Donald Trump lässt wenig Zeit verstreichen, um wesentliche Entscheidungen für seine zweite Amtszeit zu treffen. Keine Woche nach seinem Wahlsieg dringen erste außen- und sicherheitspolitische Personalien an die Öffentlichkeit. Das Umfeld des gewählten Präsidenten in Mar-a-Lago sticht diese an amerikanische Medien durch. Offiziell verkündet sind sie noch nicht.
So heißt es, Vertraute aus Trumps Umfeld rechneten damit, dass der Republikaner Senator Marco Rubio zu seinem Außenminister machen werde. Zudem soll der Abgeordnete Michael Waltz, der ebenso wie Rubio aus Trumps Wahlheimat Florida kommt, sein Nationaler Sicherheitsberater werden.
Außenminister: Marco Rubio?
Die Personalie Rubio ist noch nicht gänzlich in trockenen Tüchern. Die „New York Times“ berichtete, Trump könnte seine Meinung noch ändern. Doch spreche wenig dafür.
Sowohl Rubio als auch Waltz sind keine eingefleischten America-first-Politiker. Beide kommen aus dem traditionell internationalistischen Flügel der Republikanischen Partei; Rubio hat sich sogar als außenpolitischer Falke hervorgetan. Doch haben beide Politiker in jüngster Zeit ihre Positionen an Trumps Kurs angepasst, ohne ins isolationistische Lager zu wechseln.
Trump scheint auf Erfahrung und Loyalität zu setzen. Und es heißt, dies sei dem Einfluss von Susan Wiles, seiner künftigen Stabschefin im Weißen Haus, geschuldet. Rubio, der vor acht Jahren in den republikanischen Vorwahlen einer der Gegenkandidaten Trumps war und dessen Häme („Little Marco“) zu spüren bekam, hatte schon in dessen erster Amtszeit versucht, mit dem Präsidenten auszukommen. Als Trump sich im Winter dieses Jahres abermals in den Vorwahlen klar durchsetzte, wurde er von Rubio unterstützt.
Rubio has Cuban roots, was first elected to the Senate in 2010 and belonged to the libertarian-conservative “Tea Party wing” on economic and financial issues. He quickly made a name for himself as a foreign policy expert. He is a hawk, particularly when it comes to China and Iran policy. Even after Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, he was one of the Republican senators around parliamentary group leader Mitch McConnell who supported military aid for Kiev. Recently, however, he has moved closer to Trump's position and said that the conflict is deadlocked and must come to an end.
National Security Advisor: Mike Waltz?
It was previously announced that Trump intended to make Waltz his national security adviser. The 50-year-old Republican is a former member of the “Green Berets” special forces who served several missions in the Afghanistan war. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018, taking over the district of Ron DeSantis, who was then elected governor of Florida. He previously served as a counterterrorism adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney. He also worked for Defense Secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates on the Pentagon's planning staff.
He is particularly hawkish on the China issue. As far as Ukraine is concerned, he is certainly against making major territorial concessions to Moscow, but demands more commitment from Europe: “The era of blank checks for Ukraine from Congress is over,” he says.
UN Ambassador: Elise Stefanik
Trump also offered New York MP Elise Stefanik the post of UN ambassador. She vehemently defended Trump in the first impeachment trial, which he noticed.
Overall, the personal details known so far indicate that Trump recognizes loyalty. He announced over the weekend that he did not want to appoint Nikki Haley or Mike Pompeo to his cabinet. Haley had challenged him in the primaries. Pompeo had considered running for office but later rejected the idea.
For a long time it was expected in Washington that Richard Grenell, Trump's former ambassador in Berlin, could become foreign minister or security advisor. Trump may offer him another position.
Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Lee Zeldin
The future president made further personnel decisions. Former New York MP Lee Zeldin is set to head the EPA. The future president is primarily focused on deregulating the extraction of fossil fuels.
He also apparently wants to appoint his former advisor Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff in the White House. Miller was one of the nationalists around Trump in his first term and took a particularly hard line on immigration policy. It is expected that he will devote himself to this policy area again. Trump's Vice President-elect JD Vance praised the personnel decision as a “fantastic choice.”
The former head of the ICE border police and declared hardliner Tom Homan will eventually serve as border protection officer. During the election campaign, Trump announced that he would launch the largest deportation operation in American history on the first day of his presidency.
After his election victory last week, Trump is scheduled to be sworn in for a second term as president on January 20th.
