Trump taps Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary, John Ratcliffe for CIA director
President-elect Donald Trump chose Pete Hegseth, who is a combat veteran and co-host on the weekend edition of “Fox & Friends,” to be his defense secretary.
Trump also picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman and federal prosecutor who served as director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021, to lead the CIA, while South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R) has been tapped to serve as homeland security secretary, according to people familiar with the selection who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not yet made public.
Trump is off to a rapid start rolling out his picks for key administration jobs as he prepares for a return to the White House in January.
Trump picks Mike Huckabee to be U.S. ambassador to Israel
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday he is nominating former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as U.S. ambassador to Israel.
The decision lines up another staunch ally of Israel for Trump’s incoming administration, after he announced Monday he would appoint Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Trump ran for president promising to wind down overseas conflicts, including the war in Gaza that broke out after Hamas attacked Israel last year.
When it comes to the war in Gaza, Huckabee has taken a hard line against Hamas amid President Joe Biden’s efforts to broker a cease-fire deal. Huckabee said in June that Hamas is “not capable of having an honorable negotiation.”
Huckabee’s daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was White House press secretary during Trump’s first term and now serves as Arkansas governor.
Trump names William McGinley as White House counsel
Donald Trump named William McGinley to serve as White House counsel, a role that’s expected to be central in the incoming president’s plan to expand executive authority.
In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” McGinley previously served as the White House Cabinet secretary under Trump and as general counsel to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Trump selects his former DNI John Ratcliffe to head CIA
President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named loyalist John Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, as his choice to head the CIA.
Ratcliffe, who eventually won confirmation as DNI in 2020 after questions about whether he had embellished his résumé scuttled his initial bid, is expected to be confirmed.
Ratcliffe is a former Texas congressman who served on the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees, and is a former federal prosecutor.
Trump taps Steve Witkoff, a friend and donor, as Mideast envoy
President-elect Donald Trump named personal friend and campaign donor Steve Witkoff as a special envoy to the Middle East.
Witkoff, 67, has no government or diplomatic experience. A fellow New York real estate investor, Witkoff has been friends with Trump since the 1980s. Witkoff contributed $250,000 to the main super PAC supporting Trump, as well as smaller contributions from him and his son Zachary to Trump’s campaign.
As a political ally, Witkoff helped Trump reach reconciliations with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and primary challengers Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Witkoff attended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress in July.
Donald Trump has officially named Rep. Mike Waltz as national security adviser for his incoming administration, confirming reports from The Washington Post and other outlets that Trump had tapped the Florida Republican for the job.
Trump chooses Gov. Kristi Noem to be homeland security secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R) to serve as his homeland security secretary — a crucial role, given his focus on border security.
Noem has served as South Dakota governor since 2019. She stood out early on for her refusal to implement restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic in her state.
Stephen Miller, a former Trump adviser known for his hard-line immigration stances, is also set to return in a new Trump administration as Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy.
Trump eyes Rubio for secretary of State
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, people familiar with the matter said Monday.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, built his political identity on support for upending autocratic governments from Latin America to the Middle East to Asia, but he has softened his once-neoconservative worldviews in recent years on economics, immigration and foreign policy.
He is vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and had been among those Trump considered to be his running mate before settling on Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, now the vice president-elect. (Source: the Washington Post)