Current officeholders · Reviewed July 24, 2026

Who leads the federal government now

A neutral directory of the principal figures leading the executive, legislative, and judicial branches—and the authority attached to their offices.

11About Government field guide

The United States does not have a single “government team.” Authority is divided among independently selected institutions. The president appoints executive officials, voters elect Congress, and federal judges receive life tenure after presidential nomination and Senate confirmation.

President, vice president, and executive leadership

The list below follows the White House’s current Cabinet directory. “Acting” identifies officials temporarily performing the duties of an office.

01

Donald J. Trump

President of the United States

45th and 47th president; head of state, head of government, and commander in chief.

02

JD Vance

Vice President

President of the Senate and first in the presidential line of succession.

03

Marco Rubio

Secretary of State

Leads diplomacy and advises the president on foreign policy.

04

Scott Bessent

Secretary of the Treasury

Oversees federal finances, revenue policy, debt management, and financial sanctions.

05

Pete Hegseth

Secretary of War

Leads the department responsible for national defense and the armed forces.

06

Todd Blanche

Acting Attorney General

Heads the Department of Justice and serves as the federal government’s chief law-enforcement officer.

07

Doug Burgum

Secretary of the Interior

Oversees public lands, natural resources, national parks, and relations with Tribal nations.

08

Brooke Rollins

Secretary of Agriculture

Leads federal policy on farming, food programs, rural development, and forests.

09

Howard Lutnick

Secretary of Commerce

Oversees economic development, trade data, patents, standards, and weather services.

10

Keith E. Sonderling

Acting Secretary of Labor

Administers federal workplace, wage, safety, and employment programs.

11

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Secretary of Health and Human Services

Leads the federal government’s principal health and human-services department.

12

Scott Turner

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Oversees federal housing policy, community development, and fair-housing enforcement.

13

Sean Duffy

Secretary of Transportation

Leads federal policy for aviation, highways, rail, transit, pipelines, and maritime transport.

14

Chris Wright

Secretary of Energy

Oversees energy policy, nuclear security, national laboratories, and scientific research.

15

Linda McMahon

Secretary of Education

Leads federal education policy, student aid, civil-rights enforcement, and education research.

16

Doug Collins

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Directs health care, benefits, and memorial services for veterans.

17

Markwayne Mullin

Secretary of Homeland Security

Leads border, immigration, emergency-management, cybersecurity, and transportation-security agencies.

18

William J. Pulte

Acting Director of National Intelligence

Coordinates the U.S. Intelligence Community and briefs national decision-makers.

19

John Ratcliffe

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

Leads foreign intelligence collection, analysis, and covert-action capabilities.

20

Jamieson Greer

U.S. Trade Representative

Develops and negotiates U.S. international trade policy.

21

Kelly Loeffler

Administrator, Small Business Administration

Oversees federal loan guarantees, contracting support, and disaster assistance for small businesses.

22

Russ Vought

Director, Office of Management and Budget

Coordinates the president’s budget and reviews agency rules and management priorities.

23

Lee Zeldin

Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency

Administers federal environmental statutes and pollution-control programs.

Congressional leadership

House and Senate party leaders organize floor strategy and party work, but each chamber acts through its full membership, committees, and formal rules.

01

Mike Johnson

Speaker of the House

R–Louisiana

02

Steve Scalise

House Majority Leader

R–Louisiana

03

Tom Emmer

House Majority Whip

R–Minnesota

04

Hakeem Jeffries

House Democratic Leader

D–New York

05

Katherine Clark

House Democratic Whip

D–Massachusetts

06

John Thune

Senate Majority Leader

R–South Dakota

07

John Barrasso

Senate Majority Whip

R–Wyoming

08

Chuck Schumer

Senate Democratic Leader

D–New York

09

Dick Durbin

Senate Democratic Whip

D–Illinois

10

Chuck Grassley

President pro tempore

R–Iowa

The Supreme Court

Nine justices currently serve. The year shown is when each took a seat on the Court.

01

John G. Roberts Jr.

Chief Justice

2005

02

Clarence Thomas

Associate Justice

1991

03

Samuel A. Alito Jr.

Associate Justice

2006

04

Sonia Sotomayor

Associate Justice

2009

05

Elena Kagan

Associate Justice

2010

06

Neil M. Gorsuch

Associate Justice

2017

07

Brett M. Kavanaugh

Associate Justice

2018

08

Amy Coney Barrett

Associate Justice

2020

09

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Associate Justice

2022