Trump Administration

Trump Administration

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          Trump  Administration       Expected  Cabinet  &  Staff  Appointments     As  of  December  1,  2016                                     Some  of  the  material  in  this  document  was  curated  from  media  and  online  reports,  including   Wikipedia.    Sources  are  cited  when  and  where  appropriate.  
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          Trump  Administration       Expected  Cabinet  Appointments  as  of  December  1,  2016                                     Some  of  the  material  in  this  document  was  curated  from  media  and  online  reports,  including   Wikipedia.    Sources  are  cited  when  and  where  appropriate.  
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  1 Betsy DeVos Secretary ofEducation DeVos is an American billionaire, businesswoman, philanthropist, and education activist from Michigan. DeVos is known for her advocacy of school choice and voucher programs. DeVos is married to Dick DeVos, an heir to the Amway fortune. From 1982 onward, DeVos participated in the Michigan Republican Party, including serving as a local precinct delegate. She was a Republican National Committeewoman for Michigan between 1992 and 1997, and served as chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party from 1996 to 2000. DeVos resigned the position in 2000. In 2003, DeVos ran again for party chairman and was elected to the post without opposition. DeVos raised more than $150,000 for the 2004 Bush re-election campaign, and hosted a Republican fundraiser at her home in October 2008 that was headlined by President George W. Bush. During the Bush Administration she spent two years as the finance chairman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and worked closely with the Administration on "various projects." DeVos is chairwoman of the Windquest Group, a privately held operating group that invests in technology, manufacturing, and clean energy. DeVos and her husband founded it in 1989. In 2011, DeVos and her husband, via the Windquest Group, invested in Energetx Composites, a wind energy company. On November 23, 2016, it was announced she was President-elect Trump's choice to be the next United States Secretary of Education. The announcement was praised by conservative school choice advocates, with Jeb Bush calling her an "outstanding pick." Affiliations: Amway, Michigan Republican Party, Windquest Group Ben Carson Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Carson gained national attention in 2011 by criticizing President Obama’s health care policies at the National Prayer Breakfast. This inspired his run for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election. Before entering politics, he was the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. As a pioneer in neurosurgery, Carson’s achievements include performing the first and only successful separation of Siamese twins joined at the back of the head, pioneering the first successful neurosurgical procedure on a fetus inside the womb, performing the first completely successful separation of type-2 vertical craniopagus twins, developing new methods to treat brain-stem tumors and reviving hemispherectomy techniques for controlling seizures. Carson became the youngest chief of pediatric neurosurgery in the country at age 33. He has received more than 60 honorary doctorate degrees, dozens of national merit citations, and written over
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  2 100 neurosurgical publications.In 2008, he was bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. As a candidate for the Republican nominee, Carson stood by his life story and Christian base to appeal to social conservatives. As a candidate, Carson advocated for school choice, immigration reform, and a proportional tax system. Affiliations: Conservative Political Action Conference, Robert F. Dees, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Thomas Edmunds "Tom" Price Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price is an American physician and politician who is the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district, serving since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, Price's district serves the northern suburbs of Atlanta. He previously served as chairman of the Republican Study Committee and the Republican Policy Committee. Price currently serves as chairman of the House Budget Committee. He ran an orthopedic clinic in Atlanta for 20 years before returning to Emory as assistant professor of orthopedic surgery. Price also was the director of the orthopedic clinic at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital. Price served as a state senator, representing the 56th district, from 1997-2005. In 2005, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. On November 29, 2016 it was announced that Price would be nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services in the coming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Affiliations: Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Georgia State Senate, Roswell Rotary Club Elaine Chao Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao is an American who served as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, and Deputy Secretary of Transportation under President George H. W. Bush. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, she was the first Asian American woman and the first Chinese American in U.S. history to be appointed to a U.S. president's cabinet. Elaine Chao was born in the capital city Taipei, Taiwan. When she was 8 years old, in 1961, Chao came to the United States on a freight ship with her mother and two younger sisters. Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Before entering politics, Chao was vice president for syndications at Bank of America Capital Markets Group in San Francisco, and an international banker at Citicorp in New York for four years. Chao was granted a White House Fellowship in 1983 during the Reagan administration. In 1986, Chao became deputy administrator of the Maritime Administration in the U.S. Department of Transportation. From 1988 to 1989, she served as chairwoman of the Federal
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  3 Maritime Commission. In1989, President George H. W. Bush nominated Chao to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation. From 1991 to 1992, Chao was Director of the Peace Corps. She was the first Asian Pacific American to serve in any of these positions. Following her service in the government, Chao worked for four years as President and CEO of United Way of America. She returned to the Heritage Foundation after leaving the government in January 2009. Chao was the only cabinet member in the George W. Bush administration to serve for the entirety of his eight years. She was also the longest-serving Secretary of Labor since Frances Perkins, who served from 1933 to 1945, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. On November 29, 2016, it was announced that President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate Chao for Secretary of Transportation when he takes office. Affiliations: Maritime Administration, Peace Corps Wilbur Louis Ross, Jr. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross is an American investor, and former banker, known for restructuring failed companies in industries such as steel, coal, telecommunications, foreign investment and textiles. He specializes in leveraged buyouts and distressed businesses. As of August 2014, Forbes magazine lists Ross as one of the world's billionaires with a net worth of $2.9 billion. Ross served under U.S. President Bill Clinton on the board of the U.S.- Russia Investment Fund, and later, under New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as the Mayor's privatization advisor. Although he was an early supporter of Trump's presidential campaign, Ross in earlier years was a registered Democrat, served as an officer of the New York State Democratic Party and held fundraisers for Democratic candidates at his apartment in New York City. On November 24, 2016, it was reported by the Associated Press that Ross will be tapped for Secretary of Commerce by the incoming Trump Administration. Affiliations: Turnaround Management Association, American Bankruptcy Institute, Committee on Capital Markets Regulation James Mattis Secretary of Defense James Mattis is a retired United States Marine Corps general who last served as the 11th commander of United States Central Command from August 11, 2010 to March 22, 2013. Mattis is known for implementing the COIN strategy. Before President Obama appointed him to replace General Petraeus on August 11, 2010, he previously commanded United States Joint Forces Command from November 9, 2007 to August 2010 and served concurrently as NATO's Supreme Allied
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  4 Commander Transformation fromNovember 9, 2007 to September 8, 2009. Prior to that, he commanded I Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Forces Central Command, and 1st Marine Division during the Iraq War. On December 1, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced that Mattis would be nominated to serve as United States Secretary of Defense in the coming administration. Affiliations: National War College, Hoover Institution Nikki Haley Ambassador to United Nations Nikki Haley is the 116th Governor of South Carolina, serving since 2011. Prior to becoming governor, she represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011. Haley is the first woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina; at the age of 44, she is the youngest current governor in the United States. She is the second Indian-American, after Bobby Jindal, to serve as governor in the United States. Besides serving as governor, she also serves as chair, ex-officio, of the board of trustees of the University of South Carolina during her term in office. On November 4, 2014, Haley was re-elected to a second term as governor, a term that will expire on January 9, 2019. She delivered the Republican response to Barack Obama's final State of the Union address on January 12, 2016. On November 23, 2016 it was announced that President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate Haley for Ambassador to the United Nations when he takes office. Affiliations: South Carolina Army National Guard, South Carolina House of Representatives Steven Mnuchin Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin is a banker, film producer and political fundraiser, most recently serving as the Finance Chairman of the Trump campaign. He is a co-founder, co- chief and Chairman of Dune Capital Management LP. Mnuchin amassed over $40 million working for Goldman Sachs, and went on to build RatPac-Dune Entertainment. He is divorced and has three children, and is among Trump’s top choices for Treasury Secretary. Affiliations: Goldman Sachs, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Mitt Romney for President (2012) Jeff Sessions Attorney General Sessions was elected to the United States Senate in 1997. Before becoming the Senator of Alabama, Sessions served as the Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama (1975-1977). He was then nominated by
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  5 President Reagan in1981 and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the United States Attorney for Alabama’s Southern District, a position he held for 12 years. His judicial nomination in 1986 was killed by the Senate Judiciary Committee due to his perceived “gross insensitivity” to racial issues. Sessions was then elected Alabama Attorney General in 1995. As a United States Senator, Sessions has focused his energies on maintaining a strong military, upholding the rule of law, limiting the role of government, and providing tax relief to stimulate economic growth and empowering Americans to keep more of their hard earned money. Dubbed a “budget hawk” by the Alabama press, Sen. Sessions was selected for the 112th and 113th Congresses to serve as the Ranking Member on the Senate Budget Committee to restrain the growth of federal spending and make permanent tax cuts that benefit American families. As a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sessions is a leading advocate of confirming federal judges who follow the law and do not legislate from the bench. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sessions is a strong advocate for America’s military. Sessions also authored the Honoring Every Requirement of Exemplary Service (HEROES) Act, which was signed into law in May 2005. This legislation increased the payment received by the families of fallen combat soldiers from $12,000 to $100,000 and also increased the maximum servicemen’s life insurance benefit from $250,000 to $400,000. Sessions played a leading role in ensuring that the Medicare Prescription Drug law included a rural health care component that reduced the disparity in Medicare payments. He also joined in efforts to make funding more equal in the Ryan White CARE Act. He also authored the Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Law of 2000, which authorized badly needed funds for state and local crime labs to reduce the backlog of ballistics, blood, and DNA tests Affiliations: McWane Inc - top contributor to campaign, Northrop Grumman – top contributor to campaign, Center for Immigration Studies
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          Trump  Administration       Staff  Appointments  as  of  December  1,  2016                                 Some  of  the  material  in  this  document  was  curated  from  media  and  online  reports,  including   Wikipedia.    Sources  are  cited  when  and  where  appropriate.      
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  1 Reince Priebus White HouseChief of Staff Reince Priebus has served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee since 2011. Previously, he served as RNC General Counsel from 2009 to 2011 and former Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin from 2007 to 2009. As one of the top Republican strategists in Wisconsin, Priebus has a long professional relationship with Speaker Paul Ryan. Priebus inherited a $23 million debt at the Republican National Committee, and began repairing relationships with major Republican donors. Following President Barack Obama’s 2012 re- election, Priebus convened the Growth and Opportunity Project to review the Republican Party’s poor showing with young voters, women, and Hispanics. Priebus increased outreach to these groups. During the 2016 campaign, President-elect Trump referred to Priebus as “Mr. Switzerland” for his studious neutrality during the Republican primary. Priebus engineered the drafting of a loyalty pledge signed by every Republican presidential candidate, a move which ultimately foreclosed a potential independent run by Trump and unified nearly every Republican candidate behind the ultimate nominee. After the Republican National Convention, Priebus told William J. Bennett for a profile in Politico Magazine that ““The job of being chairman entails racking up victories or killing bad ideas that no one will ever know about, herding cats, taking complaints, and keeping your head down and doing the fundamentals of the ground game and fundraising. But I love it and it’s what I’ve done for most of my life.” Priebus began his career as a lawyer with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Wisconsin, where he became partner in 2006. He is married to Sally Priebus and has two children. Affiliations: Speaker Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Tea Party, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP Steve Bannon Chief Strategist and Senior Advisor Bannon is the former executive chairman of Breitbart News LLC, the parent company of conservative news and opinion network Breitbart News, where he made significant efforts to grow the outlet’s readership. Bannon is also co-founder and executive chairman of the Government Accountability Institute. Bannon has been identified as a leader in the “alt-right” movement, and has described Breitbart News as “the platform of the alt-right.” Former Breitbart employees, including former Editor-at- Large Ben Shapiro, have described Bannon’s role with the alt-right as follows: “Breitbart has become the alt-right go-to website… pushing white ethno-nationalism as a legitimate response to political correctness, and the comment section turning into a cesspool for white supremacist mememakers.” Shapiro further describes Bannon as “a vindictive, nasty figure, infamous for verbally abusing supposed friends and threatening enemies.” Bannon previously worked at Goldman Sachs. He was involved in the financing and production of several films. He is also a former officer of the U.S. Navy. Bannon joined the Trump
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  2 campaign in August2016 as the chief executive officer. Bannon has been described as having a “desire to destroy the left,” as well as reform the conservative base. Affiliations: Breitbart.com; Donald Trump; Government Accountability Institute Michael Flynn National Security Advisor Michael Flynn is a Retired United States Army Lieutenant General. He served as the Head of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2012 to 2014. Prior positions include Director of Intelligence, International Security Assistance Force; Director of Intelligence, Joint Staff and Director of Intelligence, United States Central Command. He now serves as the Chairman and CEO of the Flynn Intel Group, located in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2010, Flynn said the U.S. was too focused on insurgent groups in Iraq and Afghanistan and lacks concentration on future threats. In February he tweeted, “fear of Muslims is RATIONAL.” Affiliations: Flynn Intel Group, Russia Today Kathleen Troia "K.T." McFarland Deputy National Security Advisor K.T. McFarland was selected on November 25, 2016 as President- elect Donald Trump's Deputy National Security Advisor. Previously she was an American national security analyst and a former and designated government security official. McFarland had been serving as a Fox News national security analyst, host of its DEFCON program, and contributor to its Opinions page columnist. McFarland was senior speechwriter to and principal deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Pentagon spokesman under Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. In 1985, she received the Defense Department's highest civilian award, the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award. In 2006, McFarland ran as a Republican in the New York United States Senate election, the seat then held by Democrat Hillary Clinton. McFarland has been highly critical of President Obama's approach to combating terrorism, saying he has not acknowledged the threat that global Islamism poses to Western civilization. Affiliations: Fox News, The Jamestown Foundation, the Pentagon Donald F. McGahn White House Counsel Donald F. “Don” McGahn is an American campaign finance lawyer and former member of the United States Federal Election Commission. He was chief counsel for the National Republican Congressional Committee from 1999 to 2008. He was nominated to the Federal Election Commission in 2008 by George W. Bush and served in that role until 2013. McGahn was named White House Counsel for President-elect Donald Trump in November 2016.
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  3 McGahn served asDonald Trump's campaign counsel during his 2016 bid for president. In November 2015, he averted an attempt to remove Trump from the New Hampshire Republican Party primary ballot. Affiliations: House Banking Committee, Jones Day, Freedom Partners