What Would Happen If Donald Trump Was President? Potential Cabinet Picks Include Rudy Giuliani, Ben Carson

The first thing the president-elect does after Election Day is assemble a list of picks for the 15 Cabinet posts to submit to the Senate for approval.

Donald Trump has said throughout the campaign he mostly relies on gut instincts, and when he needs advice, he turns to his pals in the private sector. Prospects of oil company executives making decisions on drilling on public lands has environmentalists worried the interests of oil companies will come first.

Republican officials told Politico they expect Trump to assemble a CEO-heavy cabinet comprised of men who agree with him on such issues as lowering taxes and rolling back regulations.

“I think you will see successful, experienced business people compose a much higher percentage of the Cabinet than we have seen in recent administrations,” one Republican business executive who has spoken with high-level Trump campaign officials told Politico.

The Republican Party emailed supporters last month to crowdsource suggestions, but did not include all 15 positions, CNNMoney reported.

Fox Business News reported last week the real estate mogul planned to tap campaign finance chairman Steve Mnuchin for treasury secretary, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for attorney general and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani as homeland security secretary.

Trump has a number of advisers with whom he has built business relationships over the years. Insurance company CEO John Ridings Lee, 79, has been advising Trump on health insurance while oil tycoon Harold Hamm, 70, has Trump’s ear on energy policy, Politico reported. On trade, Trump seeks advice from former steel executive Dan DiMicco, 66.

As for economic policy, Trump gets advice from G. Brint Ryan of Dallas, who advises companies on how to minimize their tax bills.

As for education secretary, Trump has praised former primary rival Ben Carson, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon, and his views, the Washington Post reported. Carson is a strong supporter of school choice and rewarding good teachers. Carson also is seen as a contender to head Health and Human Services.

Forrest Lucas, head of Lucas Oil, is a possible candidate for interior secretary although Politico noted Donald Trump Jr. is interested in that job. Possible picks for agriculture secretary include Bruce Rastetter, who made his fortune in pork, ethanol and farm real estate, and Chuck Conner, president of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

Trump also has talked to J. Larry Nichols, chairman emeritus of Devon Energy Corp; coal executive Joe Craft, Excel Services chief Donald Hoffman and Wilbur Ross of WL Ross & Co., an investment firm, Politico said.