Donald Trump: 'Almost All' Cabinet Nominations Coming Next Week; Most Eyes Trained on Secretary of State

President-elect Donald Trump said he will reveal "almost all" of his remaining Cabinet picks next week after closing out a week of dozens of candidates revolving through Trump Tower's doors and ending in several high profile and controversial appointments.

“We have tremendous people joining the Cabinet, and beyond the cabinet, so you’ll be seeing almost all of them next week,” Trump told Fox News in an interview that was taped on Thursday but aired on Friday morning, in which he boasted of his nominations thus far.

“You know, we’re getting credit for having one of the great Cabinets ever picked,” he said. “These are people of great distinction, great success, which is what you need, you know you’re negotiating with people. You can’t have people that didn’t know how to get there.”

As it stands, Trump still has to name secretaries for agriculture, interior, labor, energy, housing and urban development, veterans affairs, homeland security and state.

During a Thursday night rally — a part of his victory tour — Trump broke his own embargo on the announcement that was supposed to be released on Monday that he will name retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to lead the Department of Defense.

"We are going to appoint Mad Dog Mattis as our secretary of defense," said Trump. "We're not announcing it until Monday, so don't tell anybody," he joked, adding, "He's the closest thing we have to Patton, and it's about time."

His Department of Defense selection, who is typically viewed as an aggressive military man, may be going over better than the top of his economic team.

After Trump named former Goldman Sachs executives Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross as his picks to head the Treasury and Commerce Departments, respectively, critics accused the New York businessman of going against his campaign promise of moving away from Wall Street and "draining the swamp" and assembling the wealthiest Cabinet in history.

At Thursday's rally, Trump shot back a simple answer to those who criticized his choice of a multi-billionaire to run the Commerce Department: "The guy knows how to make money, folks."

But it's Trump's looming decision on the State Department that has gotten the most attention.

In a Friday interview, senior adviser Kellyanne Conway identified the four candidates on the president-elect's short list for secretary of state beyond David Petraeus and Mitt Romney, who have grabbed the most headlines in recent weeks.

“We publicly have said there are probably four people right now that have been the narrowed-down choices,” Conway told Fox News. “That includes Gen. [David] Petraeus and Sen. Bob Corker from Tennessee. Obviously, Governor Romney’s still in the mix. People have been talking about Mayor Giuliani.”

“It’s an important decision,” said Conway, who has previously voiced concerns about Trump tapping Romney for the State Department spot. “And it can’t be rushed because some in the media want a story that day or think he should be forming a Cabinet at that hour.”

In another Friday morning interview on CBS, Conway said that short list might not be final.

“That list may expand,” she said. “That list may narrow.”

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