “Miller was the architect of some of Trump’s first-term immigration policies, including family separation and an order to ban travel into the U.S. from several majority-Muslim countries. He will work alongside Susie Wiles, whom Trump last week named as his chief of staff. During the Biden administration, Miller led America First Legal, an organization that launched dozens of lawsuits against Democratic policies.”

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State: Not confirmed, but reported by several major news outlets. “The third Cabinet-level appointment, by far the biggest name so far, is reported to be Florida Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State. Rubio has represented Florida’s sizeable Jewish community in the Senate since his election in 2010. The New York Times characterised Rubio as ‘a foreign policy hawk, taking hard lines on China and Iran in particular.’ Rubio is also knowledgeable about foreign policy, fluent in all the issues he would have to handle as Secretary. Finally, it’s worth noting that unlike others who could have been named as Trump’s Secretary of State, Rubio is not an isolationist and would immediately reverse Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s intense hostile-to-Israel energy. America’s allies abroad should be cheered by Rubio’s selection.”

Still no word on where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Tulsi Gabbard, two former Democrats who gave strong support to Trump’s campaign, will serve in the administration, although Trump said that Kennedy would be given a lot of latitude to “Make America Healthy Again.” Gabbard was reportedly interested in the Secretary of Defense position, but Pete Hegseth was chosen. Personally, I’d like to see Gabbard involved in some way.

I’m impressed with the team that Trump is pulling together. He’s got four years to make good on his promises, and I’m excited to see what he does with them. His team will make all the difference.