Who all will comprise US President Trump's men?

For starters, Donald Trump does not have a dedicated cadre of insiders and donors to fashion his cabinet from. Probably to counter that, over a period of months he has been quietly building his choice of activists and industry giants that would form the core of his presidential cabinet. Some of the choices are obvious and others will be controversial.

Forest Lucas of Lucas Oil or big donor Steven Mnuchin, staunch supporters Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Senator Cocker and Senator Jeff Sessions may be in the running for a cabinet berth.

The top job of secretary of state may go to Newt Gingrich, which will be very good news for India. The heavily pro-India Gingrich is also the honorary chairman of the Hindu Republican Coalition. He has been one of PM Narendra Modi’s more vociferous supporters and had at one point of time said Modi and Trump are a natural fit.

Senator Bob Corker is another one in contention for the top job. He is the current chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He had some strong words on India’s trafficking scene ahead of Modi’s last visit to the US.

Munuchin is the future POTUS favourite for the Treasury secretary’s job. This Goldman Sachs veteran of 17 years is a major Trump campaign donor and supporter. 

The secretary of defense portfolio could go to former NSA Stephen Hadley; Senator Jeff Sessions and former Senator Jim Talent may be in the running too. Top confidante Lt-Gen Mike Flynn (retd) would need a congressional waiver to get the portfolio as military officers need to wait seven years to accept a post at the Pentagon - by law. He may end up as NSA for now.

Former New York mayor Rudy Guiliani is said to be in the running for the post of Attorney General. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi may be in contention too.

Forrest Lucas could get the post of interior secretary. So could venture capitalist Robert Grady. A surprise choice could be Sarah Palin.

The controversial Sid Miller, current secretary of agriculture in Texas, could be in the running for the post of agricultural secretary. So could a bevy of names like former Texas governor Rick Perry, Kansas governor Sam Brownback, Nebraska governor Dave Heineman, and Chuck Connor, president and CEO of National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross and former Texas governor Rick Perry are thought to be in the running for the post of commerce secretary.

Victoria Lipnic, the commissioner of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since 2010, could be Trump’s choice for labour secretary. Incidentally, Lipnic was considered for the same job by the Mitt Romney transition team in 2012.

Trump’s friend for long Harold Hamm is seen as the frontrunner for the energy secretary’s job. It is a job some experts see as Hamm’s to pass. Ex-neurosurgeon and competitor-turned-endorser Ben Carson leads the list of speculation for the education secretary’s job.

Veterans’ Affairs chairman Jeff Miller is tipped for the post of Veterans' Affairs secretary and David Clarke, the Sheriff of Milwaukee County, Wis. is a favourite for homeland security secretary’s post.

Trump had earlier called for eliminating the Environment Protection Agency but has changed his stance. Now either Myron Ebell, sometimes termed a climate sceptic, or venture capitalist Robert Grady will be the next administrator of the agency.

Names making the rounds for the post of health and human services secretary are Gingrich, Ben Carson and Florida governor Rick Scott. Former GOP candidate Carson seems to be the current favourite.

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