The conventional wisdom in the political arena is that “personnel is policy”—meaning that the people surrounding a leader ultimately help shape policy. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in a president’s appointments. What follows is a list of some of the nominees and appointments of President-elect Trump who adhere to Biblical values and are professing followers of Jesus Christ.
Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel
Before serving as a governor and running for president in 2008 and 2016, Huckabee was a Southern Baptist pastor.
“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be The United States Ambassador to Israel,” Trump said in a statement.
“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”
Huckabee has long been outspoken about his support for Israel, which he has attributed in large part to the teachings of the Bible.
He has visited the Jewish nation more than 100 times and has expressed support for Israel’s control of the West Bank, recently claiming “the title deed was given by God to Abraham and to his heirs,” according to The Associated Press.
Huckabee served as Arkansas’ 44th governor, from 1996 to 2007.
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
Rubio, a Florida senator and 2016 presidential candidate, is President Trump’s choice to serve as secretary of state.
Known for his foreign affairs expertise, Rubio has also championed global religious freedom during his 16-year Senate tenure and has been a strong supporter of Israel.
During his presidential run, he answered a question about his faith from a purported atheist who claimed to be worried that Rubio’s beliefs might affect his policy decisions.
“I’m a Christian,” Rubio answered. “I want to be very clear about something. Not only am I a Christian, and not only am I influenced by my faith, but it is the single greatest influence in my life. And from that I’ll never hide. And I’ll tell you why. Because I know that if I’m lucky, I get to live to be 85 or 90 … but I’m more interested in eternity, and the ability to live forever, with my Creator—that you don’t believe in, but I do. And that’s what I aspire to more than anything else.”
He often shares Scripture verses on his personal X account—drawing ridicule from his opponents.
Scott Turner, Housing Secretary
Turner, a former NFL player, will lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development if he’s confirmed by the Senate.
The Richardson, Texas, native worked in the same department in Trump’s first administration. The 52-year-old is also an associate pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.
Senior Pastor Jack Graham told NBC 5 in a statement that Turner has “impeccable integrity” and his “leadership skills are off the charts.”
“Scott Turner is perfect for his new calling in that he loves people and has innovative ideas as to how to elevate local communities and bless America with compassionate conservatism,” Graham said.
After retiring from professional football in 2004, Turner turned his attention to politics. He worked in Washington, D.C., in a congressman’s office and was elected to the Texas House in 2013.
“What a glorious choice, Prestonwood’s own Scott Turner in the Trump cabinet. Great man who will do a tremendous job in this important responsibility,” said Graham on X.
Brooke Rollins, Agriculture Secretary
Rollins is the nominee for secretary of the Department of Agriculture, a position that oversees, among other things, food safety, and notably, health care referrals and nutrition education for millions of low-income and homeless people each month.
Rollins points to Matthew 25:40 as her life theme: “What you did for the least of these, you did for Me.”
“All of my heart and work all these years has been for those who are ‘the least’ among us, those living at the margins of society,” she said on a recent episode of The Lou Holtz Show.
Rollins, 52, earned a law degree from the University of Texas, served for 15 years as president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and served in the first Trump administration as White House domestic policy adviser. She is a cofounder, president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a conservative think tank.
One of the projects of AFPI is the Biblical Foundations Project. “Without the guidance of the Holy Bible in a world full of evil, it is impossible to safeguard the future of America for the next generation,” says an article on the AFPI website.
Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
A former pastor and Georgia congressman, Collins is the choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A Gainesville, Georgia, native, Collins was pastor of Chicopee Baptist Church from November 1994 through October 2005, according to the church’s annual reporting.
He also served as chaplain for Chattahoochee Baptist Association and earned a master of divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Collins is also a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve, serving in that role since 2002. He had served two years as a Navy chaplain before joining the Air Force after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He remains active with the Air Force Reserve, which includes a 2008-09 deployment to Iraq.
Georgia voters elected Collins to the state House of Representatives in 2006. He was sent from Atlanta to Washington six years later, winning a U.S. House seat. He stepped down to run for Senate in 2020 but lost.
Trump said in a statement that Collins “will be a great advocate for our active duty service members, veterans and military families to ensure they have the support they need.”
Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary
The 52-year-old South Dakota governor, who would serve as secretary of Homeland Security, says her relationship with the Lord is her foundation for all things.
“As a result, the values I hold according to Biblical principles impact my decisions: We are called to love, but we’re also instructed to stand for truth,” Noem once told South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
She describes her childhood on her father’s ranch near Watertown as being filled with life lessons about working hard, having grit, trusting God, appreciating the land and loving her neighbor.
When her dad died in a grain-bin collapse when he was 49, she vowed to “live every day with purpose.”
“We’re not called to go out there and argue our points and to be the smartest person in the room,” she told the Faith & Freedom Coalition gathering in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July. “We’re out there to go win hearts and minds … to change people’s perspectives—of how they see themselves, how they see their families.”
“God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind,” she told the gathering, quoting 2 Timothy 1:7. “Above all, He has called us to love each other.”
Pam Bondi, Attorney General
Bondi, the first female to serve as Florida’s attorney general, would serve as U.S. attorney general.
A public prosecutor for 18 years, Bondi has strongly defended the right to life for the unborn.
“It’s very personal to me because I have a Down syndrome niece, and Emma is 18 and the love of our lives,” she told Eternal Word Television Network during a 2022 pro-life event in Florida. “So we’re a very, very pro-life family and always will be.”
Bondi is also strongly pro-Israel. “Israel is one of our, if not our greatest ally in the world,” Bondi told Fox News in 2018.
