Signs of change under Trump

Early signs emerged today of how quickly President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration would shift the government’s legal positions on a wide range of issues facing the Supreme Court, as speculation swirled about whom Trump would tap for critical positions in the government.

Legal experts said they expected the Justice Department under Trump to rapidly reverse its position on a transgender rights case pending before the court. People who follow the court are also bracing for a flip in the positions taken under President Biden on environmental issues, gun rights, criminal sentencing and employment discrimination. Trump’s transition team for climate and the environment is considering relocating the E.P.A. out of Washington and other drastic changes.

In his first job announcement, Trump last night named Susie Wiles, the Florida strategist who has run his political operation for nearly four years, as the White House chief of staff for his incoming administration.

Trump has said he wants Elon Musk to play a role in recommending ways to slash government spending. On Wednesday, during a call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, he put Musk on the phone. It is not clear what the three men discussed, but Musk has been a vital supplier of communications capability to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Several names began circulating today as possible candidates for attorney general, including a former national intelligence director, John Ratcliffe, and Senator Mike Lee of Utah. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine and science denier, has said he believes he will have a big role in shaping health policy.