Here are the most talked-about candidates for top jobs in the Trump administration

After winning the 2024 presidential election, President-elect Trump's next big step is to fill his Cabinet with the right leaders who will strengthen his agenda over the next four years.

There are multiple rumored candidates for each position, but the following people are the most talked about contenders for the top positions:

Foreign Minister

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who was a top candidate on Trump's short list for vice president, has been nominated for secretary of state.

President-elect Trump is already meeting with the transition team and considering how to staff the administration

Rubio currently serves as vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence and is a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee – leading various initiatives to strengthen national security.

The Florida senator did not rule out taking a position in government during an interview after the election.

“I'm always interested in serving this country,” Rubio told CNN. “I have not had firm discussions with anyone in the Trump administration. Either way, I plan to work with them, whether in the Senate, which is an important place, or in some other capacity.”

RFK JR. WANTS TO EMPTY “ENTIRE DEPARTMENTS” IN THE FDA: “THEY MUST GO”

Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., is also being considered for the Cabinet. Hagerty served as ambassador to Japan under Trump and pushed back on the Biden-Harris administration's foreign policy.

Trump's former national security adviser Robert O'Brien is also applying for the role, Fox News Digital said. Since leaving the Trump administration, he co-founded the international political consulting firm American Global Strategies.

Fox News Digital has been told that Richard Grenell is also eyeing the position. Grenell is the former ambassador to Germany and former acting director of national intelligence under Trump. He is also a potential candidate for national security adviser.

Minister of Defense

The campaign-decorated Green Beret Representative Mike Waltz from Florida could be tapped to lead the US defense agency.

Waltz, who was CEO of defense contractor Metis Solutions and director of defense policy at the Pentagon under Defense Secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, is a member of the House China Task Force, which coordinates policy toward China and works to reduce U.S. dependence on Chinese minerals to reduce.

Walz serves as chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and as a member of the Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo could return to lead the defense agency after serving during Trump's first term.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., was recommended for the role but changed his name out of consideration for a Cabinet position, a source close to the Republican senator told Fox News.

Ministry of Homeland Security

Chad Wolf served as acting Secretary of Homeland Security during his first term under Trump.

Wolf currently serves as Executive Director of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), Chief Strategy Officer and Chairman of the Center for Homeland Security & Immigration.

Tom Homan, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump, is also a candidate. Homan is a former police officer and visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Border Security and Immigration Center.

Attorney General

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, an attorney who previously specialized in Supreme Court litigation, clerked for Judge Dee Benson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah and then for future Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Lee has supported Trump throughout his 2024 campaign and, in an interview with Fox, sharply criticized the “Democratic Party establishment” for the criminal cases against the president-elect.

During his campaign, Trump said he would consider Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the attorney general position. Paxton has been a staunch supporter of Trump during his challenges in the 2020 election and his legal battles.

The day before the election, Paxton filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit substantiating claims that special prosecutor Jack Smith was improperly appointed by the DOJ.

Matt Whitiker served as acting attorney general for a year during Trump's first term. Prior to assuming this position, Whitiker served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa and then as Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Ministry of Energy

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, one of Trump's main running mate candidates, is reportedly being considered to lead the Energy Department.

Burgum is one of the largest energy producing states in the country and has championed “innovation over regulation” in energy policy. He said the U.S. needs to increase oil production and not rely on foreign oil. In his speech at the Republican National Convention, Burgum focused heavily on American energy dominance.

Former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette could return to his post at the Energy Department, which he led for two years during Trump's first term. Brouillette recently stepped down as president and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute.

Ministry of the Interior

Trump could appoint his former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to lead the agency for another four years.

Also being considered for the position is Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who has battled the Biden administration on energy over the years.

Ministry of Education

Trump has said he will close the Education Department when he takes office.

Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos could return to the role for another four years in Trump's second term.

During the campaign, Trump suggested choosing former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy or former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the administration's education department.

Department of the Ministry of Finance

Billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent worked as Trump's top economic adviser. “I will do anything President Trump asks,” he told CNBC when asked about a possible Cabinet post.

John Paulson, also a billionaire hedge fund manager, recently told the Wall Street Journal that if appointed, he would work with Elon Musk to cut spending and extend the former president's 2017 tax cuts.

Other candidates include Jay Clayton, who was chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under Trump, and Robert Lighthizer, who was Trump's U.S. trade representative. Lighthizer is chair of the Center for American Trade at AFPI.

Chief of Staff

Susie Wiles, a longtime political strategist who worked closely with Trump as a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, was considered a candidate for chief of staff.

During his victory speech, Trump thanked Wiles for her role in the campaign. Wiles has been a player in Republican politics for several decades and worked on former President Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign.

Former spokesman Kevin McCarthy was previously considered a possible candidate for the role, but recently told “The Guy Benson Show” that he wouldn't accept the position if it were offered to him. However, McCarthy hinted that Wiles would be great for the role.

Ambassador to the United Nations

House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., one of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump for reelection, is seeking the role of ambassador to the United Nations, Fox News Digital has learned.

This position was previously held by Nikki Haley, who challenged Trump in the 2024 Republican primary.

Press spokesman

Karoline Leavitt worked as national press secretary for Trump's 2024 campaign. Leavitt served as Trump's deputy press secretary in the White House before running to represent New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District in the 2022 midterm elections.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk are also expected to play major roles in the government.

RFK is likely to work on reshaping America's health agencies and recently told MSNBC that he would eliminate “entire departments” within the FDA.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump teased that Musk could take on the role of “cost-cutting secretary” in his administration.

Fox News' Charles Creitz contributed to this report.