Political appointments by Donald Trump

This is a list of political appointments of current officeholders made by the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump.

Links to lists of announced positions from which candidates have withdrawn or appointees who have resigned or have been terminated, as well as lists of appointments to other independent agencies and of holdovers from previous administrations are below.

Following President Trump's election, there were around 4,000 political appointment positions which the incoming Trump administration needed to review, and fill or confirm, of which 1,212 required Senate confirmation.[1][2] The Washington Post has identified 757 key positions requiring U.S. Senate confirmation. As of September 8, 2020, 531 of Trump's nominees for key positions had been confirmed, 97 were awaiting confirmation, and 13 had been announced but not yet formally nominated,[3] a total of 639 positions. Trump has said he intends not to fill many of the positions.[4] The rules of the Senate require that when the term of the Senate expires (in the case of the 115th Congress, at noon on January 3, 2019), nominations then pending lapse and are returned to the president, who can resubmit them to the new Congress.[5]

All members of the Cabinet require confirmation by the United States Senate following nomination by the president prior to taking office. The vice presidency is exceptional in that the position requires election to office pursuant to the United States Constitution. Although some positions are of Cabinet-level rank, non-cabinet members within the Executive Office of the President, such as White House chief of staff, national security advisor, and White House press secretary, do not hold constitutionally created positions and most do not require Senate confirmation for appointment. Persons appointed on an acting basis do not require Senate confirmation before they begin to act in their position, even if a permanent appointment to that position would require confirmation. Appointments to judgeships on federal courts and of ambassadors require nomination by the president and confirmation by the Senate. Acting appointments to these positions are not permissible.

  1. ^ Piaker, Zach (March 16, 2016). "Help Wanted: 4,000 Presidential Appointees". Partnership for Public Service Center for Presidential Transition. Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  2. ^ The Editorial Board (November 14, 2016). "Donald Trump Is Now Hiring". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  3. ^ "Tracking how many key positions Trump has filled so far". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  4. ^ "Tracking Trump's nominations". www.cnn.com.
  5. ^ Jipping, Thomas. "Where Trump's Judicial Picks Stand at the End of This Congress". The Heritage Foundation.