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US presidential candidates Kamala Harris, a Democrat, and Donald Trump, a Republican, are still hoping to win and are already actively discussing who will take on the leading role in the administration. While Donald Trump is motivated primarily by loyalty, Ms. Harris is relying on younger politicians and representatives of various ethnic groups. Among the contenders are prominent officials from previous Democratic administrations. Phil Gordon is a pragmatic “hawk” who could become a “gray hawk” determining all foreign policy, especially if the Democrats win.
As the battle between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris reaches its climax, analysts are increasingly looking forward to what policies the rivals will pursue if they win. Much of that will depend on who joins the administration.
Donald Trump’s team has so far responded to all media questions. Discussions about who might fill key positions are premature, and there have been no “formal discussions.” But that’s not entirely true. The contrast now stands in stark contrast to how President Trump selected his cabinet in 2016. As an anonymous Republican strategist told the Washington Examiner, Donald Trump himself did not expect to win, and the team was hastily assembled. Now his campaign has tried to correct the mistake. In early 2024, his two campaign managers, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, began a “careful and disciplined” selection of people they would bring to their team if Donald Trump won. And last August, he appointed billionaire Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick to lead his transition team. They included former Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon, the Republican's son Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump's former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and former presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr.
Ms. Gabbard told Fox News she hopes for a job in international relations. Meanwhile, Robert Kennedy Jr. wants to help “dismantle and rebuild our public health system.”
Donald Trump is in a unique position now. Many members of the former cabinet do not support these policies. So if the election is won, loyalty will be a key factor in personnel decisions.
The new administration’s top staff could include former White House adviser Stephen Miller, prominent right-wing journalist Steve Bannon, and former Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Clark (who is under investigation for allegedly trying to interfere in the 2020 Georgia election). Billionaire Elon Musk is also expected to join the administration. Former President Musk has announced that he plans to appoint himself “secretary of retrenchment.”
There are several candidates vying for the post of secretary of state. The Hill and The Times have named Marco Rubio, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as a key figure. Other candidates include hawkish Senator Tom Cotton (who is running for Secretary of Defense), Senator and former Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty, and former Ambassador to Japan Robert O'Brien, Donald Trump's former national security adviser. Richard Grenell, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Germany.
John Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021, is being discussed as a candidate to lead the CIA or the Defense Department. Another name mentioned by the Times source in the same context is Gen. Keith Kellogg, who served as an adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence.
Meanwhile, Kamala Harris's administration is in full swing. Axios cited sources close to the vice president as saying that if elected, her cabinet would be relatively young (compared to Donald Trump's team) and would include many minorities.
Sen. Chris Coons, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, has been mentioned as a candidate for secretary of state. Axios says the list also includes CIA Director Bill Burns and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
The defense secretary could be Michele Flournoy, who served as deputy defense secretary under President Barack Obama. If she does, she would be the first woman to lead the Pentagon.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is on the Harris administration's shortlist of vice presidential candidates, could become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He still has presidential ambitions, so a role that would give him international experience is very appealing to him.
The National Security Advisor will most likely be Phil Gordon, who already holds a similar position in the Vice President's office, one level below. In this context, Tom Donilon (National Security Advisor in the Obama administration) and Rahm Emanuel (US Ambassador to Japan) are also worth considering.
Most publications agree. Whatever position Phil Gordon takes in Harris's cabinet, he will be the "gray figurehead" determining all foreign policy.
Mr. Gordon, who served in the Barack Obama and Bill Clinton administrations, is an expert on Europe and has extensive experience in the Middle East. He is very strong against Russia.
Working with Ms. Harris, Phil Gordon prepared Ms. Harris for meetings with more than 150 world leaders, countless global conferences and intelligence briefings with the president. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported: “If named national security adviser next year, the 61-year-old expert on Europe and the Middle East could wield enormous influence as an architect of the new administration’s doctrine and a key implementer of foreign policy decisions.” Writing.
According to the publication, despite his history of taking a hard-line stance, “Gordon is now a pragmatist willing to go where the facts lead”: he is committed to expanding American influence, supporting allies, and reaching out to adversaries on the ground. . I am an absolute supporter. Despite his power, he also believes that “American influence has limits.” As The Wall Street Journal notes, this position was formed “after years of watching U.S. intervention fail.”