Who will make up President Trump's initial administration?

One of the first ways to assess a new presidency it is to examine the people nominated to initially run the administration. By naming nominees early, the Senate can act to confirm (or reject) them around the time the new president takes office.

We have compiled a list of President Donald Trump's nominees, as well as examining what they have done with regards to the agencies they are being nominated to lead.

Attorney General: Sen. Jeff Sessions

Sessions was rejected for a federal judgeship after testimony that he had made several racial comments. He voted to support torture by the U.S. military.

Click here to read our full discussion of Sessions.

Sec. of Agriculture: Sonny Perdue

Perdue grew up on a farm and is a veterinary doctor. He was governor of Georgia from 2003-2011, where he signed into law measures based on model legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Click here to read our full discussion of Perdue.

Sec. of Commerce: Wilbur Ross

Ross's company recently paid a $2.3 million settlement to the Securities and Exchange Commission for cheating investors.

Click here to read our full discussion of Ross.

Sec. of Defense: Gen. James Mattis

Mattis retired from the Marine Corps in 2013. He now is a paid speaker and has been on the board of directors of defense contractor General Dynamics.

Click here to read our full discussion of Mattis.

Sec. of Education: Betsy DeVos

DeVos has no professional education experience. She's a former chair of the Michigan Republican Party. She has raised political donations to support policies that would provide public money to private schools.

Click here to read our full discussion of DeVos.

Sec. of Energy: Rick Perry

This is one of the departments Perry advocated eliminating while running for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. He has no experience with nuclear weapons - an area that makes up a large part of the department's responsibilities.

Click here to read our full discussion of Perry.

Sec. of Health and Human Services: Rep. Tom Price

Price has introduced legislation to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), and supports privatizing Medicare.

Click here to read our full discussion of Price.

Sec. of Homeland Security: Gen. John Kelly

Kelly is a retired 4-star general. He previously served as the senior military assistant to defense secretaries Robert Gates and Leon Panetta.

Click here to read our full discussion of Kelly.

Sec. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Ben Carson

Carson has no government or housing-policy experience. He has been critical of programs that work toward desegregating neighborhoods and housing.

Click here to read our full discussion of Carson.

Sec. of Labor: Andrew Puzder

Puzder is CEO of the company that runs several fast food chains. He has worked to oppose minimum-wage increases, workers' ability to unionize, and the employer mandate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

Click here to read our full discussion of Puzder.

Sec. of State: Rex Tillerson

Tillerson is CEO of ExxonMobil. He has no government or diplomatic experience. He has strong business ties to leaders of several nations - most notably Russia.

Click here to read our full discussion of Tillerson.

Sec. of Interior: Rep. Ryan Zinke

Zinke previously signed a pledge to oppose the Department of the Interior and to reclaim lands from the federal government (which would then be sold). He voted to limit the president's ability to protect public lands by declaring them national monuments. Although in the past he has said that climate change is a national threat, he voted to prohibit requiring the Department of Defense from considering climate change in its plans. He also most recently said that global warming is not proven science.

Click here to read our full discussion of Zinke.

Sec. of Treasury: Steve Mnuchin

Mnuchin, who runs a hedge fund, is a former partner at Goldman Sachs. In 2009 he bought a failed subprime lender. Over the next six years the bank foreclosed on more than 35,000 mortgages and was charged with filing false documents.

Click here to read our full discussion of Mnuchin.

Sec. of Transportation: Elaine Chao

As Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush, Chao cut mine safety inspections prior to two disasters in which 15 people died. The Labor Department under Chao also was found to have inadequately investigated claims from workers over their employers failing to pay minimum wage or overtime pay.

She is married to Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Click here to read our full discussion of Chao.

Sec. of Veterans Affairs: David Shulkin

Shulkin has served as the VA undersecretary for health since March 2015.

Click here to read our full discussion of Shulkin.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Admin: Scott Pruitt

Pruitt has sued the EPA several times to prevent it from enforcing rules such as those to limit pollution crossing state boundaries. He publicly questions global warming.

In the past 15 years Pruitt has received more $270,000 in donations from the oil and gas industry.

Click here to read our full discussion of Pruitt.

Small Business Administration (SBA) Admin: Linda McMahon

The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), McMahon has spent millions lobbying to avoid regulations and to help elect Trump president.

Click here to read our full discussion of McMahon.

United Nations Ambassador: Nikki Haley

The South Carolina governor has little international experience. She supported a state law to prohibit companies the state does business with from boycotting certain Israeli companies.

Click here to read our full discussion of Haley.

Council of Economic Advisors Chair: Larry Kudlow

Office of Management and Budget Dir: Rep. Mick Mulvaney

Mulvaney has voted to cut Medicare benefits. He supported shutting down the government in 2013 and 2015 in an effort to de-fund the Affordable Care Act and Planned Parenthood.

Click here to read our full discussion of Mulvaney.

U.S. Trade Representative: Robert E. Lighthizer

Lighthizer was deputy U.S. Trade Representative under Pres. Ronald Reagan. He is an attorney who has represented heavy manufacturing, agricultural, and tech companies. He has opposed various free trade agreements.

Click here to read our full discussion of Lighthizer.

White House Chief of Staff: Reince Priebus

Preibus is chair of the Republican National Committee.

Click here to read our full discussion of Priebus.

Securities and Exchange Comm (SEC) Chair: Jay Clayton

Clayton is an attorney who has represented financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs - which included defending clients against the SEC. He has argued against laws that protect investors. He has no government experience.
Note: The SEC is not a cabinet position

Click here to read our full discussion of Clayton.