During the final week before the election, several news outlets began publishing sourced and speculative predictions about what a Donald Trump cabinet would look like. Thanks to the Republican nominee’s victory late Tuesday night, however, many of these reports have ballooned into fully-fledged articles about who’s under consideration, and for what positions, in Trump’s inner circle. Names that popped up on prior lists — like Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie and Newt Gingrich — are still circling certain posts, but a few new ones have surfaced up as well.
Such as former presidential candidate Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who briefly surpassed Trump’s lead before the primaries but ultimately dropped out and endorsed the latter. Considering his medical background, you’d think the president-elect would be eyeing Carson for Surgeon General. Well you’re half right, as Carson’s name is listed among others for the Secretary of Health and Human Services post, according to BuzzFeed. But he’s also being vetted for the top spot at the Department of Education.
Among other surprising (but still shocking) rumors revealed by the list — which was obtained by BuzzFeed, CNN and several others — is former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, who’s a contender for Secretary of the Interior. In other words, the same person who popularized the Republican Party’s “Drill, Baby, Drill!” slogan during the 2008 presidential election would be put in charge of America’s natural resources — both commercial and recreational.
Here is the full list of potential cabinet picks for President-elect Trump’s administration:
Attorney General:
Gov. Chris Christie
Attorney General Pam Bondi
Sen. Jeff Sessions
Former Mayor Rudy GiulianiSecretary of Commerce:
Christie
Former Nucor CEO Dan DiMicco
Businessman Lew Eisenberg
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee
Sen. David Purdue
Former Sen. Jim TalentAgriculture Secretary:
Gov. Sam Brownback
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives CEO Chuck Conner
Gov. Dave Heineman
Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller
Former Georgia Gov. Sonny PerdueSecretary of Education:
Ben Carson
Hoover Institution fellow William EversSecretary of Energy:
Venture Capitalist Robert Grady
Businessman Harold HammSecretary of Health and Human Services:
Former New Jersey state Sen. Rich Bagger
Ben Carson
Newt Gingrich
Gov. Rick ScottSecretary of Homeland Security:
Christie
Sheriff David ClarkeSecretary of the Interior:
Gov. Jan Brewer
Gov. Mary Fallin
Grady
Hamm
Oil Executive Forrest Lucas
Rep. Cynthia Lummis
Former Gov. Sarah PalinSecretary of Defense:
Former Gen. Mike Flynn
Stephen Hadley
Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr.
Sessions
Former Sen. Jim TalentSecretary of State:
John Bolton
Sen. Bob Corker
GingrichTreasury Secretary:
Rep. Jeb Hensarling
Businessman Carl Icahn
Banker Steven MnuchinChief of Staff:
Reince PriebusDirector of Office of Management and Budget:
SessionsSecretary of Labor:
EEOC Commissioner Victoria LipnicVeterans Affairs:
Rep. Jeff MillerWhite House Counsel:
Donald McGahn