scorecardWho could make up Trump's Cabinet? Here are the billionaires and other leaders that could rise to power if he wins a 2nd term
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Who could make up Trump's Cabinet? Here are the billionaires and other leaders that could rise to power if he wins a 2nd term

Brent D. Griffiths   

Who could make up Trump's Cabinet? Here are the billionaires and other leaders that could rise to power if he wins a 2nd term
Former President Donald Trump is reportedly eyeing both former White House advisor Stephen Miller and hedge fund billionaire John Paulson for his potential Cabinet.AP Images
  • Donald Trump's next Cabinet is unlikely to be like his first.
  • Trump has said he's learned who he should keep around him if he wins election in November.

Former President Donald Trump has said his next Cabinet would not be like his last.

"I'm not going to bring many of those people back," Trump recently told Time Magazine. "I had some great people. I had some bad people."

Trump was responding to a question of why the majority of his Cabinet has not endorsed him. The now-former president entered Washington as an unprecedented neophyte who had never held political office or served in the military. Now, Trump says "the advantage I have now is I know everybody."

In 2016, Trump assembled a so-called "gold-platted" Cabinet that was the wealthiest in modern history. Now, according to multiple reports, Trump prizes loyalty above all else. Perhaps it's not surprising, based on the now-confirmed reports, that members of Trump's Cabinet discussed invoking the 25th Amendment in the wake of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. It was a stunning end for a group of officials who had experienced an unheard-of turnover for a one-term president.

While Washington is abuzz about who could rise to power if Trump wins in November, the former president's campaign has stressed no such discussions are taking place. His most immediate needs remains finding a running mate, which could lead to other finalists ending up in his Cabinet.

"There have been no discussions about who will serve in a second Trump administration," Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung has previously told multiple outlets. His sentiment was reiterated to Business Insider.

Here's a look at the top names that may end up in Trump's Cabinet

Jamie Dimon

Jamie Dimon
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has long been mentioned as a potential Treasury secretary under presidents from both parties.      Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon would easily be the biggest name in Trump's cabinet.

Multiple administrations from both parties have been rumored to consider the banker to lead the Treasury Department, but none have been able to pry him away from the investment giant.

"I love what I do, and I have never coveted the job. Ever," Dimon said when it was speculated he could join then-President-elect Joe Biden's administration. "And some people do, and I applaud that."

While Dimon was once famously called "Obama's favorite banker." He now routinely describes himself as "barely a Democrat." Dimon has not explicitly endorsed Trump, but like some of his fellow Wall Street titans, he has praised a man he previously criticized on multiple occasions.

"Take a step back, be honest, he was kind of right about NATO, kind of right on immigration," Dimon told CNBC in January. "He grew the economy quite well. Trade tax reform worked. He was right about some of China."

A Treasury secretary makes about $250,000 a year, not that Dimon needs the money. Per Forbes, he's worth just over $2 billion. After a raise, the JPMorgan chief is set to make $36 million in compensation alone. Then again, big bank CEOs don't get to put their signatures on US currency.

Jeff Yass

Susquehanna International Group founder Jeff Yass is the richest man in Pennsylvania. According to The Wall Street Journal, he could also be the next Treasury secretary.

Yass is not shy about his conservative views. His positions haven't always aligned with Trump. The billionaire has donated $10 billion to Club for Growth's super PAC, a conservative anti-tax political organization that Trump has criticized. (Relations have since improved.)

Yass recently met Trump. And while the former president says the pair did not discuss TikTok, Trump abruptly reversed his previous support for banning the social media app after their meeting. Yass' Susquehanna owns a major stake in ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese-owned parent company.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Yass has privately dismissed claims the 2020 election was stolen.

John Paulson

John Paulson
Billionaire John Paulson hosted former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump for a major fundraiser.      Alon Skuy/Getty Images

Former hedge fund manager John Paulson was an economic advisor to Trump's 2016 campaign. While the billionaire has expressed some unease with Trump's rhetoric, Paulson has remained loyal to Trump.

Paulson, who made billions shorting housing during the 2007 financial crisis, recently hosted a fundraiser at his Palm Beach home that raised over $50 million for Trump and the Republican National Committee. Paulson turned his firm into a private family office in 2020. He's worth an estimated $3.5 billion.

There is potential daylight between Trump and Paulson on China. Like many on Wall Street, Paulson is skeptical of some of China hawks in Trump's orbit pushing for policies that could lead to decoupling the world's two largest economies.

"We don't want to decouple from China," Paulson told the Financial Times in April. "China is the second-largest economy in the world. We need to have a good economic and political relationship with them."

Scott Bessent

Scott Bessent
Billionaire Scott Bessent has said that he's betting that the stock market will shoot even higher if Trump wins in November.      Drew Angerer/Getty

Key Square Group founder Scott Bessent has also been mentioned as a potential Treasury secretary, per the Journal.

Of all of Trump's potential Treasury secretaries, Bessent might boast the most unusual resume as a former top official at Soros Fund Management, a massive $30 billion firm largely owned by George Soros. Trump has frequently criticized Soros and helped cement the Hungarian-American philanthropist as a right-wing boogeyman.

Bessent operated a conservative publishing firm, All Seasons Press, which he sold in January. A month later, Bessent wrote in a Key Square note that he was betting on a "Trump rally" based on the belief that stocks would soar higher if the former president won.

Ric Grenell

Ric Grenell
Former acting director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell made history before Trump left office.      Justin Sullivan/Getty

Trump is so close to former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell that he has called him "my envoy." It's led to speculation that Trump's former US Ambassador to Germany, whose time in the State Department dates back to George W. Bush's administration, could rise as far as becoming the next Secretary of State.

Grenell is closely aligned with Trump's foreign policy. Like the former president, he also delights in his tussles with journalists. A previous New York Times profile summed up his rise, "Bombastic perseverance and ostentatious attention-seeking may be problematic traits for some employers, but they have helped fuel Mr. Grenell's rapid rise under President Trump."

Since Trump's 2020 loss, Grenell has traveled the world fostering further relationships with far-right leaders. His potential appointment as the nation's top diplomat would build on his historic DNI appointment, which made him the first openly gay acting cabinet-level official.

Stephen Miller

Stephen Miller
Stephen Miller was a key architect of Trump's immigration policies, a role he could return to with even more power.      Alex Wong/Getty

Former senior Trump White House advisor Stephen Miller has spent his post-White House time leading a legal group that has amassed notable wins over Biden. It's possible that Miller could find himself as the nation's top law enforcement officer if Trump returns to power, according to Axios.

Of course, Miller's radioactivity among Democrats would turn a potential nomination as Attorney General into a political battle. If Republicans retake the chamber, a very realistic possibility, his chances of holding a confirmable post would greatly improve.

Democrats loathe Miller for his role in leading Trump's immigration policy, including a "zero-tolerance" approach that led to children being separated from their parents — a policy even some fellow Republicans abhorred. Miller is also credited with coming up with the controversial implementation of Title 42, a pandemic-era declaration that allowed the US to expel migrants at the US-Mexico border quickly. Biden lifted the policy in 2023 amid criticism from some Democrats.

Miller has promised Trump will implement a "spectacular migration crackdown" if he returns to office. According to Axios, Miller could champion a focus on anti-white racism. His legal group has sued the NFL over its "Rooney Rule," which requires teams to interview minority candidates for top vacancies like head coach.

Doug Burgum

Doug Burgum
Former President Donald Trump has hinted that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum would be in his next administration.      Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump has hinted that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum could have a top role in his administration. The former president is considering Burgum, who challenged Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination, as vice president.

Trump is eyeing other potential primary foes to be his running mate, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who challenged Trump in 2016, is also under consideration.

But even if Trump picks someone else besides Burgum for veep, there's still a possibility the North Dakotan will find his way into a Trump Cabinet. Trump tapped Ben Carson as his Housing and Urban Development secretary after Carson challenged him for the 2016 nomination.

Burgum has remained in Trump's graces since endorsing him ahead of the Iowa caucuses. He has frequently been a top Trump surrogate on cable TV.

Sid Miller

Sid Miller
Commissioner of Agriculture of Texas Sid Miller has been a lightning rod even for some Texas Republicans.      Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has been a loyal Trump backer since 2016. According to Politico, Miller is eyed as a potential USDA head.

Miller would be a notable change from Secretary Tom Vilsack, one of the longest-serving Ag secretaries in history. But while Miller has been a conservative culture warrior, his combative attitude toward the Texas legislature has alienated even some fellow Republicans. Case in point after Texas' recent primary, Miller vowed to hunt RINOs, writing on X "we know who slipped the noose."

Trump had the opportunity to tap Miller after the 2016 election but did not do so.

Miller's enemies might not be his only worry. One of his former aides will be on trial in August over charges that he solicited bribes from farmers.

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