The future administration of Donald Trump is taking shape in the United States, a week after the presidential election and the victory of the Republican candidate in the race for the White House. On Monday, November 11, the president-elect appointed one of his close friends, Lee Zeldin, to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He had already announced the day before the appointment of two other faithful, Elise Stefanik and Tom Homan. The first will be US ambassador to the UN, while the second will be responsible for border control. The populist billionaire also chose to appoint Susie Wiles, one of the brains of his campaign, for the decisive position of chief of staff. Franceinfo presents these Trumpists in high positions to you.
Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff
Barely two days after his victory, Donald Trump named his campaign manager, Susan Summerall Wiles, more frequently called Susie Wiles, as future chief of staff. The 67-year-old Republican strategist is the first woman appointed to this key administration post. Thursday, the billionaire greeted a woman “strong, intelligent, innovative”, “universally admired and respected”. Susie Wiles “helped me win one of the greatest political victories in American history”, he pointed out.
For Politico, Susie Wiles is perhaps the most important element of Donald Trump's inner circle. The Republican entered the scene in 2021, shortly after the election of Joe Biden and the assault on the Capitol. The former president, then defeated and unable to recognize the debacle, called on his services to sign his political return, notes the specialized media in another article. This fine strategist brought organization and professionalism to Donald Trump's violent and sometimes chaotic campaign. Susie Wiles played a key role when he deviated too much: she notably encouraged him to talk more about postal voting and to contest the 2020 results less.
Long before joining Donald Trump's entourage, Susie Wiles had worked for a parliamentarian, Jack Kemp, before joining Ronald Reagan's campaign and then his administration in the 1980s. The consultant continued her career in Florida, where she played a leading role in electing Ron DeSantis as governor in 2018, before falling out with him.
Tom Homan, border control officer
He will be “the tsar of the borders”announced Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform. Tom Homan, 62, will join the Republican president's management team, after leading the national border and immigration control agency (ICE) seven years ago. He remained in this position for less than two years.
A former police officer, Tom Homan was a Border Patrol agent before joining the Department of Homeland Security in the 2000s. He was responsible for expulsions during Barack Obama's second term, a time when expulsions of undocumented immigrants have reached a record level in the United States, recalls CBS News. At the head of ICE at the start of the Trump years, Tom Homan notably co-signed the memo authorizing the separations of migrant families at the border. More than a thousand children have not seen their parents since.
From January, the one who became a columnist for Fox News will be responsible for carrying out “the largest deportation operation in the history of the United States”promised by candidate Donald Trump. “You better start packing.”he told undocumented immigrants this summer, during the Republican convention. Evictions, argues Thomas Homan, will first target people convicted of misdemeanors or crimes. Many more could follow, he warned CBS News, adding that “families can be deported together”including American children whose parents are undocumented.
Elise Stefanik, ambassador to the United Nations
The announcement of the appointment of Elise Stefanik to the United Nations on Sunday evening was made in a press release sent to New York Post. “Elise is an incredibly strong and intelligent fighter for America.”, declared Donald Trump on this occasion. “I am truly honored”replied the person concerned. The first in her family to go to university (at Harvard), the 40-year-old Republican cut her teeth in the Bush administration, reports the BBC.
For ten years, Elise Stefanik has been elected to the House of Representatives, where she represents the 21st district of New York State. At the time of her first election in 2014, Elise Stefanik was the youngest woman in American history to enter Congress. The elected official has supported Israel's policies since the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas. She notably led hearings on the student protest movements in support of the Gaza Strip and recently accused the UN of “languishing in anti-Semitism”.
Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency
By nominating Lee Zeldin, Donald Trump qualified the Republican “a true fighter for America First policies.” Its ally should engage in a policy of removing environmental protections, while pushing for oil and gas production, points out the specialist site E&E News. At the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “he will ensure that deregulatory decisions are fair and timely, and that they are adopted to unleash corporate power”defended Donald Trump, while promising environmental standards “the strictest”.
Lee Zeldin, 44, served in the military and then worked as a lawyer before being elected to the New York State Senate. He then served eight years as a representative in Congress, from 2015 to 2023. Two years ago, the Republican failed to become governor of his state against Democrat Kathy Hochul. He recently joined the America First Policy Institute, a think tank supporting Donald Trump's proposals.
