Trump’s possible AGs have little in common – except loyalty. Find out who’s on the shortlist here

President-elect Donald Trump has wasted no time naming senior White House and Cabinet officials to his administration as he prepares to be sworn in for a second term in January.

But it remains to be seen who Trump will choose to lead his Justice Department, perhaps one of the most important vacancies to fill in the next administration.

Early candidates for the post include sitting U.S. senators, former Justice Department officials and at least one top White House adviser from Trump’s first term.

Although each brings very different backgrounds and perspectives to the position, they all share one common trait: loyalty to the president-elect and a willingness to support his agenda and policies over the next four years.

As the US awaits a formal announcement from the president-elect, here are some of the top names being considered for the role of US attorney general.

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Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is seen as a more conventional candidate to lead the Justice Department. Lee is a senior Republican in the House and would have a relatively easy path to Senate confirmation, at least compared to some of the more controversial names that have emerged.

But he may not be looking for the role.

The Utah Republican told reporters last week that although he has spoken frequently with Trump’s transition team, he wants to focus his influence in the Republican-majority Senate on winning support for Trump’s Cabinet nominees and helping select the Senate majority leader, a leadership election in which Lee will play an important role as current chairman of the Senate Steering Committee.

“I have the job I want,” Lee told the Deseret News in an interview. “And I look forward to working in the next Congress and with President Trump and his team to implement his agenda and the reform agenda that Republicans have offered and championed, and it will be an exciting time. We have a lot of work to do.”

John Ratcliffe

Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe is among the top names being considered to lead the Justice Department.

Ratcliffe, a former federal prosecutor and former U.S. representative from Texas, rose to prominence during Trump’s first term for his outspoken criticism of the FBI and the special counsel investigation overseen by Robert Mueller.

Trump appointed Ratcliffe as Director of National Intelligence in 2019 to replace Dan Coates. The following year, he was selected by the outgoing president to be a member of his impeachment team.

Mark Paoletta (right) is seen with Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, on September 29, 2022. Paoletta is considered one of the men President-elect Trump may want to nominate as U.S. attorney general. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

Mark Paoletta

Former White House counsel Mark Paoletta served as an adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence and the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term.

Paoletta is also already working on the Trump transition team, including helping steer Justice Department policy in the next Trump administration, potentially making him an ideal candidate for the role.

Paoletta also made it clear Monday that if he were appointed to head the Justice Department, he would not tolerate opposition to Trump’s agenda from prosecutors and other non-political officials.

In a longer post on the social media site A Matter of View).

“If these career DOJ employees are not implementing President Trump’s program in good faith, they should leave,” Paoletta said, noting that employees who engage in so-called “resistance” to Trump’s agenda are committed to “undermining America’s “Democracy” would be guilty. and is subject to “disciplinary action, including termination.”

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is considered one of President-elect Trump’s nominee for U.S. Attorney General. (Vanessa Abbitt/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Tribune News Service via Getty Images/File)

Andrew Bailey, Missouri Attorney General

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is also among the names proposed to lead the Justice Department. Bailey was appointed the state’s top prosecutor by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson in 2022 after then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Since taking over as attorney general, Bailey has led dozens of lawsuits against the Biden administration and sought to defend the state on a range of conservative issues.

Those familiar with Bailey’s rise say his lower-profile career could be an asset as a possible U.S. attorney general, especially as the role requires Senate confirmation. He could be joined here by Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, two Missouri Republicans who also served as attorney general before serving in the Senate.

Since neither appears to be seeking the role of top U.S. attorney, they could play a key role in pushing Bailey in the Senate if his name is actually up for debate.

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Matt Whitaker

Former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker temporarily led the Justice Department after Trump fired former Attorney General Jeff Sessions during his first term.

When Whitaker was asked in an interview with Fox News last week if he wanted the role, he declined to answer, saying the decision was Trump’s.

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“He’s going to want someone he knows, likes and trusts,” Whitaker said. “He’s going to want someone who’s been there from the beginning,” he added, and who can help defend against what Whitaker described as “all this lawfare nonsense.”

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment about who remains on its list of candidates to lead the Justice Department.