Federal leadership at various government agencies, with nominees from the Trump administration still in the process of being confirmed.
Trump Inauguration: Federal Agencies Led by Career Executives
President Trump was sworn into office on Monday, and in a departure from tradition, he has chosen to appoint career federal executives to lead several federal agencies in the interim.
Immediately following his inauguration, the president designated acting leaders for various departments. Some of these officials will serve in their roles for only a few days or less, while others could stay on for longer.
James McHenry, a career Justice official with experience in implementing Trump's policies during his previous term, has been appointed as acting attorney general. Walter Cruickshank, a career Interior official with 35 years of experience, serves as deputy director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Dorothy Fink, a career executive, leads the Office of Women's Health at the Health and Human Services Department. Denise Carter, a 30-year career official, is acting as the chief operating officer of the Education Department's Federal Student Aid office. Matthew Ammon, a career HUD official, temporarily led the Housing and Urban Development Department at the start of the Biden administration.
Ingrid Kolb, a career official with decades of experience in government, is awaiting confirmation to lead the Energy Department. Doug Burgum is awaiting confirmation to be the secretary of the Interior Department. Lori Chavez-DeRemer is awaiting a hearing and confirmation vote to serve as the secretary of the Labor Department.
Pam Bondi is awaiting confirmation to lead the Justice Department after receiving a confirmation hearing on Jan. 15. However, the person expected to be confirmed by the US Senate as Secretary of the Department of Justice has not been identified explicitly in the provided search results. There is no mention of any ongoing nomination for the Justice Secretary position; the most recent nominations mentioned relate to other positions such as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was confirmed in February 2025.
Trump did not disclose the names of the temporary leaders before his inauguration. He only brought in one individual, the interim head of the General Services Administration, from outside government to serve as a temporary chief. John Ratcliffe is expected to be nominated to serve as CIA director.
Marco Rubio is expected to be the first permanent nominee that the Senate will confirm. Benjamine Huffman, a Senior Executive Service employee, currently serves as the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers director at the Homeland Security Department. Trump has yet to name permanent nominees for the General Services Administration and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Federal agencies will be led in the interim by career federal executives, ensuring continuity and stability during this transition period.
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