Behind the Curtain: Trump's enforcers

The big picture: Trump plans to stretch the power of the presidency — and test the limits of traditional legal and governing boundaries. Here are 13 of his most trusted loyal hands:

• Donald Trump Jr.: The Enforcer. Easily the most powerful member of the president's family. Think of Don as the protector of the MAGA spirit and loyalty to the president. His power flows from many directions — his dad's blessing, his friendship with VP-elect JD Vance, and a deep connection to the MAGA media ecosystem.
• JD Vance: The Future. He's the eager and willing intellectual pit bull to sic on the media and GOP critics. His tentacles run deep into the Senate, the tech community and MAGA activism. Keep an eye on the Vance-Don Jr.-Elon Musk power center.
• Susie Wiles: The Chief. As chief of staff, she'll run the White House like she did the campaign — in the background, but with a powerful hand. She brings method to Trumpworld madness: She's tough as nails, having beat back several men who wanted her power and proximity. Her style is to be kind but blunt, and she tells Trump the unvarnished truth.
• Howard Lutnick: The Auditioner. Lutnick — chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, which he rebuilt after surviving the 9/11 attack on the Wall Street firm's headquarters — was named co-chair of the Trump transition in August along with Linda McMahon, who led the Small Business Administration during Trump's first presidency. Ever since then, Lutnick has been fielding pitches from Trump-friendly moguls about names for the transition's lists, and trying to convince business leaders to agree to serve in top posts if Trump asks them.
• Elon Musk: The Everything Store. Musk's juice flows from controlling X, his coming assignment to gut government, and, oh, running Tesla, SpaceX, the brain-interface developer Neuralink and his tunneling technology pioneer, The Boring Company. In a column this week, we called him America's most powerful civilian ever because of the clout he amassed by donating over $119 million to a super PAC to help elect Trump, and parking himself in Pennsylvania for the campaign's closing weeks. Musk was at Mar-a-Lago on election night, and will be back next week. A sign of his everything-influence: Trump put him on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during their first call this week, as Axios' Barak Ravid scooped.
• RFK Jr.: The MAGA Doctor. RFK has unique juice: He has his own political following, deep connections with the pro-Trump podcast crowd, and a public persona as a vaccine and traditional health critic. Trump has warmed to him personally and is strongly considering naming him to lead a health agency, friends say. Kennedy was with Trump at Mar-a-Lago as election returns came in. At the victory party early Wednesday, the crowd chanted: "Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!"
• Tucker Carlson: The Provocateur. He often makes Trump seem tame. They talk often, and Carlson knows how to egg him on, both in person and with viral social media moments. Carlson hooked his post-Fox future to Musk — and it paid off, big time. Carlson will stir up MAGA early and often.
• Robert Lighthizer: The Tariff Man. Lighthizer, an "arch protectionist" who was U.S. trade representative when Trump launched his first-term trade war with China, has been asked to take the job again for the new term, the Financial Times reported Friday. Trump has threatened universal tariffs of 10% to 20% on foreign goods — potentially disrupting supply chains from China and beyond.

• Stephen Miller: The Deporter. No one loves tougher borders and expelling undocumented immigrants more than Miller. He seems certain to be a leading architect of the new immigration efforts. But some Trump friends worry he's not the right public face for what the campaign billed as "the largest deportation operation in American history." Either way, Miller's public and private juice on the topic is formidable. Possible inside roles include White House senior adviser and deputy chief of staff.
• John Ratcliffe: Mr. Intelligence. He's almost certain to land a top job, perhaps running the CIA. He checks both Trump boxes: loyal and serious. As Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in Trump's first term, Ratcliffe focused on two Trump priorities: China and space.
• Boris Epshteyn: The Law. He's controversial, but that doesn't spook Trump — he's a loyalist's loyalist, and a legal enforcer. Trump's legal team, inside and out of the White House, will be instrumental in stretching the power of the presidency and the limits of the Justice Department. In or out, Epshteyn's voice matters.
• Steve Witkoff: The First Friend. Trump has called Witkoff, a frequent golfing companion who's often described as Trump's best friend, a "special guy." Witkoff, a real estate investor based in Manhattan, was in the courtroom when Trump was convicted of 34 criminal counts in May. He was golfing with Trump in West Palm Beach when a second would-be assassin was smoked out by the Secret Service.
• Jared Kushner: The Hidden Hand. He doesn't want an official role, but Trump's son-in-law will be deeply involved in reviving a Middle East peace deal. Trump trusts him, so don't be surprised if he gets pulled into the White House after an inevitable first-term shakeup.

Go deeper: Susie Wiles' journey ... Washington's open for business.