The 'Outsiders' Donald Trump Could Enlist in His Cabinet
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President-elect Donald Trump will likely enlist a number of corporate lobbyists and establishment Republicans to join his forthcoming cabinet.
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In spite of promises to "drain the swamp" and build an administration full of political outsiders, early indications suggest that the Trump administration will consist of individuals with ties to Wall Street and lobbying firms, along with other Republican heavyweights, The Intercepts Lee Fang reported.
That's perhaps less surprising given the fact that a sizable portion of campaign contributions to Trump came from special interest groups and current economic advisers in the finance industry.
Politico compiled a comprehensive preview of prospective members of a Trump administration, which you can read in full here.
1. Secretary of State
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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is expected to receive the Secretary of State position, sources from within the Trump campaign told Politico and NBC News in recent days. Gingrich served in the U.S. House of Representatives for three decades before resigning in 1999. He ran an unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 and was considered a prospective running mate for Trump earlier this year.
2. Secretary of the Treasury
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Trump's campaign finance adviser Steven Mnuchin is the likely candidate for the Treasury secretary position, which involves advising the president on national and international financial matters, shaping federal tax policy, and "managing the public debt," according to the Department of the Treasury website. Mnunchin's background is in finance — he spent 17 years building a career at Goldman Sachs — and finance experts have previously commented on the disconnect between Mnuchin's experience and Trumps' populist appeal.
"It is difficult to see how a second-generation Goldman Sachs partner would secure such a prominent position in an administration delivered by a populist wind," Isaac Boltansky, an analyst at the investment firm Compass Point, told Politico.
3. Secretary of Defense
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There are at least three candidates for the Secretary of Defense position, according to sources. All three of them — Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions (R), former National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, and former Missouri Sen. Jim Talent — could be described as establishment Republicans rather than political outsiders.
4. Attorney General
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The most likely candidate for the attorney general position under Trump is former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, NBC News reported. In the 1980s, Giuliani served as a U.S. Attorney in New York; he's also worked in security consulting, investment banking, and legal services before making a pitch for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.
5. Secretary of Energy
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The billionaire CEO of oil company Continental Resources, Harold Hamm — a personal friend of Trump's — is likely to advise the president on energy policy. On Wednesday, he offered a preview of his vision for America's energy future, encouraging cutting red tape around the oil industry, CNBC reported.
"There's so many of these overreaching regulations that's gone on," Hamm said. "My goodness. We called it death by a thousand cuts, and that's exactly what it was intended to do."
6. Environmental Protection Agency administrator
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Two sources confirmed to Scientific American in September that climate skeptic Myron Ebell, the director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute's Center for Energy and Environment, will be named EPA administrator under Trump. Though Ebell served as a staffer for Wyoming Sen. Malcolm Wallop in the 1990s, this candidate has limited government experience and is one of the most "outsider" candidates up for consideration for Trump's cabinet.
