After a landslide victory, sweeping up all of 312 electoral votes, Donald Trump has made a remarkable comeback to the White House. Now, speculation about his new Cabinet has taken centre stage. The day after he was declared president-elect, Trump announced his campaign co-chair Susan Summerall Wiles (Susie Wiles) would be his chief of staff. Wiles, an experienced political operative, is the first woman in US history to fill the prestigious role.
The president-elect’s transition team is currently vetting a series of candidates ahead of his inauguration on 20 January 2025.
Speculations are rife that several Indian-origin faces are likely to be seen in the 47th US President’s cabinet as well as in top jobs in the Trump 2.0 administration. Leading candidates for key roles overseeing defense, intelligence, diplomacy, trade, immigration, and economic policy are likely to include some of his most loyal allies who have stood by him over the past few years.
So, who are the Indian Americans likely to be inducted in Trump 2.0 cabinet and administration?
Kash Patel
Kashyap Pramod “Kash” Patel, born on 25 February 1980, is an American Attorney and former government official, who is in the race to become the CIA director, or to head the Department of Justice.
At 44, Patel brings a varied background. He was chief of staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller and, during Trump’s first term, served as deputy assistant to the president and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council.
In this role, he led critical initiatives, including eliminating key ISIS and Al-Qaida leaders like al-Baghdadi, and securing the safe return of American hostages. He also oversaw operations of all 17 intelligence agencies and provided the President’s Daily Briefing.
Starting as a public defender, Patel tried cases involving serious crimes in state and federal courts. Born to Gujarati Indian immigrants, he studied at the University of Richmond and earned his law degree in New York, along with a certificate from University College London.
Widely called a “Trump loyalist”, The Atlantic described Patel as a man “who will do anything for Trump”, noting his rapid ascent in the Trump administration where he joined as a 40-year-old lawyer in 2019.
Patel is also a life-long ice hockey player, coach, and fan.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek Ganapathy Ramaswamy, born on 9 August, 1985, is an American entrepreneur. In 2014, he founded the Roivant Sciences pharmaceutical company.
In February 2023, Ramaswamy ran for the Republican Party’s presidential candidate nomination for the 2024 US election. But he suspended his campaign in January 2024 and supported Trump. He is now potentially headed for a Cabinet job leading the Department of Commerce, Homeland Security or Health and Human Services.
During the campaign, Trump held high appreciation for Ramaswamy. In October, Trump called Ramaswamy “smart as hell”.
“He’s really smart, and I hope he’s going to be involved in our administration,” Trump said. Hinting at a key role for Ramaswamy, he remarked, “We can put him in charge of one of these big monsters, and he’ll do a better job than anybody.” Popular among party youth, Ramaswamy embodies a modern patriotism that resonates with young conservatives and immigrant communities.
Born in Cincinnati to Tamil-speaking Indian Hindu parents from Kerala, his father worked as an engineer and patent attorney, and his mother as a psychiatrist.
A Harvard biology graduate, he later earned a law degree from Yale, where he met his wife, Apoorva Tewari Ramaswamy, a surgeon. They have two sons.
Ramaswamy, one of the most visible supporters of Trump during the campaign, has remained a key figure in conservative circles and is well aligned to Trump’s “America First” ideology.
Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar
Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar, born December 24, 1948, is a Chicago-based Indian-American industrialist and major Republican donor, known for supporting Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Although not among Trump’s top aides, Kumar remained steadfastly loyal, heading the Republican Hindu Coalition and running a $1.2 million campaign targeting Indian American voters in key battleground states—Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan—to sway approximately 200,000 votes toward Trump.
Originally from Ambala, Haryana, Kumar graduated in electronics engineering from Punjab Engineering College in 1969 and moved to the U.S. as a foreign student.
He founded the AVG Group of Companies in Chicago, with global operations, and the National Indian American Public Policy Institute, addressing Indian American issues.
In 2016, Kumar publicly endorsed Trump and crafted the viral slogan “Ab ki baar Trump sarkar” (“This time, Trump government”), inspired by a similar slogan for Indian PM Narendra Modi. This slogan gained over 2 million views in its first week and contributed to Kumar’s reputation as a bridge between U.S. and Indian political circles.
Bobby Jindal
Piyush “Bobby” Jindal, born 10 June, 1971, is an American politician who served as the 55th governor of Louisiana from 2008 to 2016. A member of the Republican Party, Jindal previously served as a US representative from Louisiana from 2005 to 2008, and served as chair of the Republican Governors Association from 2012 to 2013.
He could become a key part of the Trump administration.
Jindal is chair of the Centre for a Healthy America, a wing of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, where he has argued for changes to the Affordable Care Act and new price transparency measures.
Jindal’s new focus on health policy could boost a nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
He has health sector and regulatory experience having served as the assistant secretary of HHS under former President George W Bush and he was executive director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare.
Born to Indian Punjabi Hindu immigrant parents, Jindal converted to Christianity while in high school. He studied at Brown University and is married to Supriya Jolly Jindal, with three children.
