In a flurry of announcements late Friday night, Donald Trump announced nominees for the nation's most important government offices and advisory roles, further clarifying his preference for Fox News personalities and others loyal to him. did.
Secretary of the Treasury
President Trump has nominated Scott Bessent to be the next Secretary of the Treasury. This role is one of the most powerful in Washington, with significant influence over the U.S. economy and financial markets.
Mr. Bessent, a longtime hedge fund investor who spent several years teaching at Yale University, has advocated for tax reform and deregulation aimed at boosting bank lending and energy production, among other things. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join the Trump campaign in part to attack America's growing national debt.
If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the country's first openly gay Treasury secretary.
Office of Management and Budget
President Trump has nominated Russ Vought to head the Office of Management and Budget, the powerful agency that helps the president determine policy priorities and how to pay for them.
Vought served as OMB director during President Trump's last term and will again play a key role in setting budget priorities.
Since Trump left office, Vought has been heavily involved in Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for Trump's second term.
President Trump praised Vought as a “cost-saver” in a statement after nominating him to serve on the OMB board. “He took on this role during my first term and did a great job. We cut four rules for every new rule, and it was a huge success,” he told Truth Social. I wrote this:
Vice President's Assistant
President Trump is also bringing back Sebastian Gorka, a former Breitbart reporter and longtime right-wing MAGA supporter, as a controversial figure. qualification He was ousted from the White House in 2017.
Gorka served as deputy assistant to the president, advising President Trump on national security matters. But his responsibility was vague. He frequently appeared on cable news as Trump's surrogate and appeared to enjoy stirring up controversy during his months-long term.
President Trump nominated Gorka to serve as deputy assistant to the president and senior counterterrorism director in his second administration.
Secretary of Labor
In a surprising choice for Secretary of Labor, President Trump nominated Oregon Republican Lori Chavez Delemer, who narrowly lost her bid for re-election to the House of Representatives on November 5th.
If confirmed by the Senate, Chavez-Deremer would oversee the Department of Labor's personnel and its budget, and prioritize priorities that affect worker wages, health and safety, the ability to unionize, and employers' firing rights, among other things. will be presented.
Chavez Delemer had strong support from union members in his district. She was one of the few House Republicans to support the Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO Act, which strengthened workers' right to organize.
surgeon general
President Trump has nominated Dr. Janet Neshewat to be the Surgeon General. Mr. Neshewat is a dual board certified physician, regular contributor to Fox News, and author of Beyond the Stethscope: Miracles in Medicine.
Vice Presidential Advisor for National Security
President Trump announced Friday that former State Department official Alex Wong will become his deputy national security adviser. Wong served as deputy special representative for North Korea in the first Trump administration.
food and drug administration
President Trump also said he would nominate Marty McCurry, a Johns Hopkins University surgeon and author, to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the world's most influential drug regulator. This agency is responsible for approving new treatments and making sure they are safe and effective. It has regulatory authority over human and veterinary medicines, biological medicines, medical devices, and vaccines.
They are also responsible for maintaining safety standards for food, tobacco, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
In an interview to promote his latest book, McCurry said he disagrees with the “massive overtreatment” in the United States, which he calls an “epidemic of inadequate care.”
Department of Housing and Urban Development
President Trump announced his nomination of Scott Turner to be Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He served as chairman of the White House Opportunity and Activation Council during President Trump's first term.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
President Trump announced his choice of former Congressman and physician Dave Weldon to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a sweeping agency with a $17.3 billion budget that is used as a public health model around the world. .
Mr. Weldon served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Florida's 15th District from 1995 to 2009, but did not seek reelection in 2008.
The CDC director reports directly to the Secretary of Health, and President Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for this role. Unlike past appointments, the CDC director position will require Senate confirmation starting in 2025, per a recent omnibus budget provision.
