STORY: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has announced his picks to fill a number of crucial positions in his next administration.

Some have been criticized for a lack of experience, but many share two common characteristics: loyalty to Trump himself, and hard-line political stances on issues important to the incoming president.

:: Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary

Trump on Tuesday said he had picked Pete Hegseth to run the Department of Defense.

Hegseth is a Fox News commentator and veteran of the Army National Guard, who said he quit the military in 2021, claiming it had sidelined him over his political and religious views.

C.Q. BROWN: “I commit to provide the president, and the Secretary of Defense, my military advice.”

He has clashed with Air Force General C.Q. Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, accusing the military leader of “wokeness” and suggesting he got the position because of the color of his skin.

The top Democratic lawmaker on the House Armed Services Committee criticized the decision to name Hegseth to lead the Pentagon.

Representative Adam Smith wrote on X, “The job of Secretary of Defense should not be an entry-level position.”

:: Marco Rubio for Secretary of State

RUBIO: “Because together with Donald Trump, we are going to make America not just great, but greater than it has ever been before.”

Sources tell Reuters Trump is likely to tap Republican Senator Marco Rubio for the role of Secretary of State.

Rubio is a veteran of the Senate’s Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees.

The senator has in past years advocated for a muscular stance with respect to U.S. geopolitical foes, including China, Iran and Cuba.

He has shifted some of his positions in recent years to fall more in line with Trump’s, including pushing for a less interventionist foreign policy.

:: Kristi Noem for Homeland Security

NOEM: “The only person in the race that I trust to do what needs to be done on these issues is President Trump.”

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was named to lead the Department of Homeland Security, overseeing everything from border security to disaster response to the U.S. Secret Service.

She has little experience on the national security stage and has held no prior role with DHS.

The governor rose to national prominence after refusing to impose a statewide mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Noem later garnered attention for an episode in her memoir describing how she shot and killed a pet dog she deemed insufficiently obedient.

:: Elise Stefanik for United Nations envoy

STEFANIK: “At Harvard, does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment, yes or no?”

Republican Representative Elise Stefanik is Trump’s nominee to represent the U.S. at the United Nations.

The New York lawmaker is a fierce defender of the president’s agenda.

She drew notice for castigating the heads of American universities for their responses to pro-Palestinian protests on campuses.

Stefanik will arrive at the U.N. after bold promises by Trump to end the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s war in Gaza.

:: Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy for Dept. of Government Efficiency

MUSK: “As you can see, I’m not just MAGA, I’m dark MAGA.”

RAMASWAMY: “We are hungry to be part of something bigger than ourselves.”

Trump announced he would task Tesla founder Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy with his goals of dismantling government bureaucracy, cutting excess spending and regulations.

Toward that effort, he announced plans to create another government agency, the Department of Government Efficiency, to be led by the duo.