Trump's allies are already jockeying for high-powered spots in his administration

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

70% : It would be a triumph after Trump contemplated in his final months in office putting Patel in key jobs at FBI or CIA.
68% : During private conversations in the last few days, Trump has made one thing clear: He wants to reward those who stood by him during the last two years of his presidential bid.
62% : "She makes him feel comfortable," one source close to Trump said of Wiles.
58% : Grenell was Trump's acting director of national intelligence for several months in 2020 and has also been suggested for a role such as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, where he may be urged by Trump to unearth the so-called "deep state.
56% : They include Scott Bessent, who prepared Trump for his economic club speeches.
54% : An interview Wednesday further exacerbated that concern, when Kennedy was continually pressed on his stance on vaccines, just hours after Trump won the presidency in an historic political comeback.
50% : During the campaign, the president-elect fiercely distanced himself from Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation effort to map out a sweeping agenda for the new Trump administration, along with vetting hundreds of people who could join the federal government and were deemed loyal to Trump.
49% : Trump could announce his decision on some key positions within days, sources told CNN.
49% : Musk and RFK Jr.One of the key decisions Trump will have to make is what to do with the high-profile but polarizing supporters who boosted his campaign in the final months, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X.It's not clear yet whether either could be confirmed by the Senate for a Cabinet position - a question that may be decided by the ultimate margin that Republicans have next year.
48% : "That is not what we want people focused on today," a source close to Trump said of the exchange.
48% : Economic rolesTo promote his economic platform of broad-brush tariffs and tax cuts, Trump is expected to lean on longtime allies and loyalists, while tapping into Wall Street heavyweights to round out his domestic agencies.
45% : That list includes his 2024 co-campaign manager, Susie Wiles, who sources close to Trump believe is the frontrunner.
44% : Now Trump can't ignore the decisions about who will staff the key roles in his administration tasked with implementing the president-elect's sweeping plans to remake the federal government.
44% : Jamieson Greer, who served as Lighthizer's deputy when Trump instituted across-the-board tariffs on adversaries and allies alike, is the name sources raise most often for this role.
43% : Trump has also prepared a raft of executive orders, policy papers and regulation reversals to go on day one of taking office, according to sources, describing a president-elect who is focused on what he'll do immediately after taking the oath of office.
43% : National security postsTrump has suggested his national security team would be tasked with reassessing the United States' posture toward Ukraine and Russia, China, Iran, and the simmering conflict in the Middle East.
39% : Many of the loyalists lining up for positions say they intend to operate in the new administration free of any officials who will undercut Trump.
36% : Conservative attorney Mark Paoletta has been pitched directly to Trump, according to a source familiar with the matter.
35% : Trump, who is known to be superstitious, largely avoided these conversations in recent weeks, despite allies who believed they proved their loyalty trying to position themselves favorably.
35% : Russ Vought, Trump's former budget director who oversaw a widespread push to deregulate, could find himself in pole position if Trump decides to embrace the pillars of Project 2025, which Vought co-authored.
32% : Wiles remained loyal to Trump when several Republicans tried to distance themselves from him after he left the White House in 2021.
30% : Occasionally over the past few months, Trump would float names as possible administration picks, but he would not engage further.
30% : Patel and Trump are both vowing to oust officials who played any role in investigations of Trump and his supporters.
29% : Sources close to the former president said that because he was superstitious, Trump often refused to engage in lengthier conversations about who would be placed in an administration before the election took place.
22% : Trump has said he regretted many of the people he put in senior roles when he won the White House in 2016, angry with top aides and Cabinet officials who tried to thwart his often-impulsive demands and desires.
5% : Among those being floated for attorney general, which Trump has suggested will be among the most important roles he fills: Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general who, like Trump, was both indicted and impeached; Matt Whitaker, who served in an acting capacity after Trump fired then-AG Jeff Sessions; Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, and former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe.
3% : During his first term, Trump churned through four chiefs of staff, including John Kelly, who said last month that Trump fits "into the general definition of fascist.
3% : Trump has vowed to fire Christopher Wray, who Trump appointed in 2017 after firing James Comey, and whose 10-year term has more than two years remaining.

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