US president-elect Donald Trump is filling key posts in his second administration, and the team is shaping up much differently than his first as he prioritises loyalists for top jobs.
Mr Trump was bruised and hampered by internal squabbles during his initial term in office. Now he appears focused on remaking the US government in his own image.
Some of his choices could face difficult confirmation battles even with Republicans in control of the US Senate.
Here is a look at who he has selected so far.
1. Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
Mr Trump named Florida senator Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making the critic-turned-ally his choice for top diplomat. Mr Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Mr Trump’s running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Mr Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Mr Rubio has made with Mr Trump, whom the senator once called a “con man” during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Mr Trump was in the White House. And as Mr Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Mr Rubio cheered his proposals. | Getty Images
2. Attorney General: Matt Gaetz
Mr Trump said on Wednesday he will nominate Florida representative Matt Gaetz to serve as his attorney general, naming a loyalist in the role of the nation’s top prosecutor. In selecting Mr Gaetz, 42, Mr Trump passed over some of the more established lawyers whose names had been mentioned as being contenders for the job. Mr Gaetz resigned from Congress on Wednesday night. The House Ethics Committee has been investigating an allegation that Mr Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old, though that probe effectively ended when he resigned. Mr Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing. | Getty Images
3. Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard
Former Hawaii representative Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Mr Trump to be director of national intelligence, another example of Trump prizing loyalty over experience. Ms Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party’s 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Mr Trump in August and campaigned often with him this autumn, and she has been accused of echoing Russian propaganda. Ms Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. | Getty Images
4. Defence Secretary: Pete Hegseth
Mr Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends Weekend and has been a contributor with the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Mr Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Mr Hegseth served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011. He has two Bronze Stars. However, Mr Hegseth lacks senior military and national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a ceasefire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Mr Hegseth is also the author of The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free, published earlier this year. | Getty Images