US President-elect Donald Trump has made two more important appointments before returning to the White House in January.
Tom Homan, 62, will serve as Trump’s “border czar,” having previously served as acting director of the returning president’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice).
New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, 40, has also been appointed ambassador to the United Nations, CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, confirmed.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Republican Party is moving closer to complete control of the US Congress. They already have a majority in the Senate and only need to win a few seats to take the House.
A party needs 218 seats to win won a majority of the House of Representatives. According to CBS, the Republican Party has 215 compared to 210 for its Democratic opponent.
Control of the House of Representatives gives a party the power to initiate spending legislation and initiate impeachment proceedings against officials.
A majority in the House, the lower house of Congress, along with the Senate, the upper house, would give Trump a greater chance of getting his plans passed than if Democrats controlled one or both.
Meanwhile, attention is focused on who Trump appoints to serve in his administration.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Homan will be “in charge of our Nation’s Borders (“The Border Czar”), including but not limited to the Southern Border, the Southern Border North, all Maritime and Aviation Security”.
He continued: “Similarly, Tom Homan will be responsible for the deportation of all illegal aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations Tom. I have no doubts that he will do a great and long-awaited job.”
One of Trump’s major campaign pledges was to deport immigrants who entered the US illegally.
A senior source close to Trump’s transition told CBS News that Trump chose Stefanik to be ambassador to the United Nations and Stefanik accepted.
“I am honored to nominate President Elise Stefanik to my cabinet as United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Mr. Trump said shortly afterward in a statement to CBS News. “Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and intelligent America First warrior.”
She confirmed accepting the role to the New York Post, saying she was “truly honored”.
“In my conversation with President Trump, I shared that I was humbled to accept his nomination and I look forward to receiving the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate,” she said.
Trump appointed earlier Susie Wiles as his chief of staff. In his election victory speech, Mr. Trump called her an “ice maiden” – referring to her calmness.
Other names running for management are billionaire X, the owner Elon Muskwho played a key role in Trump’s election campaign, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who ran his own presidential campaign before endorsing Trump.
There is speculation that Florida Sen Rick Scott could be in line to become Senate majority leader after receiving support from Musk and others.
Trump said Nikki Haley And Mike Pompeo — both of whom served in his first administration — will not be appointed to new positions.
A president-elect is responsible for approximately 4,000 political appointments. During his first term as president, it took Trump months to assemble his cabinet.
Some appointments – including that of UN ambassador – require approval from the US Senate. However, Trump has asked the next Senate leader to allow him to make appointments without the traditional confirmation vote.
Trump has confirmed that Homan will have a broad role in overseeing border security and deportation policy – two of the key issues of his campaign.
Homan, a former police officer, also played a key role in Trump’s first presidential term as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice).
He resigned in 2018 but remained a supporter of Trump’s tough approach. He advocates separating migrant children from their parents as a deterrent to illegal border crossings, and says politicians who support migrant shelter policies should be charged. .
Homan is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation – a conservative think tank that published the Project 2025 document, which laid out a “wish list” for a second Trump presidency. Trump has left this organization.
Stefanik became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress in 2014, at the age of 30. She went on to represent New York’s 21st District.
After entering politics, the fourth-ranking House Republican initially positioned himself as a moderate and critical of Trump – but later became his staunch defender.
In his statement to the New York Post, Trump described her as “an incredibly strong, tough and smart America-first warrior.”
The role of UN ambassador is vital to global cooperation and security, and Stefanik’s nomination comes as conflicts continue to rage in Ukraine and the Middle East.
