Gaming out a Trump energy Cabinet

By Robin Bravender | 07/17/2024 01:34 PM EDT

Western governors, political celebrities and former Trump aides could land slots in key energy and environmental jobs. 

Former President Donald Trump speaks with his vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance.

Former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), converse in the VIP box during the second night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday. Francis Chung/POLITICO

Former President Donald Trump could soon get a second run at naming his picks for the government’s top energy and environmental jobs.

The presidential election is still months away, but Trump clinching the official GOP nomination this week and his announcement that Republican Sen. J.D. Vance will be his running mate have fueled speculation about the personnel makeup of a possible second Trump administration.

Contenders for Cabinet posts will likely include Trump allies who were passed over for the vice president nod, Western governors with interests in public lands and energy production, Republican lawmakers, and former officials who held top jobs in Trump’s first administration, according to Republican energy insiders.

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Trump wouldn’t be starting from scratch on picking his Cabinet, said George David Banks, who served as a White House climate official in the Trump administration.

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