Trump Makes New Appointments, Relies on Hardliners and Proven Cadres

(Patria) - Newly elected US President Donald Trump appointed new members to his new administration on Monday, choosing hardline loyalists for several key positions, including a "border czar" who will be in charge of mass deportations, AFP reported.

His personnel choices are the subject of intense speculation and scrutiny, and Trump has promised that his second administration will oversee a radical change in the federal government.

Trump said on Sunday that he would appoint immigration official Tom Homan as "border czar," and Lee Zeldin, an early political ally, will head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"I have known Tom (Homan) for a long time and there is no one better at policing and controlling our borders," Trump said on the social network Truth Social, adding that Homan would be in charge of "all deportations of illegal aliens back to their countries of origin."

New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik will be ambassador to the UN, and US media report that Stephen Miller, who was the architect of Trump's so-called "Muslim ban" immigration policy in his first term, is expected to be his deputy chief of staff with a broad portfolio.

Another hardliner, Florida Senator Michael Waltz, a vocal critic of China, is reportedly set to take on a key role as national security advisor, according to The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

Waltz, a veteran of military special forces, gave a speech praising Trump at the Republican National Convention in July, calling for "peace through American strength."

Asked about Trump's plans to end the war in Ukraine, he told CNN on election night last week that there is "a way to bring this war to an end, we can do it economically, we can do it diplomatically." He specifically highlighted the imposition of sanctions on the Russian energy sector.

Stefanik, who has expressed strong support for Israel, will represent the administration at the UN as the world body grapples with the war in Ukraine, as well as Israeli bombing of Gaza and Lebanon.
Stefanik's and Zeldin's nominations are expected to be approved by the Senate, but Trump hopes to bypass the upper house's oversight by making appointments while it is in recess. He has turned this issue into a loyalty test, insisting on Saturday that any Republican seeking to be Senate leader "must agree" to the appointments.

The three senators vying for that position immediately issued statements saying they supported the move or were at least open to the idea.

Deregulation

Trump will be inaugurated in January, and prior to that, he made one cabinet-level appointment, naming his campaign manager Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff, a position that does not require Senate confirmation.

Homan, a former acting director of ICE, holds hardline views on immigration, as does Miller, who served as Trump's senior advisor and speechwriter during his first term.
Cracking down on illegal immigration served as one of Trump's central campaign promises, as he vowed to launch the largest deportation operation of illegal migrants in US history, starting on day one of his term.

As head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Trump said Zeldin would be responsible for making "fair and swift decisions on deregulation," with the Republican president promising to dismantle safety and pollution rules he considers red tape for businesses. Stefanik, a key Trump ally now in her fifth term, has been an unwavering defender of Israel and will head to the UN as wars in Gaza and Lebanon dominate diplomacy.

"The job ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocket, along with four years of catastrophically weak American leadership that has significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries," she said in a statement on Monday.

Israel welcomed the appointment.

"At a time when hatred and lies fill the halls of the UN, your unwavering moral clarity is needed more than ever," wrote Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon on social network X, wishing her "success in firmly advocating for truth and justice."