Since Trump (Trump) secured the election, he has announced some key White House and cabinet positions. However, the leadership of the Department of Justice is still under observation, which could be one of the most important vacancies in the next administration.
It is widely believed that the appointee for this key position must be extremely loyal to Trump. It is because this appointee needs to support his agenda and political will, including controversial actions such as deporting illegal immigrants in the United States.
Currently, there are several individuals who are highly favored to potentially become the Attorney General of the Trump administration.
Senator Mike Lee from Utah is one of the most mentioned candidates. He is considered a more traditional choice for leading the Department of Justice.
Lee previously served as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, has been a senator for 14 years, and has served on the Judiciary Committee.
However, he may not be actively seeking the position of Attorney General.
In recent days, he stated that despite frequent communication with Trump’s transition team, he plans to focus his influence in the Republican-majority Senate, assisting in garnering support for Trump’s cabinet nominations and helping select the Senate Majority Leader. As the current chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, Lee will play an important role in this leadership position.
He said, “I have the job I want, and I look forward to working with President Trump and his team in the next Congress to implement his agenda and the reforms proposed and campaigned by the Republican Party. We still have a lot of work to do.”
Former National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe is a former federal prosecutor and former U.S. congressman from Texas.
During Trump’s first term, Ratcliffe defended Trump in the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees during the Mueller special counsel investigation into the 2016 election. Trump later chose him to lead the intelligence community and awarded him the National Security Medal.
Trump appointed him as the Director of National Intelligence in 2019, replacing Dan Coats. The following year, he was appointed as a member of Trump’s impeachment team.
Former White House lawyer Mark Paoletta served as Vice President Mike Pence’s advisor and in the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term.
Paoletta is currently working with Trump’s transition team, assisting in formulating the Department of Justice policies for the next Trump administration, making him a potential suitable candidate for the position.
Paoletta recently stated explicitly that if chosen as the head of the Department of Justice, he would not tolerate any resistance from career prosecutors and other non-political officials to Trump’s agenda.
He said that career employees of the Department of Justice after the election “must execute the president’s plans,” even if they consider these plans to be unethical or illegal. “If these career Justice Department employees are not willing to sincerely execute President Trump’s plans, they should leave.”
Matt Whitaker temporarily led the Department of Justice after Jeff Sessions was fired during Trump’s first term.
Recently, when asked if he wanted this role, Whitaker refused to answer, stating that the decision rests with Trump.
He said that Trump “would want someone he knows, likes, and trusts,” “someone who supports him from the beginning,” and someone who can help resist “all this legal nonsense of the wars.”
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is also one of the nominees to lead the Department of Justice.
Bailey was appointed chief prosecutor of Missouri by Governor Mike Parson in 2022, after the then Attorney General Eric Schmitt was elected to Congress.
Since taking over the office of the chief prosecutor, Bailey has filed dozens of lawsuits against the Biden administration and defended the state on several conservative issues.
Those familiar with Bailey stated that his low-key professional career could be an advantage for him as the U.S. Attorney General, especially as the position requires Senate confirmation. He may also receive support from Missouri’s two Republican senators, Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, who previously served as state attorneys general before becoming senators.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon was appointed by Trump in 2020. She later dismissed accusations of illegally retaining classified documents after Trump left the White House.
Trump has repeatedly praised her as a “respected federal judge,” including in his speech at the Republican National Convention.
(References include reports from Fox News and USA Today)