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HomeLocalTrump's Cabinet Selections: Notable Picks Including Dr. Mehmet Oz

Trump’s Cabinet Selections: Notable Picks Including Dr. Mehmet Oz

 

 

Trump’s Cabinet Picks: Dr. Mehmet Oz and Others Announced


Donald Trump is revealing more of his proposed Cabinet members, making significant nominations on Tuesday.

 

The president-elect has appointed Dr. Mehmet Oz, a well-known physician and television personality, as the administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Additionally, billionaire Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, was named commerce secretary, while WWE co-founder Linda McMahon is set to take on the role of education secretary.

On Monday, Trump also selected Fox Business host Sean Duffy, a fellow former reality TV star, to be Secretary of Transportation and Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission.

Despite recent controversies, Trump reaffirmed his choice of former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general, insisting he will not change this decision, as reported by Reuters.

 

These announcements come amid reports that sensitive files containing witness statements against Gaetz were hacked, including an unredacted deposition from a woman who alleged she had a relationship with him at age 17. Gaetz has consistently denied these claims.

Here’s a summary of Trump’s latest Cabinet selections.

 

Dr. Oz to Address Healthcare Issues

Trump announced his intention to nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

 

The agency operates under the Department of Health and Human Services, which will be led by independent 2024 candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for spreading misinformation related to vaccines and COVID-19 in the past.

 

“We are facing a healthcare crisis in America, and Dr. Oz is exceptionally qualified to help Make America Healthy Again,” Trump stated. “He will collaborate closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to battle the illness industrial complex and the chronic diseases that arise from it.”

 

Dr. Oz was a heart surgeon before gaining fame as a health expert on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in the 1990s, later hosting “The Dr. Oz Show” for 13 seasons, where he covered various health topics, including vitamin industries.

 

Howard Lutnick Named Commerce Secretary

Trump announced plans to nominate Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, for the position of commerce secretary in his upcoming administration.

Lutnick, a Wall Street billionaire, is expected to contribute to job creation and economic development, pending Senate approval. He is already working with Trump’s transition team to fill approximately 4,000 political appointments in the federal government.

Trump also mentioned that Lutnick will oversee his tariff and trade initiatives, which were key components of his campaign. Lutnick has expressed agreement with Trump’s positions on immigration, cryptocurrency, and tariffs on imports.

 

He has indicated an increase in his involvement in the Republican campaign following the recent attack on Israel by Hamas, which resulted in the loss of 1,200 lives and the abduction of over 250 hostages.

 

Linda McMahon to Lead Education Department

Trump has selected Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive, to be the new secretary of education.

 

With Senate approval, the former Small Business Administration head will oversee the Education Department, which manages federal student aid, provides funding for public schools, and compiles education data across the U.S. Trump has stated his intent to decentralize the department and delegate most functions to state education authorities.

“We will send education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will lead that charge,” Trump remarked in his announcement Tuesday.

McMahon previously served as the head of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 under Trump’s first term. She ran as the Republican candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut in 2010 but lost to current Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal.

 

A long-time ally of Trump, she has been the chair of the board for the conservative America First Policy Institute, founded in 2021, and co-led Trump’s transition team with Howard Lutnick.

 

Trump’s Selections Up to Now: A Rundown

Here’s a summary of Trump’s selections for significant positions within his administration, updated as of Sunday night.

  • Chief of Staff: Trump has appointed Susie Wiles, a senior advisor from his campaign, as his chief of staff. Wiles makes history as the first woman to hold this title, often remaining out of the limelight but credited with contributing to Trump’s political resurgence.
  • Attorney General: Rep. Matt Gaetz from Florida has been designated as the next Attorney General, expected to lead the Justice Department which he has often criticized.
  • Secretary of State: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio from Florida has been nominated for Secretary of State, bringing valuable foreign policy experience from his work on the Senate Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committees. As a Cuban-American, he will also be the first Latino to serve as Secretary of State.
  • Director of National Intelligence: Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has been put forward for the role of Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard, who represented Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District from 2013 to 2021, previously ran for the Democratic presidential nomination.
  • Ambassador to the United Nations: Trump has chosen Elise Stefanik, a Republican from northern New York who has served five terms in Congress, as the ambassador to the UN. She currently holds the role of House Republican Conference Chair and was a previous candidate for Trump’s running mate.
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services: Trump has selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to oversee the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, now an independent candidate for 2024, has been known for his skepticism regarding vaccines and theories surrounding the origins of COVID-19, and is noted for controversial claims linking childhood vaccines to autism.
  • Secretary of Defense: Trump nominated former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. Hegseth has a background in the U.S. Army National Guard and has been active in veteran advocacy.
  • Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Trump appointed Lee Zeldin as the EPA Administrator. A former Congressman for parts of Long Island, New York, Zeldin lost to Kathy Hochul in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
  • Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: Trump selected his former Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, to lead the CIA. Ratcliffe previously served as a Texas House member before his stint in intelligence during the last year of Trump’s first term.
  • Secretary of Homeland Security: Trump has chosen Kristi Noem, the Governor of South Dakota, to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security, particularly focusing on immigration policy. Noem has previously deployed her state’s National Guard to the southern border.
  • Secretary of the Interior: Trump nominated Doug Burgum, the Governor of North Dakota, to lead the Department of the Interior, coordinating federal policies across various territories. Burgum had pursued the Republican presidential nomination but withdrew in December.
  • Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Trump’s pick for this position is former U.S. Rep Doug Collins, who served Georgia’s 9th district from 2013 to 2021. A trusted Trump ally, he has also served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command.
  • Secretary of the Department of Energy: Trump is nominating Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy and a campaign donor for 2024, to lead the Department of Energy. Wright has expressed doubts about climate change science and would be joining an administration that aimed to reverse clean energy advances made during Biden’s presidency.
  • Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy: Veteran advisor Stephen Miller has been nominated for this role. Miller served as Trump’s senior advisor and speechwriter during his first term and played a critical role in shaping immigration policies.
  • ‘Border Czar’: Trump appointed Tom Homan to oversee deportation strategies and aviation security. With 34 years in the Border Patrol, Homan was acting ICE director under Trump’s first administration and is known for enforcing strict immigration measures.
  • National Security Adviser: Trump chose Mike Waltz, a Representative from Florida, as his National Security Adviser. Waltz has worked in civilian roles at the Pentagon and has supported Trump’s isolationist foreign policy approach.
  • U.S. Ambassador to Israel: Trump announced the nomination of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as the U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee, who has a background as a Baptist minister and Fox News host, has ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination twice. His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is the current Governor of Arkansas and was press secretary during Trump’s first term.
  • White House Counsel: Trump appointed William McGinley to the role of White House Counsel. A partner at the law firm Holtzman Vogel, McGinley previously served as Cabinet Secretary during Trump’s first term.
  • U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York: Trump nominated Jay Clayton for U.S. Attorney. Clayton previously held the role of chairman at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term.
  • Deputy Attorney General: Trump selected attorney Todd Blanche for Deputy Attorney General. Blanche is recognized for his vigorous representation of Trump in high-profile legal cases.
  • White House Communications Director: Trump has named Steven Cheung as his communications director for the second term. Cheung previously worked in rapid response communications for Trump.
  • Response Director: The response director for Trump’s 2016 campaign was quite confrontational, often using terms like “snowflakes” and “cucks” to describe opponents. He suggested they were afflicted with “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
  • White House Press Secretary: Trump has appointed Karoline Leavitt as the White House press secretary for his second term, making her likely the youngest person to ever take on this role.
  • Secretary of Transportation: Former reality TV star Sean Duffy has been named as Trump’s choice for Secretary of Transportation. Duffy previously appeared on MTV’s “The Real World,” served as a congressman for Wisconsin’s 7th district from 2011 to 2019, and later co-hosted “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business.
  • Federal Communications Commission Chairman: Trump selected Brendan Carr to head the Federal Communications Commission. Carr, a senior Republican commissioner at the FCC, authored a section of Project 2025, a comprehensive “presidential transition project” created by the Heritage Foundation.

What are the Cabinet positions?

The Cabinet is responsible for advising the president on matters relating to their specific departments.

Here’s a list of the Cabinet positions from the 15 executive departments, which require Senate confirmation:

  • Secretary of State
  • Secretary of Defense
  • Attorney General
  • Secretary of the Interior
  • Secretary of Agriculture
  • Secretary of Commerce
  • Secretary of Labor
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Secretary of Transportation
  • Secretary of Energy
  • Secretary of Education
  • Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  • Secretary of Treasury

The Cabinet and presidential advisors can also include the vice president, the chief of staff, the ambassador to the UN, the National Intelligence director, the U.S. trade representative, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, the head of the Office of Management and Budget, the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, the head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the head of the Small Business Administration.