President-Elect Donald Trump spent Thanksgiving Day at his famous resort called the Mar-a-Lago Club in West Palm Beach Florida. This was after a week of very serious work as he continued to pick people to fill his Cabinet. Even while he was at his retreat for the holiday, Trump was expected to keep fishing through the hundreds of people and the positions that those people must fill in the Federal Government. It has been confirmed that he has made another two picks for his cabinet the day after Thanksgiving. Most of his Cabinet positions must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
But before we go further, let’s outline to date who Donald Trump has selected for his Cabinet and Advisors to date…. as Trump has said repeatedly that is it very important to him as he stated from a reputable source – The New York Times when he said..
“We’re trying very hard to get the best people. Not necessarily people that will be the most politically correct people, because that hasn’t been working. So we have really experts in the field.. Some are known and some are not known, but they’re known within their field as being the best. That’s very important to me.”
Already Selected…
Stephen K. Bannon – Chief Strategist… a right-wing media executive and the chairman of the president-elect’s campaign. Many have denounced the move, warning that Mr. Bannon represents racist views. Stephen K. Bannon was also considered for chief of staff, but Mr. Trump instead named him chief strategist and senior counselor in the White House, saying that he and Mr. Priebus would be “working as equal partners” in the administration.
Mike Pompeo – CIA Director… Representative of Kansas and a former Army officer. Mr. Pompeo is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and was a sharp critic of Hillary Clinton during the congressional investigation into the 2012 attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. Mr. Trump takes over at a time of diverse and complex threats to American security. The new C.I.A. director will have to decide whether to undo a C.I.A. “modernization” plan put in place this year by Director John O. Brennan, and how to proceed if the president-elect orders a resumption of harsh interrogation tactics — which critics have described as torture — for terrorism suspects.
Jeff Sessions – Attorney General… Senator of Alabama. Mr. Sessions is a strong proponent of strict immigration enforcement, reduced spending and tough-on-crime measures. His nomination for a federal judgeship in 1986 was rejected because of racially charged comments and actions, which are very likely to become an issue as he faces another set of Senate confirmation hearings.
Michael T. Flynn – National Security Advisor… retired Army lieutenant general and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. General Flynn has been outspoken about his view of the threat posed by Islamist militancy and was an ardent supporter of Mr. Trump during the campaign. The national security adviser, although not a member of the cabinet, is a critical gatekeeper for policy proposals from the State Department, the Pentagon and other agencies, a function that takes on more importance given Mr. Trump’s lack of experience in elective office.
Reince Priebus – White House Chief of Staff – was the chairman of the Republican National Committee. The chief of staff manages the work and personnel of the West Wing, steering the president’s agenda and tending to important relationships. The role will take on outsize importance in a White House run by Mr. Trump, who has no experience in policy making and little in the way of connections to critical players in Washington.
Betsy DeVos – Education Secretary…. a former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and an education activist who is a passionate believer in school choice.
Nikki R. Haley – U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations… the governor of South Carolina. The daughter of immigrants from India, she was a prominent and frequent critic of Mr. Trump early in his run. Outspoken for her dislike of Donald Trump, and urged Republicans to reject him in the State of the Union Address earlier this year, and supported both Marco Rubio and then Ted Cruz when Rubio dropped out of the race. On a side note here, as Trump has stated, it is important for him to get experts in their field, so what he as done is tap into someone with virtually NO experience in international diplomacy. She claimed that she accepted the position out of “a sense of duty”. If the President-Elect asks, then she was compelled to accept.
Don McGahn – White House Counsel – Trump’s campaign lawyer and advisor of the transition. He worked at Jones Day. He served 10 years as the counsel for the NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee). He was a former chairman of the FEC(Federal Election Commission). One of his main jobs will be to showcase his ability to seperate the business of the Executive Department from Donald Trump’s businesses abroad to avoid a conflict in interest.
K.T. McFarland – Deputy National Security Advisor – a prior FOX NEWS Security Analyist, serving under Michael Flynn. She serverd as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Reagan Administration and was a former aide to a past Secretary of State – Henry Kissinger. She ran for a New York Senate Seat in 2006 against non-other than Hillary Clinton and lost the election. One of the reason why she did not make it over Hillary Clinton was that she was accused of over-inflating her resume. She was a speech writer for Casper Weinburger. She has been very highly critical of President Obama stating that he does not recognize radical Islamic terror.
Being Considered – But not yet confirmed by Donald Trump…
Mitt Romney – Secretary of State – became the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and former governor of Massachusetts who lost the 2012 election to Barrak Obama. He was a former Governor of Masachusetts, and back in 2002 became the 2002 Winter Olympics Host Committee Chair. Also, he is the founder and Chief Executive of Bain Capital. As being one of Donald Trump’s most hostile opponents in the Republican primaries and again when Trump became the Republican nominee for President to run against Hillary Clinton, he could not get behind and support Donald Trump. The negative Romney quotes agains trump are many.
The following are just some of the quotes from Mitt Romney made about Donald Trump…
“I believe with all my heart and soul that we face another time for choosing, one that will have profound consequences for the Republican Party and more importantly, for the country,” Romney said in Utah at the Hinckley Institute of Politics Forum. “His domestic policies would lead to recession. His foreign policies would make America and the world less safe. He has neither the temperament nor the judgment to be president. And his personal qualities would mean that America would cease to be a shining city on a hill.”
Then Romney made these quotes agains Donald Trump….
- On his businesses: “His bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who worked for them. He inherited his business, he didn’t create it. And what ever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there’s Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks, and Trump Mortgage? A business genius he is not.”
- On foreign policy: “Donald Trump tells us that he is very, very smart. I’m afraid that when it comes to foreign policy he is very, very not smart.”
- On his character: “Dishonesty is Trump’s hallmark: He claimed that he had spoken clearly and boldly against going into Iraq. Wrong, he spoke in favor of invading Iraq. He said he saw thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating 9/11. Wrong, he saw no such thing. He imagined it. His is not the temperament of a stable, thoughtful leader.”
- On his wealth: “I predict that there are more bombshells in his tax returns. I predict that he doesn’t give much if anything to the disabled and to our veterans. … And I predict that despite his promise to do so, first made over a year ago, he will never ever release his tax returns. Never. Not the returns under audit, not even the returns that are no longer being audited. He has too much to hide.”
- On his morality: “Mr. Trump is directing our anger for less than noble purposes. He creates scapegoats of Muslims and Mexican immigrants, he calls for the use of torture and for killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists. He cheers assaults on protesters. He applauds the prospect of twisting the Constitution to limit first amendment freedom of the press. This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss.”
- And then there was this: “Donald Trump says he admires Vladimir Putin, while has called George W. Bush a liar. That is a twisted example of evil trumping good.”
Rudy Giuliani – Secretary of State – Ex. Mayor of New York City, and very loyal to Donald Trump even when the Republican party was walking away from Trump during difficult times, and supported by the Republican base. He ran for President in 2008 and is a former U.S. Attorney and former Associate Attorney General.
General John Kelly – long-shot to be Secretary of State – A Marine and was a former commander of the U.S. Southern Command, one of the highest ranking positions in the military.
Dr. Ben Carson – the Secretary of HUD (Housing and Urban Development) – former neurosurgeon and presidential candidate. Mr. Carson has said that he does not want to work in government, and it was not clear whether he had accepted the offer. The secretary oversees fair-housing laws, the development of affordable housing and access to mortgage insurance. As a real-estate developer, Mr. Trump is very attuned to the tax breaks for housing development. Origianlly he was selected by Trump to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services, a position that he’s not qualified for. Really! a world renouned Neurosurgeon..!?/!$%?!!???
As a side note, his selection as Secretary of HUD if confirmed by Donald Trump would be a truly remarkable choice. The fact is that Ben Carson has zero relative experince in the field that Trump may soon bestow on him. Trump once compared Carson with pathological temperment – that of a child molestor. As Trump was quoted on the campaign trail in Fort Dodge Iowa on November 12, 2015..
“I do not want a person thats got pathological disease, I don’t want it. Now I’m not saying that he’s got it, he sait it. This isn’t something that I’m saying…Oh he’s a pathological liar, I’m not saying it. He said he’s got pathological disease.”
OTHER POSSIBLE CABINET PICKS….
Commerce Secretary
The Commerce Department has been a perennial target for budget cuts, but the secretary oversees a diverse portfolio, including the Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Wilbur Ross – Mr. Trump is expected to select the investor, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes to be $2.9 billion. Mr. Ross has said the United States must free itself from the “bondage” of “bad trade agreements,” and advocated threats to impose steep tariffs on China.
Treasury Secretary
The secretary will be responsible for government borrowing in financial markets, assisting in any rewrite of the tax code and overseeing the Internal Revenue Service. The Treasury Department also carries out or lifts financial sanctions against foreign enemies — which are key to President Obama’s Iran deal and rapprochement with Cuba.
Thomas Barrack Jr. Founder, chairman and executive chairman of Colony Capital; private equity and real estate investor
Jeb Hensarling Representative from Texas and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee
Steven Mnuchin Former Goldman Sachs executive and Mr. Trump’s campaign finance chairman
Tim Pawlenty Former Minnesota governor
Defense Secretary
The incoming secretary will shape the fight against the Islamic State while overseeing a military that is struggling to put in place two Obama-era initiatives: integrating women into combat roles and allowing transgender people to serve openly. Both could be rolled back.
Tom Cotton Senator from Arkansas who saw combat in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army infantry officer
Stephen J. Hadley National security adviser under George W. Bush
Duncan Hunter Representative from California and Marine reserve officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan
Jon Kyl Former senator from Arizona
James N. Mattis Retired Marine Corps general and former commander of United States Central Command
Director of National Intelligence
Requires Senate confirmation
The person who holds this post is the president’s principal adviser on intelligence and oversees the entire military and civilian intelligence apparatus. The coordination between the intelligence agencies of the military and civilian wings will be vital for the war on the Islamic State.
Rudolph W. Giuliani Former New York mayor
Interior Secretary
Requires Senate confirmation
The Interior Department manages the nation’s public lands and waters. The next secretary will decide the fate of Obama-era rules that stop public land development; curb the exploration of oil, coal and gas; and promote wind and solar power on public lands.
Jan Brewer Former Arizona governor
Robert E. Grady Gryphon Investors partner
Harold G. Hamm Chief executive of Continental Resources, an oil and gas company
Forrest Lucas President of Lucas Oil Products, which manufactures automotive lubricants, additives and greases
Sarah Palin Former Alaska governor
Agriculture Secretary
Requires Senate confirmation
The agriculture secretary oversees America’s farming industry, inspects food quality and provides income-based food assistance. The department also helps develop international markets for American products, giving the next secretary partial responsibility to carry out Mr. Trump’s positions on trade.
Sam Brownback Kansas governor
Chuck Conner Chief executive officer of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Sid Miller Texas agricultural commissioner
Sonny Perdue Former Georgia governor
Labor Secretary
Requires Senate confirmation
The Labor Department enforces rules that protect the nation’s workers, distributes benefits to the unemployed and publishes economic data like the monthly jobs report. The new secretary will be in charge of keeping Mr. Trump’s promise to dismantle many Obama-era rules covering the vast work force of federal contractors.
Victoria A. Lipnic Equal Employment Opportunity commissioner and work force policy counsel to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Health and Human Services Secretary
Requires Senate confirmation
The secretary will help Mr. Trump achieve one of his central campaign promises: to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The department approves new drugs, regulates the food supply, operates biomedical research, and runs Medicare and Medicaid, which insure more than 100 million people.
Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas governor and 2016 presidential candidate
Bobby Jindal Former Louisiana governor who served as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
Tom Price Representative from Georgia
Rick Scott Florida governor and former chief executive of a large hospital chain
Energy Secretary
Requires Senate confirmation
Despite its name, the primary purview of the Energy Department is to protect and manage the nation’s arsenal of nuclear weapons.
James L. Connaughton Chief executive of Nautilus Data Technologies and former environmental adviser to President George W. Bush
Robert E. Grady Gryphon Investors partner
Harold G. Hamm Chief executive of Continental Resources, an oil and gas company
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Requires Senate confirmation
The secretary will face the task of improving the image of a department Mr. Trump has widely criticized. Mr. Trump repeatedly argued that the Obama administration neglected the country’s veterans, and he said that improving their care was one of his top priorities.
Scott Brown Former senator from Massachusetts
Jeff Miller Retired chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee
Homeland Security Secretary
Requires Senate confirmation
The hodgepodge agency, formed after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has one key role in the Trump administration: guarding the United States’ borders. If Mr. Trump makes good on his promises of widespread deportations and building walls, this secretary will have to carry them out.
Joe Arpaio Departing sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz.
David A. Clarke Jr. Milwaukee County sheriff
Rudolph W. Giuliani Former New York mayor
Kris Kobach Kansas secretary of state and a top adviser to Mr. Trump on his hard-line immigration policies
Michael McCaul Representative from Texas and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee
E.P.A. Administrator
Requires Senate confirmation
The Environmental Protection Agency, which issues and oversees environmental regulations, is under threat from the president-elect, who has vowed to dismantle the agency “in almost every form.”
Myron Ebell A director at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a prominent climate change skeptic
Robert E. Grady Gryphon Investors partner who was involved in drafting the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
Jeffrey R. Holmstead Lawyer with Bracewell L.L.P. and former deputy E.P.A. administrator in the George W. Bush administration
U.S. Trade Representative
Requires Senate confirmation
The president’s chief trade negotiator will have the odd role of opposing new trade deals, trying to rewrite old ones and bolstering the enforcement of what Mr. Trump sees as unfair trade, especially with China.
Dan DiMicco Former chief executive of Nucor Corporation, a steel production company, and a critic of Chinese trade practices
