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President Donald Trump speaks at the National Republican Congressional Committee...

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Credit: AP

President Donald Trump prioritized loyalty as he built out a team for his second term, surrounding himself with people who served faithfully in his first administration or who worked on one or more of his three campaigns.

Those are not the only ties that connect the people in the highest ranks of his administration. Several are billionaires or campaign donors, or both. There also are media personalities, former lawmakers and people who worked on Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for slashing government that Trump insisted he had no affiliation with as he campaigned for the White House.

Some people in key roles have personal relationships with Trump that go back years, from a onetime caddy at one of Trump’s golf courses to his son’s former fiancée. Others came around after opposing Trump in the past; examples include his vice president and a handful of Republicans and Democrats who once ran against him.

These are some of the people Trump picked for top roles in his second administration — and a look at what they have in common, according to a review by The Associated Press.

Who's who:

Tom Barrack, ambassador to Turkey

Scott Bessent, treasury secretary

Pam Bondi, attorney general

President Donald Trump speaks during an event with auto racing...

President Donald Trump speaks during an event with auto racing champions at the South Portico of the White House Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Washington, Credit: AP

Doug Burgum, interior secretary

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, labor secretary

Doug Collins, veterans affairs secretary

Sean Duffy, transportation secretary

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, speaks during a news conference...

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, speaks during a news conference to announce the re-launch of the VOICE office, Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement, with families of victims behind her, at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Washington. Credit: AP/Alex Brandon

Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence

Jamieson Greer, trade representative

Kimberly Guilfoyle, ambassador to Greece

Kevin Hassett, National Economic Council director

Pete Hegseth, defense secretary

Pete Hoekstra, ambassador to Canada

Tom Homan, border czar

Mike Huckabee, ambassador to Israel

Jared Isaacman, NASA administrator

Ronald Johnson, ambassador to Mexico

Keith Kellogg, special envoy for Ukraine and Russia

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., health and human services secretary

Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary

Kelly Loeffler, administrator of the Small Business Administration

Howard Lutnick, commerce secretary

Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration commissioner

Linda McMahon, education secretary

Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff

Elon Musk, Department of Government Efficiency

Peter Navarro, White House senior counselor on trade and manufacturing

Janette Nesheiwat, surgeon general

Kristi Noem, homeland security secretary

Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Kash Patel, FBI director

David Perdue, ambassador to China

John Ratcliffe, CIA director

Brooke Rollins, agriculture secretary

Marco Rubio, secretary of state

Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff

Rodney Scott, Customs and Border Protection commissioner

Scott Turner, housing secretary

JD Vance, vice president

Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget

Mike Waltz, national security adviser

Matthew Whitaker, ambassador to NATO

Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff

Steven Witkoff, special envoy

Chris Wright, energy secretary

Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency administrator

What they have in common:

Worked in the Trump administration during his first term: Rollins, Scavino, Greer, Ratcliffe, Leavitt, Patel, Kellogg, Hassett, McMahon, Whitaker, Hoekstra, Navarro, Scott, Johnson, Vought, Turner, Miller, Homan.

Is from Florida, Trump's home when he's not in the White House and site of his estate, Mar-a-Lago: Guilfoyle, Rubio, Waltz, Bondi, Johnson, Witkoff, Wiles, Barrack.

Gave money to Trump’s campaign or a pro-Trump PAC, according to campaign finance data: Wright, Musk, Lutnick, Loeffler, Zeldin, McMahon, Hoekstra, Bessent, Witkoff, Wiles, Barrack.

Employed by Trump's 2016, 2020 or 2024 campaign (or for more than one): Scavino, Leavitt, Guilfoyle, Miller, Wiles.

Previously served in state or federal public office: Perdue, Burgum, Collins, Vance, Ratcliffe, Loeffler, Noem, Zeldin, Chavez-DeRemer, Rubio, Huckabee, Waltz, Bondi, Hoekstra, Turner, Duffy, Gabbard.

Formerly opposed Trump, by being openly critical of him or running against him for president: Burgum, Musk, Vance, Rubio, Kennedy, Gabbard.

Hosted a TV show, was employed by a TV network as a paid contributor or owns a social media company: Nesheiwat, Oz, Musk, Guilfoyle, Huckabee, Hegseth, Duffy.

Has a personal wealth of $1 billion or more, according to AP reporting: Musk, Lutnick, Isaacman, Loeffler, McMahon, Bessent, Witkoff, Barrack.

Was an author or contributor to the conservative policy playbook known as Project 2025: Ratcliffe, Hoekstra, Navarro, Vought, Homan.

Has a personal relationship with Trump, such as a longtime friend, business colleague or person with other close ties to Trump family members: Scavino, Guilfoyle, McMahon, Witkoff, Barrack.

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