8 TV Personalities Who Got a Spot in Trump's Second Administration

Brooke MigdonWed, May 27, 2026 at 8:59 PM UTC

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Donald Trump on NBC's 'The Apprentice'; Jeanine Pirro on The CW's 'Judge Jeanine Pirro'
Credit: everett; the cw

While there’s no shortage of familiar faces in President Donald Trump’s second administration, some may be more immediately recognizable than others.

Among dozens of Cabinet secretaries, agency heads and other high-ranking officials are several television alums — including the president, himself a former reality TV star as the longtime host of NBC’s The Apprentice.

Below, a look back at the media careers of some of Washington's most prominent politicians.

01 of 08

Sean Duffy

Sean Duffy on MTV's 'The Real World Boston'; him as transportation secretary
Credit: MTV/Courtesy Everett; Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg/Getty

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy gained early reality TV fame as the fun-loving playboy on The Real World: Boston in 1997. He returned to the franchise the following year for Road Rules: All Stars, during which he met his now-wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy.

In 2002, Duffy competed on and won The Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons alongside his The Real World: Boston housemate, Elka Walker.

Duffy returned to television in 2020, joining Fox News as a contributor after spending nine years in Congress. He briefly co-hosted The Bottom Line on Fox Business, leaving the network for the Trump administration in 2024.

Related: The Real World Alum Sean Duffy Filmed New Reality Series Over Past 7 Months While Serving as Transportation Secretary

02 of 08

Pete Hegseth

Pete Hegseth on 'Fox & Friends' in 2018; him as the secretary of defense
Credit: John Lamparski/Getty; Andrew Harnik/Getty

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was a Fox News fixture for more than a decade before Trump tapped him to lead the Pentagon in his second administration.

Hegseth, a former Army National Guard infantry officer, joined the network as a contributor in 2014 and co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend from 2017 to 2024. He was briefly a host on TheBlaze, Glenn Beck’s conservative news and opinion network.

03 of 08

Linda McMahon

Linda McMahon at a WWE event in 1999; her as the education secretary
Credit: Jean-Christian Bourcart/Liaison; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

Long before she was Trump’s education secretary, Linda McMahon appeared on television screens nationwide as one of the faces of World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly the World Wrestling Federation), the pro wrestling promotion company she founded with her husband, Vince McMahon.

The McMahon family — Linda, Vince and their two adult children, Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon Levesque — were featured prominently in storylines on WWE Raw through much of its highly successful “Attitude Era.”

In one of her most memorable moments, a seemingly catatonic Linda suddenly stands from her chair in the corner of the ring at Wrestlemania X-Seven and kicks her husband’s “Mr. McMahon” character in the groin, allowing Shane to defeat his father with a coast-to-coast dropkick into a trash can.

Related: WWE Clip Shows Linda McMahon, Trump's Education Secretary Pick, Being Body Slammed by Kane, Now a Tenn. Mayor

04 of 08

Jeanine Pirro

Jeanine Pirro on The CW's 'Judge Jeanine Pirro'; her as the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.
Credit: Judge Pirro/YouTube; Andrew Harnik/Getty

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, had a nearly two-decade run on television before joining Trump's government in 2025.

From 2008 to 2011, Pirro, a former New York county judge and prosecutor, hosted the courtroom TV show Judge Jeanine Pirro on The CW. She then left the network to host Justice with Judge Jeanine, a weekly legal and political commentary show, on Fox News.

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From 2022 to 2025, Pirro was a co-host of The Five, Fox News’ primetime political talk show.

05 of 08

Mehmet Oz

Mehmet Oz on the set of 'The Dr. Oz Show' in 2011; him as the CMS administrator
Credit: Sony Pictures Television; Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz began his long-running career in daytime television as host of the Discovery Channel’s short-lived Second Opinion with Dr. Oz in 2003. He caught a lucky break the following year as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, going on to appear on the program more than 50 times over the next five years.

​Oz, a former cardiothoracic surgeon, hosted his own weekday talk show, The Dr. Oz Show, from 2009 to 2022.

Related: The Rise and Fall of Dr. Oz

06 of 08

Kimberly Guilfoyle

Kimberly Guilfoyle on Fox News' 'The Five' in 2017; the future ambassador to Greece at a fashion show in 2019
Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty

Kimberly Guilfoyle, now the U.S. ambassador to Greece, was on television for over a decade before she traded a career in media for one in politics. A former prosecutor, Guilfoyle hosted Both Sides on Court TV from 2004 to 2006 and worked as a legal analyst on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°.

She joined Fox News in 2006 as host of its former weekend show, The Lineup. While the show was short-lived, Guilfoyle’s time at Fox News wasn’t. She remained at the network as a contributor until 2011, when she joined The Five as one of its original hosts.

Up until her departure from the network in 2018, Guilfoyle was a regular co-host of the Fox News show Outnumbered, and guest-hosted shows including Hannity, On the Record and Fox & Friends. She made regular appearances on The O'Reilly Factor until its cancellation in 2017.

Guilfoyle is the ex-wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and was engaged to Trump's eldest son, Don Jr., from 2020 until 2024 before they separated and she earned an ambassador appointment.

Related: Don Trump Jr.'s Proposal to Bettina Anderson Was 'Difficult' for Ex-Fiancée Kim Guilfoyle: 'She Doesn't Believe It's Built to Last' (Exclusive)

07 of 08

Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard at a 'Hannity' taping in Fox News Studios in 2023; her as the director of national intelligence
Credit: Steven Ferdman/Getty; Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard joined Fox News as a contributor in 2022, after an 8-year stint in Congress and an unsuccessful run for president in 2020.

She twice hosted Tucker Carlson Tonight, the network’s top-rated primetime show until its cancellation in 2023, and made frequent appearances on shows including The Five, Jesse Watters Primetime and Hannity.

Gabbard appeared as herself in the History Channel’s 2016 miniseries, Barbarians Rising.

08 of 08

Dan Bongino

Dan Bongino in the Fox News studios in 2019; him as the deputy FBI director

Dan Bongino, Trump’s now-resigned deputy FBI director, is perhaps best known for his work off-camera. The former New York City police officer and Secret Service agent began his media career in radio and launched his podcast, The Dan Bongino Show, in 2021.

He joined Fox News the same year as host of Unfiltered with Dan Bongino, a weekly conservative talk show that aired until Bongino’s departure from the network in 2023. He was also the host of Canceled in the USA, a 2021 five-part Fox Nation docuseries on cancel culture.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”