ProPublica
The Chosen: Who Trump Is Putting in Power
by Jessica Huseman and Rob Weychert
As President-elect Donald Trump picks his top officials, we’re laying out the best accountability reporting on each. Think we missed something? Email us or send us a tweet. We’ll keep this updated.
Cabinet Positions in the Line of Succession
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Rex Tillerson
Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson
Secretary of State
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Tillerson is the CEO of Exxon Mobil, which has operations in about 50 countries. Russia awarded Tillerson its Order of Friendship in 2013, and Tillerson maintains a close relationship with Vladimir Putin. Exxon Mobil has billions of dollars’ worth of deals that can only proceed if the U.S. lifts sanctions on Russia, The New York Times reports. Unlike Trump, Tillerson praised the Trans-Pacific Partnership and has long spoken out in favor of free trade. He originally supported Jeb Bush for president, giving him the maximum allowed contribution in September of last year.
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Steve Mnuchin
Secretary of the Treasury
Steve Mnuchin
Secretary of the Treasury
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Mnuchin is a former Goldman Sachs banker who served as Trump’s campaign finance chairman. He ran OneWest Bank, which doubled its branches but foreclosed on 36,000 homeowners and was accused of racial bias in lending under his leadership, the Los Angeles Times reports. He sold OneWest in 2014 for double what he paid for it. He ran Relativity media, which went bankrupt — but not before it paid a $50 million loan back to OneWest.
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James Mattis
Secretary of Defense
James Mattis
Secretary of Defense
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A retired general, he was the supreme allied commander of NATO for nearly three years. He is known for his scholarly intellectualism and pithy quotes. His animus for Iran led Obama to (controversially) replace him as the head of CentCom. He said Iraq was “probably […] a strategic mistake.” The Washington Post reported he pushed the Army to use Theranos despite red flags, then joined its board.
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Jeff Sessions
Attorney General
Jeff Sessions
Attorney General
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The Alabama senator was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 due to allegations of racist statements and concerns over his level of involvement in what critics said was a racially motivated voter fraud case. His track record on race continues to be scrutinized. The Atlantic found no evidence he’d filed desegregation lawsuits in Alabama, as he’s repeatedly claimed. He co-sponsored the Fair Sentencing Act, which cut the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. He defends harsh minimum sentences and bucked a bipartisan criminal justice reform effort. He opposes any form of citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
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To Be Announced
Secretary of the Interior
To Be Announced
Secretary of the Interior
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To Be Announced
Secretary of Agriculture
To Be Announced
Secretary of Agriculture
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Wilbur Ross
Secretary of Commerce
Wilbur Ross
Secretary of Commerce
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Private equity billionaire Wilbur Ross made his money making failing businesses profitable, especially in textiles, coal and steel. He helped Trump save his troubled Atlantic City casino. The Nation reports he was involved with two different home mortgage companies that routinely violated the law. He’s invested in troubled banks all over the world, including Greece and Cyprus. He favors tax cuts for big business, has called the Trans-Pacific Partnership a “horrible deal,” and said he would prioritize increasing American exports.
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Andrew Puzder
Secretary of Labor
Andrew Puzder
Secretary of Labor
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Puzder is the CEO of the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and other fast-food restaurants. The company is currently navigating several class-action lawsuits concerning wages and employee treatment. Little reporting has been done on Puzder, though he has made his views known in frequent op-eds and interviews. He opposes raising the minimum wage and expanding overtime eligibility. He believes Obamacare helped lead to a “restaurant recession.” He defends Carl’s Jr.’s racy ads, calling bikinis and burgers “very American.”
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Tom Price
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Tom Price
Secretary of Health and Human Services
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A congressman and physician, Price has been a strong opponent of Obamacare since its inception and has proposed restructuring Medicaid and Medicare. Kaiser Health News reports he has sponsored legislation that shields doctors from lawsuits and limits the data doctors must submit to a database hospitals use to make hiring decisions. He is a strong opponent of Planned Parenthood and abortion, and once claimed he did not know of a single woman who couldn’t afford birth control.
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Ben Carson
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Ben Carson
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
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Carson, a famed neurosurgeon, ran unsuccessfully for president against Donald Trump. After he dropped out, Carson gave Trump a tour of blighted areas of his hometown of Detroit. While many said his experience living in public housing made him uniquely qualified to lead HUD, Carson never actually lived in public housing. He’s criticized fair housing policy as “social experimentation” and called poverty “more of a choice than anything else.” Carson had previously declined a cabinet post because he had “no government experience.”
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Elaine Chao
Secretary of Transportation
Elaine Chao
Secretary of Transportation
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Chao ran the Labor Department under George W. Bush. The Government Accountability Office said the department’s failure to investigate complaints left “low-wage workers vulnerable to wage theft.” She’s been accused of helping to cover up an environmental disaster. Her family owns Foremost Group, a shipping company that flies Liberian and Hong Kong flags. Drugs were once found aboard one of the company’s ships. She is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and has been integral in his re-election campaigns.
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Rick Perry
Secretary of Energy
Rick Perry
Secretary of Energy
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The former (and longest-serving) governor of Texas previously supported abolishing the Department of Energy entirely. He is on the board of Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline. Oil production surged during his governorship, boosting the economy but raising environmental concerns. Many attribute Texas’ relative stability during the economic crisis to Perry, but The Texas Tribune reports the stability came at the expense of worker protection. Others reject the “Texas Miracle” altogether.
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Betsy DeVos
Secretary of Education
Betsy DeVos
Secretary of Education
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DeVos is a billionaire philanthropist who has campaigned for charter schools and vouchers in her homestate of Michigan — and fought to minimize oversight of them. She’s led the efforts to drastically expand charters in Detroit, but they have scored lower than their public-school counterparts, Politico reports. Bridge, a nonprofit Michigan news outlet, reports her fight for school choice has left many public schools scrambling for students. An education advocacy group she headed owes Ohio $5.3 million for election law violations, stemming from an unpaid fine in 2008.
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To Be Announced
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
To Be Announced
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
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John Kelly
Secretary of Homeland Security
John Kelly
Secretary of Homeland Security
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The retired Marine general has a reputation for preferring “soft power” over military strength. He rejects criticism of Guantanamo Bay, which he was responsible for as head of the U.S. Southern Command. In that position, he also helped police the southern border — experience Trump will rely on to implement his immigration policies, Politico reports. Kelly has voiced concern over opening up combat positions to women. He is widely respected for continuing to serve even after his son died in Afghanistan.
Cabinet-rank Positions
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Reince Priebus
Chief of Staff
No congressional approval required
Reince Priebus
Chief of Staff
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He’s the longest-serving chairman of the Republican National Committee and was formerly the head of the Wisconsin Republican Party — the youngest person ever to serve in that role. He’s raised record amounts for the RNC. He authored the party’s “autopsy” calling for a more inclusive message after its 2012 loss, but has since found himself defending positions taken by Trump that are in direct contrast with that report. He’s known for his ability to “build and maintain” political relationships.
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To Be Announced
Director of the Office of Managment and Budget
To Be Announced
Director of the Office of Managment and Budget
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Scott Pruitt
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Scott Pruitt
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
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The Oklahoma attorney general has deep ties to the fossil-fuel industry, and formed a secret alliance between the industry and other AGs to fight Obama’s climate proposals. He is seen as a hero among conservatives who believe the EPA oversteps its federal authority. A billionaire oil magnate headed his 2013 re-election. He is a climate change skeptic, has repeatedly sued to prevent EPA regulations, and has vowed to “cancel” the Paris accord, a United Nations agreement to curb CO2 emissions starting in 2020.
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To Be Announced
Trade Representative
To Be Announced
Trade Representative
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Nikki Haley
Ambassador to the United Nations
Nikki Haley
Ambassador to the United Nations
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As governor of South Carolina, unemployment fell to 15-year lows during her tenure, but opponents criticize her handling of the state’s long-running child-welfare controversy, and say she bungled a cyber attack in 2012. Little reporting has been done about Haley’s foreign-policy views, nor has she been vocal about them. A daughter of Indian immigrants, she’s met with the Indian Prime Minister to encourage investment in South Carolina. She is a strong supporter of Israel and signed a bill that prevented divestment in the country.
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To Be Announced
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
To Be Announced
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
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Linda McMahon
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Linda McMahon
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
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The co-founder of wrestling organization WWE gave $6 million to a pro-Trump super PAC and $5 million to Trump’s foundation. She unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate twice, spending almost $100 million. She resigned after a year of serving on Connecticut’s education board when a legal opinion barred members from participating in political activity. She supported a plan by President Obama that would have eliminated the Small Business Administration entirely.
Other Top Positions
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To Be Announced
Director of National Intelligence
To Be Announced
Director of National Intelligence
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Mike Pompeo
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Mike Pompeo
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
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As a Kansas congressman, Pompeo has been a strong supporter of the NSA’s bulk data collection and supports the death penalty for Edward Snowden. He’s pledged to end the “disastrous” Iran deal and advocated bombing Iran’s nuclear capacity to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. He supports keeping Guantanamo Bay, calling it a “goldmine of intelligence” that treats prisoners “exceptionally well.” He founded Thayer Aerospace with investment from Koch Industries, and the Koch brothers have been some of his largest political donors.
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Mike Flynn
National Security Advisor
No congressional approval required
Mike Flynn
National Security Advisor
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A retired general, Flynn was forced out as the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, reportedly for his attitude and “conspiratorial worldview,” Politico and The New York Times report. He’d previously been “one of the most respected military intelligence officers of his generation.” He has a history of sharing conspiracy theories on social media, and views Islam as “a cancer.” Prior to this, Flynn has been a foreign lobbyist and has close ties to Russia.
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Steve Bannon
Senior Counselor and Chief Strategist
No congressional approval required
Steve Bannon
Senior Counselor and Chief Strategist
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Bannon was the CEO of Trump’s campaign. He ran Breitbart, a far-right website known for publishing sexist, racist and homophobic content. Politico reports Breitbart employees described constant mistreatment under his leadership. He believes we are at war against “jihadist Islamic fascism.” He’s called liberal women “a bunch of dykes.” He’s cited Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl as an inspiration.
Rex Tillerson photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images; Steve Mnuchin photo by Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images; James Mattis photo by Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images; Jeff Sessions photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images; Wilbur Ross photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images; Andrew Puzder photo by Joe Kohen/Getty Images; Tom Price photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images; Ben Carson photo by Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call; Elaine Chao photo by Wang HE/Getty Images; Rick Perry photo by Fred Lee/ABC via Getty Images; Betsy DeVos photo by Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call; John Kelly photo by Dina Rudick/The Boston Globe via Getty Images; Reince Priebus photo by T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images; Scott Pruitt photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP/Getty Images; Nikki Haley photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Linda McMahon photo by Richard Messina/Hartford Courant/MCT via Getty Images; Mike Pompeo photo by Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call; Mike Flynn photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images; Steve Bannon photo by Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images.
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