Indian Americans in Trump admin: Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley and others who could snag top spots in 2.0 cabinet

President-elect Donald Trump’s triumphant election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris has inevitably sparked speculative discussions regarding his second term’s Cabinet. Rumours about key Republican players potentially taking on significant roles are already soaring. He will have several months at his disposal before he is officially sworn into office at his inauguration. As the Constitution’s 20th Amendment dictates, the presidential inauguration is always held on January 20.

Before he finally makes his White House comeback, he has a long and arduous journey ahead of him as part of the presidential transition, which requires him to plan for his new term in advance. According to the Center for Presidential Transition, “Transition teams are responsible for organising the personnel vetting, policy planning and management agendas to turn campaign promises into governing.” As part of the crucial process, he and his allocated team will use this time to their advantage, planning for leadership positions.

Among this year’s pivotal Republican leaders on Trump’s side, a significant group of Indian Americans have risen to the top, led by the likes of former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who, after dropping out of the race earlier this year, immediately endorsed the MAGA leader.

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After the election call, Trump Campaign advisor Brian Hughes told the New York Post that the president-elect’s transition team has been hard at work for months, preparing for an internal “unveiling.”

The transition team overseeing the upcoming second Trump administration reportedly includes co-chairs Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon, Trump’s sons Eric and Donald Jr, Robert F Kennedy Jr, former Rep Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President-elect JD Vance.

Indian Americans who could play significant potential roles in Donald Trump's Cabinet

Vivek Ramaswamy

Trump’s rival-turned-ally was once deemed a popular choice for his running mate shortlist roster. While reporting previously about the Indian-origin biotech entrepreneur’s position in the presidential race, Bloomberg noted that Trump personally told Ramaswamy he was considering him to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Tulsi Gabbard

The former Democrat is already leading the charge as one of the pivotal players working towards Trump’s transition. Having backed the Republican leader’s campaign this year, she is already in Trump’s good graces. Rep Brain Mast, who secured his fifth term in Florida’s 21s Congressional district a day ago, previously said, “Tulsi Gabbard, different places, former colleague other side of the aisle, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a role for her somewhere in the diplomatic sphere if she had that opportunity,” per The Hill’s report. It was also reported in Septemberthat while the former congresswoman prioritised her place on Trump’s transition team, she hinted at being open to serving in a second Trump administration during a Fox News interview appearance.

Also read | Vivek Ramaswamy defines why Trump won by ‘largest margin of any President in modern history’

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Kash Patel

Speculations are also rife about Indian-American lawyer Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel potentially joining Trump’s team. As a former Republican House staffer with extensive experience in defence and intelligence, the staunch Trump loyalist is a likely pick for CIA chief. In addition to frequently appearing on Trump’s campaign trail this year, Patel joined the National Security Council in February 2019 and ultimately climbed up to the Senior Director of the Counterterrorism Directorate post. Later, he became Chief of Staff to Acting Defence Secretary Christopher Miller.

Bobby Jindal

According to Politico, the former governor of Louisiana is a likely candidate for a consequential role, particularly the Health and Human Services Secretary. He currently chairs the Center for a Healthy America, “ a wing of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, where he has argued for changes to the Affordable Care Act and new price transparency.” Additionally, Jindal was assistant secretary of Health and Human Services under former President George W Bush, a crucial role that backed his health sector expertise with political diplomacy.

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Nikki Haley

The former South Carolina governor served as UN ambassador during the first two years of Trump’s first term. However, they didn’t necessarily maintain good terms earlier this year when she challenged him for the Republican presidential nomination. According to USA Today, Haley is likely out of the running for Trump 2.0 Cabinet considerations. However, the Indian American diplomat opted for a sweet tongue to speak of Trump in the latter stages of his campaign. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, she argued it was an “easy call” to back the Republican leader over Kamala Harris. Three months ago, Haley was even invited to speak at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where she offered her “strong endorsement” of Trump.

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