Just hours before Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America, Let’s look at a few Indian-Americans Trump has appointed to key positions in his second-term Cabinet. This highlights the Indian Americans’ influence on the country and how they can shape the nation.
Sriram Krishnan: Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist, as the senior White House policy advisor on artificial intelligence (AI).
In a statement, Trump said Krishnan would shape and coordinate AI policy across the government. Krishnan will oversee and coordinate AI policy across the government in this role, working closely with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Vivek Ramaswamy: Leading the Department of Government Efficiency
President-elect Donald Trump said Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Ramaswamy formally endorsed Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in January 2024. Ramaswamy was born to Indian immigrants in Ohio’s Cincinnati in August 1985. The pair had moved to the US from Kerala’s city of Palakkad.
Kash Patel, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Kash Patel, a former federal prosecutor and a key figure in Trump’s first term, has been appointed Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Born in Garden City, New York, on February 25, 1980, to Indian immigrant parents from East Africa, Patel has roots in Vadodara, Gujarat. He previously held pivotal roles, including overseeing the counterterrorism division at the National Security Council and serving as the chief of staff at the Department of Defense.
Harmeet Dhillon: Assistant Attorney General for Civil
US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Harmeet K. Dhillon, an Indian-American, as the Department of Justice’s assistant attorney general for civil rights. Dhillon, 54, was born in Chandigarh and moved to the United States with her parents as a child. With her experience in civil rights law and as a prominent voice in the Republican Party, Dhillon is expected to advocate for protecting civil liberties under the Trump administration.
Dr Jay Bhattacharya: Director of the National Institute Of Health
US President-elect Donald Trump picked Stanford academic and US Covid policy critic Jay Bhattacharya as the Director of the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya, an economist from Kolkata with medical studies at Stanford University, was a critic of US COVID policy. He will now lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the primary US public funder of medical research, overseeing a budget of $47.3 billion. His appointment signals a shift in the approach to public health, focusing on individual freedoms and targeted public health policies.
