Know President Trump cabinet

Richard · 2017-01-21T10:45:19+00:00

CONFIRMED: Defence - James Mattis General James Mattis needed a waiver to be confirmed as defence secretary The 66-year-old retired from the Marine Corps as a General in 2013, having served as the commander of the US Central Command. Nicknamed "Mad Dog", technically he does not qualify to be defence secretary because he has not been out of the military for long enough. Under the National Security Act, the secretary of defence must be a civilian retired from the military for at least seven years - but Mr Trump's administration was given a boost after Congress waived its rules. Concerns have been raised about his lack of diplomatic experience, after he told a forum in San Diego in 2005: "Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. "It's fun to shoot some people." CONFIRMED: Homeland Security - John Kelly General John Kelly is widely respected by both parties The retired General was pressed on Mr Trump's plans to build a border wall with Mexico and steps to boost immigration security. During his confirmation hearing, he distanced himself from the wall, arguing that "a physical barrier in and of itself will not do the job". He is one of several retired generals among the President-elect's picks, raising concerns about undue military influence in his administration. Gen Kelly is widely respected by both parties, however, and his military experience is applicable to the role. He is former head of the military's Southern Command, based in Florida, which works with the Department of Homeland Security to combat human trafficking and drug smuggling. And he is the most senior US officer to have lost a child in the war on terror - son Robert, a first lieutenant in the marines - was killed in Afghanistan in 2010. Gen Kelly has been a vocal opponent of the closure of the detainment facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. UNCONFIRMED: Secretary of State - Rex Tillerson Rex Tillerson was given the Order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin in 2013 The former ExxonMobil chairman and chief executive faced tough questioning over his relationship with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Mr Tillerson, 64, was given the Order of Friendship by Mr Putin in 2013, who said he had earned the honour for his work "strengthening co-operation in the energy sector". He has been a vocal critic of US sanctions against Russia after it annexed Crimea in 2014, and also faces scrutiny over the benefits for ExxonMobil if those sanctions are lifted once he is in office, as well as concerns over conflicts of interest. Speaking at his confirmation hearing, Mr Tillerson adopted a tough stance on Russia and said Moscow "must be held accountable". But he refused to label Mr Putin as a war criminal over his actions in Crimea and Syria. Three senators - John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio - expressed doubts about his candidacy before his Senate hearing. Given his 41 years with Exxon, there will also be concerns over his position on climate change. At his hearing last week, he said it was important for the US to play a role internationally on climate change, despite Mr Trump's claim that it is a Chinese hoax. The millionaire has ample experience at making business deals with other nations, but no experience of working with them as a diplomat. He joined ExxonMobil in 1975 as a production engineer, before working his way up the ranks. He is also a former national president of the Boy Scouts of America. UNCONFIRMED: Attorney General - Jeff Sessions Jeff Sessions faces questions over his civil rights record The Alabama senator had his Senate hearing over two days and was an early supporter of Mr Trump. A 20-year congressional veteran, Mr Sessions was nominated in 1986 by then-president Ronald Reagan to be a federal judge, but was denied confirmation over allegations he made racist remarks when he was US attorney for Alabama. He was accused of calling an African-American prosecutor "boy" in the 1980s. Speaking during the hearing, the 69-year-old said claims of racism against him were "damnably false charges". He also said he would not involve himself in any investigation into the email scandal surrounding Hillary Clinton, after previously voicing support for a criminal probe. Mr Sessions has also been accused of ties to the Ku Klux Klan - hence the protest at his hearing - and was alleged to have said the KKK "was okay" until he learned they smoked marijuana. He has said this was a joke and was taken out of context. At the hearing, he pointed out his prosecution of Klan members in Alabama. He has supported limiting legal immigration into the US and opposed the legalisation of same-sex marriage. UNCONFIRMED: CIA director - Mike Pompeo Mike Pompeo has threatened to roll back the nuclear deal with Iran. The Kansas congressman and member of the Tea Party movement has been a fierce critic of outgoing President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran. In November, he wrote on Twitter: "I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism." He would also be taking office amid a clamour for investigations into Russian hacking after the CIA found Mr Putin had "ordered a campaign of influence" during the US election. Mr Pompeo told his Senate hearing he agreed Russia had attempted to interfere in the US election - contrary to Mr Trump's scepticism of Moscow involvement. He gained prominence among the Republican party after blasting Hillary Clinton over the 2012 attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, as a member of the House of Representatives intelligence committee. He has also opposed attempts to halt certain counter-terrorism methods, including the CIA detention and interrogation programme. But during his hearing, he said he would not endorse the use of waterboarding in interrogations. He is a former tank officer in the US Army and graduated first in his class from West Point military academy. Since his nomination, Mr Pompeo has lowered his profile, particularly on social media, in keeping with the role of director of the CIA. Several Democrats have succeeded in stalling a review of Mr Pompeo's nomination until Monday - objecting to a "rushed confirmation" and demanding more time for his appointment to be "vetted, questioned and debated". UNCONFIRMED: Housing and urban development - Ben Carson Ben Carson previously said he did not want to be in Mr Trump's administration The retired neurosurgeon also stood for the Republican nomination and he and Mr Trump clashed during debates, with the billionaire accusing him of having a "pathological disease". Dr Carson later went on to endorse the billionaire, saying the two had "buried the hatchet". Critics have pointed at his lack of experience in urban development and said his description of homosexuality as a "choice" and apparent support of conversion therapy raises concerns over how he would address housing needs within that community. Dr Carson at first said he did not want a role in Mr Trump's administration, before accepting the nomination. A brilliant neurosurgeon, he was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008 for his medical exploits and had a cameo role in the 2003 film about conjoined twins Stuck On You, starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear. The 65-year-old grew up in Detroit and was raised by his single mother. He has also written a number of best-selling books, including his autobiography Gifted Hands which was made into a 2009 film starring Cuba Gooding Jr. UNCONFIRMED: Health - Tom Price Tom Price has faced accusations of insider trading A key post in Mr Trump's administration, given his pledge to replace Mr Obama's signature Affordable Care Act. Mr Price, 62, is an orthopaedic surgeon and Georgia congressman who has spoken against abortion. Democrats will have been keen to question him on allegations of insider trading after a Wall Street Journal report last month claimed he had traded more than $300,000 in shares from healthcare companies while promoting legislation in Congress that could influence stock prices in those firms. He has backed ending funding of Planned Parenthood and introduced health legislation in 2015 which would slash Medicare and Medicaid - which provides health coverage for millions of elderly, disabled and low-income Americans - as well as repealing Obamacare. UNCONFIRMED: Energy - Rick Perry Rick Perry once promised to axe the energy department he could now be running The former Texas Governor faces embarrassing questions from senators after he was picked for the post he threatened to eliminate while running for the Republican nomination in 2011. During a TV debate, Mr Perry said he wanted to do away with the commerce and education departments, but stumbled over the third area he wanted to axe before later revealing it was energy. The one time Dancing With The Stars contestant alarmingly wrote in his 2010 book that climate change was a "contrived, phony mess". He once led the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, and stood again for 2016 where he labelled Mr Trump a "barking carnival act". UNCONFIRMED: Education - Betsy DeVos Critics say Betsy DeVos has shown antipathy to public education A 58-year-old billionaire Republican donor, Ms DeVos is an advocate of the privatisation of education. Thousands of people have signed petitions against her confirmation and critics have noted she sent her children to private school and claim her support for lax regulation of charter schools reveals an antipathy to public education. In 2005, she said the traditional public education system was a "dead end". Ms DeVos' husband, Dick, is heir to the Amway fortune, while her brother Erik Prince founded the controversial private security contractor Blackwater. As chair of the American Federation of Children, she has pushed for vouchers that families can use to send their children to private or religious schools. In front of a Senate committee in recent days, Ms DeVos caused a big stir when she said teachers and administrators at remote schools could benefit from being allowed to carry guns - even though mass shootings in schools have claimed scores of young lives. "I would imagine that there is probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies," she said. UNCONFIRMED: Commerce - Wilbur Ross Wilbur Ross has been nominated as commerce secretary Known as the "king of bankruptcy", Wilbur Ross is a billionaire businessman and veteran private equity investor. The 79-year-old built his fortune by buying troubled companies cheaply and selling them for a huge profit and has an estimated $2.9bn fortune. In 2002, he merged several troubled steel companies to create the International Steel Group, before selling the firm to Mittal Steel in the Netherlands. Last month, he urged European countries to exploit Brexit as a "God-given opportunity" to steal business from the UK. UNCONFIRMED: Treasury - Steve Mnuchin Hollywood film financier Steve Mnuchin is Mr Trump's pick for the treasury The former Goldman Sachs banker and Hollywood movie financier is another with no government experience and was dubbed the "foreclosure king" during the financial crisis for buying up mortgages and evicting thousands of homeowners. After his nomination was announced, he said tax reform was his number one priority - including cuts in personal taxes and corporate tax. The 53-year-old is worth an estimated $40m and was in charge of fundraising for Mr Trump's election campaign. Mr Mnuchin, through his company RatPac Dune Entertainment, helped to produce movies including Avatar and Mad Max: Fury Road and has even starred in a Warren Beatty film - Rules Don't Apply. He has also previously been sued by Mr Trump over loans for the construction of a Trump skyscraper in Chicago. Senior adviser - Jared Kushner Son-in-law Jared Kushner has been appointed a senior White House adviser The husband of Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, Mr Kushner has no political experience but has been selected to be a senior White House adviser by his father-in-law. That position does not require confirmation by the US Senate, but the 35-year-old's appointment could be challenged by an anti-nepotism law that bans presidents from hiring family members. Mr Kushner has reportedly played a key role in coordinating contacts with foreign leaders and shaping Middle East policy on Mr Trump's transition team. He will apparently relinquish his roles as CEO of the family's real estate company and as editor of the New York Observer newspaper. Source: CBS

Thread starter Richard
Start date Jan 21, 2017

Richard

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