Donald Trump introduced his choices for a collection of positions in his administration Tuesday night. The posts embrace the president-elect’s picks for deputy secretary of well being and human providers, US commerce consultant and head of the nationwide financial council, amongst others.
Jamieson Greer, an legal professional who served below Trump’s earlier commerce consultant Robert Lighthizer, will function US commerce consultant. In his announcement, Trump mentioned: “Jamieson played a key role during my First Term in imposing Tariffs on China and others to combat unfair Trade practices, and replacing the failed NAFTA deal with USMCA, therefore making it much better for American Workers.”
If confirmed by the Senate, Greer can be tasked with reining within the commerce deficit and opening up “export markets everywhere”, amongst different issues, Trump mentioned.
Jim O’Neill will function deputy secretary of well being and human providers below Robert F Kennedy Jr. O’Neill served within the division below George W Bush, earlier than occurring to work in Silicon Valley, the place he invested closely in tech ventures alongside PayPal chief government Peter Thiel. Thiel, who suggested Trump’s first administration, inspired the president-elect to appoint O’Neill to a high-level well being position within the administration.
O’Neill has been vocally essential of the meals and drug administration, saying in a 2014 speech that the FDA ought to approve medicine “after their sponsors have demonstrated safety, and let people start using them at their own risk” and “prove efficacy after they’ve been legalized”.
Trump named one other excessive degree well being official, nominating Stanford educational and doctor Jay Bhattacharya to guide the Nationwide Institutes of Well being. Bhattacharya was an outspoken critic of the US authorities’s Covid insurance policies throughout the pandemic, and revealed the Nice Barrington Declaration in October 2020, which known as for a return to life as regular for many who weren’t weak to the virus.
The declaration – which got here earlier than the supply of Covid-19 vaccines – promoted “herd immunity”, the concept folks at low danger ought to dwell usually whereas increase immunity by way of an infection. The proposal was embraced by some within the first Trump administration, together with Trump himself who mistakenly referred to “herd mentality” as a manner of stopping the unfold of the virus.
Bhattacharya sued the federal government afterward, alleging that it pressured social media platforms to censor his opinions. The supreme courtroom sided with the Biden administration in that case.
“Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to a Gold Standard of Medical Research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America’s biggest Health challenges, including our Crisis of Chronic Illness and Disease,” Trump wrote.
Kevin Hassett, a Stanford economist who served as chair of the council of financial advisers throughout Trump’s first administration, will lead the nationwide financial council.
Hassett “played a crucial role in helping me to design and pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017”, Trump mentioned in a press release. “Together, we will renew and improve our record Tax Cuts, and ensure that we have Fair Trade with Countries that have taken advantage of the United States in the past.”
Trump has named Vince Haley, who helped lead the speech-writing division throughout his first time period, to be director of the home coverage council, which drives implementation of the administration’s agenda. Trump adviser and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller applauded the announcement in a publish on social media, saying Haley’s “talent, devotion, determination and deep philosophical commitment to the America First agenda is unmatched”.
John Phelan, who co-founded MSD Capital to handle the capital of Michael Dell, can be navy secretary. Phelan and his spouse hosted a non-public fundraising dinner for Trump at their $38m residence in Aspen, Colorado, in August.
