In his first weeks in office, Trump has sought to make the most of his return to power, reorganizing the executive branch in a blitz of activity. One of the consequences of this has been moving cabinet officials to take on multiple high-level positions as replacements are decided upon and agencies cut.

Marco Rubio

The official with the most on his plate is Marco Rubio. After being confirmed by a unanimous vote to become secretary of state, he has also been pushed to become acting director of the United States Agency for International Development and acting director of the National Archives and Records Administration, according to ABC News.

Former National Archivist Colleen Shogan was head of the agency during its dispute with Trump over his alleged mishandling of classified documents, leading to his indictment. Trump said in a radio interview with Hugh Hewitt on Jan. 6 that he intended to replace Shogan, a move he allegedly went through with within days of his inauguration. Rubio has been acting head of the agency for weeks, according to ABC News.

His additional roles aren’t empty either, especially with Trump focusing much of his attention in the first weeks of his second administration on foreign policy.

Rubio was made acting director of USAID following one of the most high-profile government cuts, which saw the administration cut nearly all staff and funding. The diminished agency was then put under Rubio.

After the announcement, Rubio spoke to USAID workers in Guatemala in an attempt to reassure them that the administration was acting with compassion for workers.

“I know it’s hard to ask for patience,” he told one worker, according to the New York Times. “I know it’s hard to ask for trust, because you’ve never met me before. I’ve never been in charge of the State Department. I’ve never been acting U.S.A.I.D. administrator before.”

He went on to say that foreign policy is the least popular area of government spending.

Sean Duffy

Sean Duffy, confirmed as secretary of Transportation, was immediately faced with a crisis when a military Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger jet over the Potomac, killing all 67 people onboard both aircraft.

The crash occurred at a time when the U.S. had no official head of the Federal Aviation Administration — former FAA director Mike Whitaker resigned shortly after Trump’s inauguration. Whitaker had taken up the position in 2023 after a 19-month vacancy, following the departure of the Trump-appointed Steve Dickson in March 2022.

With the position vacant, Duffy took de facto control of the FAA upon his swearing-in as head of the Department of Transportation. He toured the Department of Transportation with his wife and children the day he took power.

The excitement was cut short on his first night, however, after news of the plane crash shortly before 9 p.m. He spoke at a press conference at around 1 a.m. alongside Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

People knowledgeable told the Washington Examiner that Duffy immediately focused on rallying the agency’s 55,000 employees around communicating the DOT’s core mission of safety to the public. The secretary specifically vowed support for any National Transportation Safety Bureau investigations into the Reagan airport crash, including investigations of DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration. He was heard juggling his roles at the late-night press conference.

“Obviously, there will be a review of what happened here tonight,” Duffy said at the first press conference following the crash. “After the Federal Aviation Administration studies what happened, we will take appropriate action if necessary to modify flight paths and permissions.”

Duffy announced on Wednesday that he was in contact with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which was working to “upgrade our aviation system.”

After intense scrutiny following the plane crash, Trump appointed Christopher Rocheleau as acting head of the FAA as he looked for a permanent nominee.

Doug Burgum

Doug Burgum was sworn in last month as secretary of the Interior. Trump soon added two adjacent positions to his responsibilities — “Energy Czar” and chairman of the White House Energy Council.

The White House Energy Council is a newly created position, and its head doesn’t require Senate confirmation.

The position of “Energy Czar” also doesn’t require a Senate confirmation. In this position, he will coordinate policy toward energy production. Some of the expected policies include a loosening of Biden administration climate regulations and approving new drilling projects.

Unlike the case with Rubio and Duffy, Burgum’s juggling of the three roles appears to be by design. The three roles are closely interrelated and allow Burgum greater effectiveness in implementing Trump’s energy policies.