US President-elect Donald Trump praised several members of his future cabinet last night during a gala dinner given on the occasion of his return to the White House, even though many of the candidates he nominated have become the subject of criticism in Washington, the Washington Post reported this morning, BTA writes in its press review.
The last nomination announced by the future president was that of North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who will be offered the Department of the Interior.
Earlier yesterday, Trump announced that he would appoint three of his lawyers from the criminal trials against him to senior positions in the Department of Justice, which will put them in a position to lead federal prosecutors in two of his cases and to defend his administration's interests before the Supreme Court. Trump, dressed in a tuxedo and surrounded by supporters after being introduced by actor Sylvester Stallone, seemed unfazed by the buzz his nominations generated in the capital, the publication noted.
Brigham's name was less of a surprise than the proposed post of Trump's former presidential rival - vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was nominated for secretary of health and human services. "We want you to come up with ideas ... I think you're going to do some incredible things," Trump told Kennedy during the celebration last night.
The president-elect also praised former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, whom he nominated for director of national intelligence, noting that she is a former Democratic representative who is "loaded with common sense". Gabbard has previously been criticized for her 2017 meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, an ally of President Vladimir Putin.
Trump also noted the presence of Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, who has become a regular guest at the future president's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Musk and Trump's former rival for the Republican nomination, Vivek Ramaswamy, were nominated to head the new Ministry of Government Efficiency, which aims to reduce government spending.
Under the headline "Trump's nominations that shocked even Republicans," the French newspaper "Figaro" commented that the future president's choice of ministers of justice, health and intelligence has caused astonishment even within his own ranks. Trump announced the nomination for attorney general on a plane en route to Washington on Wednesday morning, the publication notes. The nomination of Matt Gates for attorney general has caused shock and bewilderment in political circles, including among many Republicans.
By appointing one of his most ardent supporters to head the Justice Department, who is also a man with little respect for rules and standards, Trump has just reminded us that his promises to crack down on his political opponents may not have been just empty words. More than any other department, the Justice Department is seen by Trump as a symbol of the "deep state" that tried to overthrow him.
The appointment of Matt Gates guarantees that Trump will drop all charges against him, that he will pardon the rebels of January 6, 2021, and that the Justice Department will obey him in everything he orders, commented "Figaro".
The latest controversial choice in Trump's cabinet could have a huge impact on the health and lives of Americans, CNN warned in connection with the nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health. The future president's decision to allow Kennedy - a vaccine skeptic and a spreader of conspiracy theories - to "run wild" as Secretary of Health and Human Services, is his most shocking attempt to challenge the status quo.
Trump's choices for Director of National Intelligence, Attorney General and Secretary of Defense will change the country and the world in the long term. However, their effect will not be as direct for Americans. However, if Kennedy is given the opportunity as the top health official to promote his previous claims that vaccines are not safe and effective, or to fulfill his desire to fire 600 people at the National Institutes of Health, it could have a much more immediate impact on the lives of millions of Americans. For example, if his advice or ideas lead to a decrease in the distribution of vaccines among the US population, this could endanger the lives of a significant number of people, the American television commented.
Kennedy has some views that doctors welcome, including his calls to eliminate processed foods from school lunches and his warnings that the food industry is marketing products that are exacerbating the chronic disease crisis. But the president-elect’s decision to put him in charge of the health care of 350 million Americans is likely to spark a new debate about the potential real-world consequences of Trump’s second term, which begins in January.
Trump’s incoming cabinet is causing concern in Europe, Politico reported in a leading article this morning. European diplomats were initially relieved when he chose Florida Republican Marco Rubio to be America’s top diplomat. But that didn’t last long.
Trump’s subsequent nominations — the barely-known Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary and Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence - have heightened concerns that Europe may need to prepare for the worst and be ready to engage without its traditional NATO ally in a world torn by strategic conflicts.
“This is truly terrifying“, the publication quotes a post on the social network “Ex“ by Nathalie Loiseau – former French minister for European affairs and current MEP from the “Renew Europe“ group. “The time of Europe's restraint and hopes that the US will protect us is over“, said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, head of the European Parliament's security and defense subcommittee. Former Polish ambassador to Washington Marek Magerowski commented on Gabbard and her previous “pro-Russian” comments. Three days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, she called on the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and the United States to "embrace the spirit of aloha" (preaching a life in love and harmony) and come to an agreement, recalls "Politico".