The following is a list of key cabinet
and other nominations made so far by US President-elect Donald Trump,
who takes office on January 20:
– Cabinet –
Attorney General: Jeff Sessions, 69
One of Trump’s earliest supporters
during the campaign, the anti-immigration senator from Alabama has a
much criticized record on race relations and was once denied a judgeship
amid concerns over past comments about blacks. The attorney general
heads the department of justice.
Commerce: Wilbur Ross, 79
A US asset investor and billionaire,
Ross is best known for investing in failing steel and coal firms and
selling them for profit. He was once known as the “king of bankruptcy”
for his history of investing in such businesses.
Defense: James Mattis, 66
A retired four star Marine general,
Mattis commanded US forces in the Middle East and Southwest Asia from
2010 to 2013, capping a career as a combat commander that earned him the
nickname “Mad Dog.” A scholar of warfare, he is said to have a
particular interest in the challenge posed by Iran. To become secretary
of defense, Mattis would have to get a congressional waiver from a law
that bars generals from serving as defense secretary for seven years
after leaving active duty.
Education: Betsy DeVos, 58
A wealthy activist and Republican
megadonor from Michigan, DeVos is a champion of alternatives to local
government schools, backing a movement that advocates the use of tax
credits and vouchers to allow parents to opt out of the public school
system.
Health and Human Services: Tom Price, 62
The Georgia lawmaker and former
orthopedic surgeon is a robust critic of President Barack Obama’s
signature health care reform law, the Affordable Care Act, which has
provided health coverage to 20 million Americans.
Housing and Urban Development: Ben Carson, 65
The retired neurosurgeon and onetime
rival to Trump for the Republican presidential nomination is so far the
only African American named to Trump’s cabinet. The religious
conservative with no experience in elective office, who grew up poor in
Detroit, will be tasked with turning around America’s troubled inner
cities.
Labor: Andrew Puzder, 66
The chief executive of CKE Restaurants,
which owns fast food chains Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s, is opposed to
raising the national minimum wage. He also backs the increasing use of
automated technology to keep labor costs down.
Transportation: Elaine Chao, 63
The Taiwan-born former US labor
secretary under president George W. Bush also served as the deputy
secretary of transportation in his administration. She was the first
Asian-American woman to serve in the cabinet and is the wife of Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Treasury: Steven Mnuchin, 53
The Wall Street veteran was a partner at
Goldman Sachs before he launched an investment fund backed by
Democratic Party supporter George Soros and financed Hollywood
blockbusters like “Avatar” and “Suicide Squad.”
– Top positions with Cabinet-rank status –
Ambassador to the United Nations: Nikki Haley, 44
As South Carolina’s governor, Haley rose
to prominence when she led efforts for the divisive Confederate flag to
be pulled from the state’s capitol following a 2015 massacre at a
historic black church in Charleston. The daughter of Indian immigrants
was sharply critical of Trump during the election campaign.
White House Chief of Staff: Reince Priebus, 44
Head of the Republican National
Committee, Priebus is a seasoned political operative who can build
bridges between Trump and a skittish Republican leadership, particularly
House Speaker Paul Ryan, a longtime ally.
Environmental Protection Agency: Scott Pruitt, 48
The attorney general for the state of
Oklahoma is a known climate change skeptic, and an ally of the fossil
fuel industry. Before accepting the nomination, Pruitt spent much time
battling the agency he is tapped to lead.
Small Business Administration: Linda McMahon, 68
The wrestling tycoon and two-time
Republican candidate for the US Senate from Connecticut, will now be
responsible for supporting America’s 28 million small businesses, which
employ around half the country’s private-sector workforce.
– Non-cabinet positions –
Chief Strategist: Steve Bannon, 63
A key figure in Trump’s victorious
election campaign, Bannon served as executive chairman of conservative
news platform Breitbart, a favorite news source of the so-called
“alt-right,” an offshoot conservative movement that embraces a mixture
of populism, racism and white nationalism. His appointment, which does
not require Senate confirmation, has been controversial.
CIA Director: Mike Pompeo, 52
A strident critic of the Iran nuclear
deal, the hawkish Kansas congressman was elected in 2010 to the House of
Representatives, where he was a member of the hardline Tea Party
faction and one of the leaders of the controversial Benghazi Committee
that targeted Trump’s Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton.
National Security Advisor: Michael Flynn, 57
A top military counsel to Trump, the
retired three-star general, a veteran of America’s wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, has courted controversy with extreme statements that
critics say border on Islamophobia, but has taken a more flexible line
on Russia and China. The national security advisor is not formally part
of the cabinet but is usually one of the president’s most influential
advisors.
White House Counsel: Donald McGahn, late 40s
A former commissioner and chairman of
the Federal Election Commission, McGahn represents “elected officials,
candidates, national state parties, political consultants, and others on
political law issues,” as a partner at the Jones Day law firm in
Washington.
– Key positions still outstanding –
State
Trump has led a contentious search for
secretary of state, with prospective candidates including erstwhile
Trump critic and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. But the list
has recently widened to include eight or nine names.
Homeland Security
Retired Marine general John Kelly is widely reported to be Trump’s pick, but the formal nomination has not yet been made.
Other departments still open: Agriculture, Energy, Interior, Veterans Affairs
AFP
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