Trump picks loyalists for top White House jobs as Republicans control Congress
The Republicans will hold onto their majority in the United States House of Representatives after last week’s election, giving Donald Trump’s party control over all major levers of government
Meanwhile, Trump has nominated Congressman Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for dDirector of National Intelligence, Senator Marco Rubio to be Secretary of State, Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Army veteran as Defence Secretary, and John Ratcliffe as head of the CIA
Earlier, Trump met Joe Biden at the White House to discuss the Presidential transition. Biden told the President-elect “welcome back” as the pair shook hands and said they both hoped for a “smooth” transition process
Across Washington at the Capitol, Senate Republicans have elected John Thune as their new majority leader
On Tuesday, Trump also appointed Elon Musk and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to jointly lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency”
As well as making a return to the White House for a Presidential meeting, Donald Trump has spent the day announcing the names of some of his proposed Cabinet members.
One of these, Matt Gaetz has drawn a lot of criticism since Trump announced he wanted him to be Attorney General.
And a Republican Congressman admits that the Trump pick won’t get an easy ride when put before the Senate to be confirmed.
“Without question it will be a very interesting and controversial Senate hearing,” he says. “They will run Matt through the ringer, they’ll have a lot of questions. It will be a very controversial newsworthy spectacle, no doubt about it.”
And, pressed on whether he believes Gaetz should become Attorney General, LaTurner stresses that Trump has the right to nominate who he likes after his election victory, but adds that these nominees must still go through the process set out by the constitution.
