Over a month has passed since one of Washington’s biggest political upsets to date, and Mr Trump’s January inauguration looms. So, here’s a break down of some of the President-elect’s cabinet picks thus far, and an indication of what this may reveal for his administration’s priorities.
Secretary of Defense
James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis has been selected as the head of the military, where his responsibilities include residing on the National Security Council. Mr Mattis is a former Marine general who commanded US operations in Asia and the Middle East from 2010-2013.
Secretary of the Treasury
Steven Mnuchin is a former partner at Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs, perhaps signalling an open approach to finance and big business from the billionaire President-to-be.
Secretary of State
Much to the disappoint – or perhaps relief – of Mitt Romney, who was heavily tipped for the role, Rex Tillerson has been appointed to head the State Department. One of the most controversial selections so far, the former CEO of Exxon has strong ties to oil as well as connections to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, potentially presenting a conflict of interest.
“What’s for dinner, Donald?”
“Your dignity” pic.twitter.com/TRFIh56cEe
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) November 30, 2016
Attorney General
Jeff Sessions has been condemned for his divisive race-relations record. He has been an avid Trump supporter throughout his campaign, and has strong anti-immigration views.
Homeland Security
John Kelly has been chosen to head the Department that was created in the aftermath of 9/11. Mr Kelly is another retired Marine general, and is expected to reflect Trump’s own strict stances on immigration, and the illegal drugs trade.
Secretary for Energy
A somewhat surprising pick, the former Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry forgot the name of his new department during a debate back in 2012. Whilst Trump has been a strong denier of Climate Change in the past, his most recent comments conceded that there may be “some connectivity” between humans and climate change.
Housing and Urban Development
Thus far, the nominated Ben Carson remains the only African-American member of the cabinet. Whilst Mr Carson admitted he did not have the appropriate credentials for running a department, Mr Trump may hope that his experiences growing up in a deprived Detroit and his socially conservative views may shed some insight.
Transportation
Elaine Chao is a Taiwan-born politician who has previously held the title of Secretary of Labour under the G.W Bush administration. She is married to the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a key figure within conservative republican circles.
Health and Human Services
Tom Price‘s appointment to oversee Health may signal the death of ‘Obamacare’, given his openly critical stance on one of Mr Obama’s key policy achievements.
Key positions outside of the Cabinet
Chief Strategist has gone to the highly controversial Steve Bannon. Steve Bannon is a key founder of the alt-right Brietbart website, who many have condemned for his “white nationalist” views. In addition, Mr Bannon is another Goldman Sachs alumni.
CIA Director Mike Pompeo has been selected to head the Central Intelligence Agency. He is said to be strongly opposed to the Iran Nuclear Deal arranged by Obama, and is viewed as a ‘hawkish’ figure.
Republican National Committee
For most of his campaign Trump was at odds with the majority of Republicans, yet he has been tasked with selecting a new Committee chair and reunifying the party. Whilst Mitt Romney missed out as Secretary of State, his niece Ronna Romney has been chosen for the role. This will make her the first woman to chair the Committee in 40 years.
The verdict
Whilst it has been widely argued that a President’s cabinet must “look like America” (or so said President Bill Clinton), thus far Trump’s picks have proved remarkably dominated by white, wealthy, middle-aged men.
Senator and 2016 Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders had this to say about nominations thus far:
Donald Trump’s administration: of, by and for the millionaires and billionaires. pic.twitter.com/EXNH9DZAjo
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 1, 2016
It seems Trump has leaned towards a business-minded cabinet rather than one based on political credentials, a nod to his own area of expertise. But, the question remains: can you effectively run a country as diverse as the US like a business?