Although Donald Trump, who made history with an impressive comeback as US president, will need many days or even weeks to select his cabinet and other senior government officials, speculation about who will land top jobs in the Trump regime has already begun Administration.Top candidates for some of the key defense, intelligence, diplomatic, trade, immigration and economic policy positions include some of his closest and most loyal allies who have stood by him in recent years.

Those with a particular position in mind have begun reaching out to members of Trump's inner circle to try to convince themselves. Trump, who is known to be superstitious, has largely avoided these conversations in recent weeks, even as allies who believed they had proven their loyalty tried to position themselves positively, CNN reported. Before the election, interim chiefs Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon met with some potential candidates for senior positions within the government to discuss what that would look like, sources familiar with the meetings told CNN.

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Kash Patel, a former Trump national security official who is helping organize the next administration's transition, spent Wednesday in an office in Palm Beach County taking meetings and calls from a flood of people interested in jobs in the new administration were interested, involving a former Trump administration official. The trial told CNN. Patel is helping navigate a somewhat chaotic process in which several Trump campaign officials are pushing lists of potential candidates for key positions.

In private conversations in recent days, Trump made one thing clear: He wanted to reward those who stood by him in the final two years of his presidential candidacy, CNN reported. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of .

Kashyap “Kash” Patel

Kash Patel is a former Republican House staffer who held various senior defense and intelligence staff positions during Trump's first term. Patel made frequent appearances on the campaign trail to drum up support for the candidate.

Also read: Indian-American Kashyap “Kash” Patel could become head of one of the world’s leading defense spy agencies

Patel himself has told associates that he wants to become CIA director, people with knowledge of the matter told CNN. In his final months in office, Trump pushed the idea of ​​installing Patel as deputy director at either the FBI or the CIA, the New York Times reported. Trump dropped those plans after CIA Director Gina Haspel threatened to resign and Attorney General William Barr argued against it. “Patel had virtually no experience (in the area),” Barr wrote in his memoirs.

Patel, a newcomer to the House Intelligence Committee's National Security Council staff, had impressed the president as the author of the secret “Nunes memo,” a key element in House Republicans' efforts to undermine the Justice Department's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election , according to the NYT report. Trump suggested an additional role for Patel. “He wanted to turn Kash into a political executioner to root out and fire people from the White House staff who were not as loyal as he thought they should be,” Charles Kupperman, the former deputy national security adviser, said in an interview.

Patel is also a candidate to lead the Department of Justice (DoJ). Trump has made clear that regaining control of the Justice Department is paramount to his political and personal agenda. A Politico report said in February that if Trump wins the election, he will take office as a defendant in two federal criminal cases: an ongoing case and another that was dismissed but whose special counsel, Jack Smith, wants to be reinstated. Trump's first, deeply personal task will be to ensure that these prosecutions end quickly, the Politico report said. Patel is a former federal public defender and former federal prosecutor in the Justice Department's national security division who later became a senior House staffer and helped craft Republican responses to the investigations into Trump and Russian election interference. Patel was a staunch and visible defender of Trump, appearing at his criminal trial in Manhattan and perpetuating conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. During the Trump administration, he worked as chief of staff to the defense secretary, the Politico report said.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy was one of Trump's most visible supporters during the election campaign and enjoys wide popularity among party cadres, especially among the youth. The charismatic entrepreneur embodies a new-age American patriotism that appeals to young conservatives and immigrant communities alike. He had been running for the Republican Party's presidential nomination but suspended his campaign in January and endorsed Trump.

Trump held Ramaswamy in high esteem during his campaign. In October, he said that Ramaswamy was “smart as hell” and initially gave him tough competition. “He’s really smart and I hope he gets involved in our government,” Trump said. Alluding to giving an important department to Ramaswamy, he said: “We can put him in charge of one of these big monsters and he will do a better job than anyone you can imagine.”

Beginning of June. Trump called Ramaswamy a “smart guy.” “If I left it to Vivek, he would do it,” he said while discussing his government’s tariff deals with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Ramaswamy could be considered for a Cabinet post as head of the Department of Commerce, Homeland Security or Health and Human Services because of his background as an entrepreneur and pharmaceutical company leader, The Hill reported.

Nikki Haley

Nikki Haley, a prominent Republican politician, served as governor of South Carolina and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the previous Trump administration. She ran against Trump in the Republican presidential primary, but ultimately voted for Trump.

According to TOI, Haley will be aiming for a comeback after her late endorsement of Trump following critical comments about his campaign.

Although she is not known as a Trump loyalist, she may still be part of the Trump administration. “I think Haley will have a place in Trump's Cabinet. She supported Trump over Kamala Harris after she dropped out of the presidential race. “She was invited to speak at the Republican National Convention in the presence of Trump, who also mentioned in an interview that Haley will have a place in his administration,” said Jiten Agarwal, a prominent Indian-American business and community leader and CEO of QuantAi. a global data and AI company, told TOI. Agarwal had hosted high-profile fundraising receptions for Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance in Houston, Texas, and also supported Haley's campaigns.

Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar

Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar may not be among the top Trump aides, but has steadfastly stood behind him through all his trials and tribulations and will be on the lookout for the spoils of office, TOI reported. Chicago-based Kumar is chairman of the Republican Hindu Coalition and a prominent donor to the Trump campaign. He ran a $1.2 million campaign in the final days of the campaign.

His campaign, focused on the Indian-American community in three key battleground states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, was expected to help sway 200,000 voters and support Trump.

Bobby Jindal

Bobby Jindal, a former Louisiana governor and lawmaker with roots in Punjab, could join the Trump administration, Politico reported in June. Jindal is now chairman of the Center for a Healthy America, an arm of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, where he has pushed for changes to the Affordable Care Act and new price transparency measures.

Jindal's new focus on health policy and his leadership roles could boost a nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). And his track record leading a state government could help him make the case that he's equipped to lead one of the federal government's largest agencies, Politico reported.

Jindal, previously considered a front-runner to lead HHS, also has health care and regulatory experience. He served as deputy secretary of HHS under former President George W. Bush and executive director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare.

However, Jindal has been known to bitterly fight Trump in the past, despite supporting him before the 2024 election.

(With inputs from TOI and agencies)