Donald Trump's second presidential transition began when he won the United States presidential election on November 5, 2024, and became the president-elect. Trump had become president-elect once the election results became clear on November 6, 2024, the day after the election. Trump was formally elected by the Electoral College on December 17, 2024. The results were certified by a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2025, and the transition concluded when Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2025.
Developments Trump became his party's presumptive nominee on March 12, 2024, and formally accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention in July. The Trump campaign announced the formation of the transition team on August 16, with Linda McMahon, Trump's former head of the Small Business Administration, and Howard Lutnick, the billionaire CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Group, officially named as co-chairs. Vice presidential nominee JD Vance, along with sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, were designated as honorary co-chairs. The effort beginning at this time was considered unusually late, as historically, most transition efforts start in the late spring.
On August 27, attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard were also selected as honorary co-chairs, both of whom were former Democrats that had recently endorsed Trump. Kennedy had originally mounted an independent presidential bid before withdrawing from the race to endorse Trump, reportedly in exchange for a Cabinet position in his administration.
In October, The New York Times noted how Trump had refused to sign standard agreements around ethics and disclosure in order to begin key aspects of the transition process. The internal ethics pledges signed by Trump staff so far have been more lenient than standard pledges signed by Harris's transition team and the Trump team does not have to disclose its donors to the transition effort until Trump signs the agreements. Furthermore, the General Services Administration cannot supply any assistance such as office space or IT equipment until the agreements are signed, leading the Partnership for Public Service to call the delay a "tremendous and unnecessary" national security risk. In October, Politico reported on how potential conflicts of interest surrounding co-chair Howard Lutnick had created tension within the transition team and criticism of the transition effort. On November 24, Politico described Trump's refusal to accept federal transition assistance as a potential national security concern and "unprecedented in the modern presidential system". It highlighted their refusal as having "freed the Trump transition from having to abide by a $5,000 cap on donations and a requirement to disclose their donors".
On November 26, Trump signed a transition agreement that allows his staff to work with federal agencies and access information. Trump's transition team ruled out signing a memorandum of understanding with the General Services Administration, instead opting to use an independently drafted ethics plan; an agreement with the Department of Justice, which allows background checks and security clearances with the Federal Bureau of Investigation required for Senate confirmation of certain positions, was belatedly signed on December 3.
Beginning of transition process
In the early morning of November 6, major news outlets projected that Trump would win the 2024 presidential election. During her concession speech that evening, Vice President Kamala Harris committed to a peaceful transition of power. The following day, President Joe Biden appeared at a press event at the Rose Garden where he named "the steps he was taking" in coordinating a White House transition.
On November 9, in a statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, it was announced President-elect Donald Trump would meet with Biden the following Wednesday, at Biden's invitation. Trump and Biden met in the Oval Office on November 13 for slightly less than two hours, with both calling for a "smooth transition" and Trump expressing his appreciation for Biden's efforts. Trump's Mar-a-Lago became the center of the transition process, with job-seekers, media, and Trump friends and advisors filling the resort and nearby West Palm Beach hotels.
President-elect Trump began receiving the President's Daily Brief in November 2024.
International visit The President-elect travelled on December 7 to Paris, France to attend the reopening of the restored Notre-Dame de Paris. At Élysée Palace, he had meetings with French president Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also met William, Prince of Wales at the British Ambassador's Residence and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, and had an official dinner at Élysée with many heads of state.
Costs Trump chose not to accept public funds for the transition process, but said in November 2024 that "donors to the transition will be disclosed to the public". In November 2025, a Trump transition official reported that the transition team raised more than $14 million and spent close to that amount, but did not provide any details on how the money was spent. The list of 46 donors did not specify how much each donor contributed.
Appointees
Announced
November On November 7, Susie Wiles was announced as the White House Chief of Staff. She began her duties following Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2025. She is the first woman to hold this position. Wiles had previously worked as a campaign manager for Trump's presidential campaigns in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
On November 9, it was reported that Robert Lighthizer would be re-appointed to the role of US Trade Representative. Four days later, it was reported that Lighthizer would instead likely take the White House position of "trade czar".
On November 10, Trump announced that Tom Homan, who previously served as the acting director of ICE in the last Trump administration, would be appointed "border czar" with full oversight of border controls north and south of the US. Aside from the positions listed below, Trump has also nominated as key White House staffers former Cabinet Secretary Bill McGinley as his next White House Counsel and real estate investor Steve Witkoff as his special envoy to the Middle East.
On November 11, it was announced that New York Congresswoman and House Republican Conference Chair, Elise Stefanik, would be appointed as the United States ambassador to the United Nations. That same day, former New York Congressman and nominee for governor Lee Zeldin was announced to be Trump's nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Florida Representative Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor. Stephen Miller was named White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. Miller served as a senior adviser and lead speechwriter in the first Trump administration.
On November 12, Trump named former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as his nominee for United States Ambassador to Israel. Trump also named Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, a non-governmental partner of the Office of Management and Budget and likely a presidential advisory commission to lead structural reform in government; South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security; former Director of National Intelligence and former Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe as nominee for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; and Army National Guard veteran and Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth as nominee for Secretary of Defense.
On November 13, Trump announced his nominee for Director of National Intelligence to be former Democratic Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard. On the same day, lawyer and Florida Representative Matt Gaetz was named as Trump's nominee for Attorney General, who later that day announced his resignation from Congress, effective immediately. Gaetz was notably previously investigated by the Department of Justice and was the subject of a House Committee on Ethics probe for allegedly violating federal sex trafficking laws, until his resignation ended the probe. The Department of Justice ended its case in 2023, declining to bring charges against Gaetz. Trump also nominated Florida Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State.
On November 14, Trump nominated former 2024 presidential candidate, environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services. He is the son of former attorney general Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy. Former Georgia congressman Doug Collins was nominated to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum was nominated for Secretary of the Interior. Former New York prosecutor Todd Blanche was nominated for Deputy Attorney General. Emil Bove, former assistant US Attorney in New York, was nominated to be Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General. Dean John Sauer, former Solicitor General of Missouri, was nominated to be Solicitor General of the United States. Jay Clayton, former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, was nominated as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
On November 15, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was considering Fox Business host and former director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow for a "senior economic role", and Trump announced that Steven Cheung and Sergio Gor would serve as White House communications director and personnel director, respectively. Also, Trump, in a statement, confirmed that alongside his nomination for Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum would serve as Energy Czar, "chairman of the newly formed, and very important, National Energy Council which will consist of all departments and agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation of all forms of American energy." Former press secretary of Trump's third presidential campaign Karoline Leavitt was confirmed as White House Press Secretary, the youngest to ever be appointed to this position.
On November 16, Trump announced Chris Wright, the chief executive of oil and natural gas fracking services company Liberty Energy as his nominee for Secretary of Energy. He also announced that Wright will also serve as part of the new National Energy Council. Wright has acknowledged the link between burning fossil fuels and climate change but has expressed doubt that climate change is linked to worsening extreme weather. A staunch supporter of fossil fuels in public interviews, he considers them necessary to lift the developing world out of poverty.
On November 17, Trump announced Brendan Carr, a commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission, to lead the commission. Carr was notably the author of the section regarding communications in the Project 2025 initiative.
On November 18, Trump announced his intention to nominate former Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation.
On November 19, Trump announced he would be nominating Howard Lutnick to be Secretary of Commerce and surgeon Mehmet Oz, known for being the host of The Dr. Oz Show, to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That day, CNN reported that Linda McMahon would be nominated for Secretary of Education.
On November 20, former Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and first-term Ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra were nominated to be the NATO ambassador and Ambassador to Canada, respectively.
On November 21, former Representative Matt Gaetz announced his withdrawal from consideration as Trump's Attorney General pick, reportedly due to lack of support for his nomination in the Senate. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was announced as the new nominee for Attorney General.