Washington:

US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday named Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos as his senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, the latest family member to be appointed to a key position.

“I am proud to announce that Massad Boulos will serve as Senior Advisor to the President on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs,” Trump posted on Truth Social of the appointment, which puts his daughter Tiffany’s father-in-law in a major White House position.

Boulos was a key emissary for the Trump campaign, helping to mobilize Arab American and Muslim voters, many of whom were disaffected with White House policy on the war in Gaza.

The businessman will take over a difficult portfolio, with Israel’s war raging in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon seeing early violations, and rebel forces in Syria making advances against the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Massad Boulos’s son, Michael, is married to Trump’s daughter Tiffany.

A day earlier, Trump appointed Charles Kushner — the father of his son-in-law Jared — as the US ambassador to France.

“Massad is an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the International scene,” said Trump of his pick for the Middle East advisor job.

“He has been a longtime proponent of Republican and Conservative values, an asset to my Campaign, and was instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab American Community.”

The Republican referred to Boulos as “a dealmaker.”

Trump often promised on the campaign trail to bring a swift end to the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere, without specifying how he would do so.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named billionaire Scott Bessent as his Treasury secretary, choosing the hedge fund manager to help execute an agenda promising tax cuts and tariffs.

Bessent, who is chief executive officer of Key Square Group, has called for an extension of tax cuts from Trump’s first term, wants to reassert American energy dominance, and believes it is necessary to deal with the budget deficit.

“Scott is widely respected as one of the world’s foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists,” Trump said in a statement.

“He will help me usher in a new Golden Age for the United States, as we fortify our position as the world’s leading economy,” he said, adding Bessent would also help “reinvigorate the private sector, and help curb the unsustainable path of federal debt.”

The nomination of Bessent — who recently served as an economic advisor to Trump — would put him at the forefront of rolling out the president-elect’s economic plan, from seeing tax cuts through Congress to managing ties with countries like China.

The position carries influence over both domestic and international policy.

With Trump promising sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, all eyes will be on how his new Treasury chief walks the line between supporting these efforts and fanning trade tensions that might roil the global economy.

The Treasury Department has oversight across a range of departments, from federal finances to bank supervision. The portfolio also oversees US sanctions.

Bessent has in recent times called for tax reform and deregulation to spur growth.

In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, he said this would be key to “restarting the American growth engine” and helping keep prices in check.

‘All-in’ for Trump 

He has also defended Trump’s position on trade, saying on Trump ally Roger Stone’s radio show that the president-elect wants free trade but “we haven’t had fair trade, we haven’t had reciprocal trade.”

This month, Bessent called tariffs “a negotiating tool with our trading partners” in an opinion piece for Fox News, adding that it was “a means to finally stand up for Americans.”

Bessent, who is from South Carolina, attended Yale University and served as chief investment officer of Soros Fund Management, the macroeconomic investment firm of billionaire George Soros.

In 2015, he raised capital, including $2 billion from Soros, to start his own hedge fund.

In his interview with Stone, Bessent said that he has known the Trump family for 30 years and was friends with the president-elect’s brother.

“I was all-in for President Trump. I was one of the few Wall Street people backing him,” he told Stone.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

President-elect Donald Trump has made a flurry of picks for his cabinet and other high-ranking administration positions following his election victory.

Here are the early picks and top contenders for some of the key posts overseeing defense, intelligence, health, diplomacy, trade, immigration and economic policymaking.

MARCO RUBIO, secretary of state

Trump tapped US Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state, putting the Florida-born politician on track to be the first Latino to serve as the United States’ top diplomat.

Rubio, 53, was arguably the most hawkish option on Trump’s shortlist for secretary of state. The senator has in past years advocated for a muscular foreign policy with respect to US geopolitical foes, including China, Iran and Cuba.

Over the last several years he has softened some of his stances to align more closely with Trump’s views. The president-elect accuses past US presidents of leading the US into costly and futile wars and has pushed for a less interventionist foreign policy.

MATT GAETZ, attorney general

Trump said that he had selected Gaetz, a US representative, to be his nominee for attorney general.

“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump said in a statement announcing the selection of the Florida lawmaker.

Trump’s inner circle has described the attorney general as the most important member of the administration after Trump himself, key to his plans to carry out mass deportations, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and seek retribution against those who prosecuted him over the past four years.

TULSI GABBARD, director of national intelligence

Trump named Gabbard, a former Democratic representative and critic of the Biden administration, as his director of national intelligence.

Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022 to become an independent and has little direct experience with intelligence work. If confirmed, she would become the top official in the US intelligence community after Trump starts his second term in January.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., health and human services secretary

Kennedy is an environmental activist who has spread misinformation about the dangers of vaccines. He has suggested he would gut the 18,000-employee Food and Drug Administration, which ensures the safety of food, drugs and medical devices, and replace hundreds of employees at the National Institutes of Health.

Kennedy ran for president in this year’s election, first as a Democrat and then as an independent, before dropping out in August in exchange for a role in Trump’s administration.

The Department of Health and Human Services oversees the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the massive Medicare and Medicaid Services programs, which provide health coverage for the poor, those aged 65 and older, and the disabled.

PETE HEGSETH, defense secretary

Trump said he had picked Hegseth as his secretary of defense. Hegseth is a Fox News commentator and veteran who has expressed disdain for the so-called “woke” policies of Pentagon leaders, including its top military officer.

Hegseth, if confirmed by the Senate, could make good on Trump’s campaign promises to rid the US military of generals who he accuses of pursuing progressive policies on diversity in the ranks that conservatives have rallied against.

It could also set up a collision course between Hegseth and the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General CQ Brown, who Hegseth accused of “pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians.”

LEE ZELDIN, EPA administrator

Trump announced he had appointed Zeldin, a former congressman from New York state, as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Zeldin, 44, a staunch Trump ally, served in Congress from 2015 to 2023. In 2022, he lost the New York governor’s race to Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul. Trump has promised to overhaul US energy policy, with the aim of maximizing the country’s already record-high oil and gas production by rolling back regulations and speeding up permitting.

MIKE WALTZ, national security adviser

Trump said he had picked Waltz, a Republican US representative, to be national security adviser. Waltz is a retired Army Green Beret who has been a leading critic of China.

Waltz, a 50-year-old Trump loyalist who also served in the National Guard as a colonel, has criticized Chinese activity in the Asia-Pacific and has voiced the need for the US to be ready for a potential conflict in the region.

The national security adviser is a powerful role, which does not require Senate confirmation. Waltz will be responsible for briefing Trump on key national security issues and coordinating with different agencies.

While slamming the Biden administration for a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Waltz has publicly praised Trump’s foreign policy views.

SUSIE WILES, chief of staff

Trump announced that Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff.

While the specifics of her political views are somewhat unclear, Wiles, 67, is credited with running a successful and efficient campaign. Supporters hope she will instill a sense of order and discipline that was often lacking during Trump’s first four-year term, when he cycled through a number of chiefs of staff.

TOM HOMAN, ‘border czar’

Trump said that Homan, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first administration, will be in charge of the country’s borders.

Trump made cracking down on people in the country illegally a central element of his campaign, promising mass deportations.

Homan, 62, said on Monday he would prioritize deporting immigrants illegally in the US who posed safety and security threats as well as those working at job sites.

ELISE STEFANIK, UN ambassador

Trump announced that Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman and staunch Trump supporter, would be his ambassador to the United Nations.

Stefanik, 40, a US representative from New York state and House Republican conference chair, took a leadership position in the House of Representatives in 2021 when she was elected to replace then-Representative Liz Cheney, who was ousted for criticizing Trump’s false claims of election fraud.

Stefanik will arrive at the UN after bold promises by Trump to end the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s war in Gaza.

ELON MUSK AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY, heads of Department of Government Efficiency

Trump named tech billionaire Musk and Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate, to lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency, rewarding two of his well-known supporters from the private sector.

Trump said that Musk and Ramaswamy will reduce government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut waste and restructure federal agencies. Trump said the new department would bring in external expertise and work with the White House and Office of Management and Budget.

KRISTI NOEM, homeland security secretary

Noem, the governor of South Dakota, has been picked to serve as the next homeland security secretary, Trump said.

Noem, 52, once seen as a possible running mate for Trump, is currently serving her second four-year term as South Dakota’s governor. She rose to national prominence after refusing to impose a statewide mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for everything from border protection and immigration to disaster response and the US Secret Service.

DOUG BURGUM, interior secretary and ‘energy czar’

Trump has chosen Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, to be interior secretary.

Burgum, 68, a wealthy former software company executive, has portrayed himself as a traditional, business-minded conservative. He ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination before quitting and becoming a loyal Trump supporter.

The Interior Department manages public lands and minerals, national parks and wildlife refuges. The department also carries out the US government’s trust responsibility to Native Americans. In the energy czar role, he is expected to coordinate with several agencies to boost oil and gas output.

JOHN RATCLIFFE, CIA director

Trump said he had picked Ratcliffe, the former director of national intelligence, to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his second administration.

A former congressman and prosecutor who served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s last year in office, Ratcliffe, 59, is seen as a hardcore Trump loyalist who could likely win Senate confirmation. Still, during his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe often contradicted the assessments of career civil servants, drawing criticism from Democrats who said he politicized the role.

HOWARD LUTNICK, commerce secretary

The co-chair of Trump’s transition effort and the longtime chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, Lutnick has been picked to head the Commerce Department, the agency that has become the US weapon of choice against China’s tech sector.

A bombastic New Yorker like Trump, Lutnick, 63, has uniformly praised the president-elect’s economic policies, including his use of tariffs.

He has at times given elaborate, unvarnished opinions about what policies will be enacted in Trump’s second term. Some Trump allies complained privately that he too often presented himself as speaking on behalf of the campaign.

KEVIN WARSH, potential treasury secretary

Trump is considering Warsh, 54, a former investment banker who served on the Federal Reserve Board, for treasury secretary according to news reports. He is seen as a fiscal hawk and proponent of higher savings rates.

MARC ROWAN, potential treasury secretary

Trump is considering Rowan, 62, who co-founded Apollo Global Management and became the firm’s CEO in 2021, for treasury secretary, according to news reports.

BILL HAGERTY, potential treasury secretary

Republican US Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, is also in the running for treasury secretary, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump met the 65-year-old at Mar-a-Lago last week.

SCOTT BESSENT, potential treasury secretary

Bessent, a key economic adviser to Trump, is seen as a candidate for treasury secretary. A longtime hedge fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, Bessent has a warm relationship with the president-elect.

While Bessent has long favored the laissez-faire policies that were popular in the pre-Trump Republican Party, he has also spoken highly of Trump’s use of tariffs as a negotiating tool. He has praised the president-elect’s economic philosophy, which rests on a skepticism of both regulations and international trade.

ROBERT LIGHTHIZER, potential trade czar or treasury secretary

A loyalist who served as Trump’s US trade representative for essentially the then-president’s entire term, Lighthizer will almost certainly be invited back.

Though Bessent likely has a better shot at becoming treasury secretary, Lighthizer has an outside chance, and he might be able to reprise his old role if he’s interested.

The Wall Street Journal has reported Trump wanted Lighthizer as his trade czar.

Like Trump, Lighthizer, 77, is a trade skeptic and a firm believer in tariffs. He was one of the leading figures in Trump’s trade war with China and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, with Mexico and Canada during Trump’s first term.

LINDA McMAHON, potential candidate for various posts

McMahon, a professional wrestling magnate and former Small Business Administration director, is seen as in the running for a top post in the Trump administration.

McMahon, 76, is a major donor and was an early supporter of the Republican president-elect when he first ran for the White House almost a decade ago. This time, Trump tapped her to co-lead a transition team formed to help vet personnel and draft policy ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

McMahon is the co-founder and former CEO of the professional wrestling franchise WWE. She later served as director of the Small Business Administration, resigning in 2019, and went on to lead a pro-Trump political action committee that supported his 2020 reelection bid.

KASH PATEL, potential candidate for national security posts

A former Republican House staffer who served in various high-ranking staff roles in the defense and intelligence communities during Trump’s first term, Patel frequently appeared on the campaign trail to rally support for the candidate.

Any position requiring Senate confirmation may be a challenge, however.

Patel, 44, has leaned into controversy throughout his career. In an interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon last year, he promised to “come after” politicians and journalists perceived to be enemies of Trump.

During Trump’s first term, Patel, seen as the ultimate Trump loyalist, drew animosity from some more experienced national security officials, who saw him as volatile and too eager to please the then-president.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he was appointing Mehmet Oz, a former surgeon and TV celebrity known as “Dr. Oz,” to lead the United States’ massive public health insurance program.

The 64-year-old heart surgeon was championed on daytime television by Oprah Winfrey before he entered politics with an unsuccessful bid for a Senate seat in 2022.

Oz is the latest of Trump’s eye-catching nominations to key positions, including Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary, vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary and billionaire Elon Musk to head a government cost-cutting unit.

“America is facing a Healthcare Crisis and there may be no Physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again,” the president-elect posted on his Truth Social platform.

The appointment puts a man whose health recommendations — especially on Covid and weight loss — have often been ridiculed by the medical community at the helm of the United States’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

As CMS administrator, Oz will be in charge of a federal agency that provides health coverage to more than 160 million Americans — almost half the country’s population.

It employs about 6,700 people, had outlays of $1.48 trillion last year and is one the largest purchasers of healthcare services in the world.

A son of Turkish immigrants, Oz has never held public office before, but has been a steadfast ally of Trump, who backed him in his unsuccessful Senate run in Pennsylvania.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

The Republicans in the US Senate picked John Thune as the chamber’s new leader Wednesday as lawmakers scrambling to prepare for President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration rejected his camp’s favored candidate.

Thune, who already holds a junior leadership position, bested John Cornyn of Texas in a run-off to replace outgoing party leader Mitch McConnell, having already seen off Florida’s Rick Scott, who was seen as most aligned with Trump.

“This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work starts today,” Thune, who represents South Dakota, said in a brief statement.

The Senate — the upper chamber of Congress — jealously guards its independence and institutional authority, and its leadership election was seen as a clue into how much leeway members intend to give Trump.

Cornyn had the longer history in the chamber, while Thune was always seen as most aligned with the traditionalist wing of the party led by McConnell.

Trump insiders had preferred Scott, an ardent loyalist who had promised to do the president-elect’s bidding.

Trump’s allies campaigned aggressively against Thune and Cornyn, pressuring individual senators in a push that has sparked a backlash — but Trump was wary of Scott’s unpopularity and did not publicly endorse him.

Trump threw down a challenge Sunday to any prospective leader, demanding that they allow “recess appointments” — the naming of cabinet members while the Senate is adjourned, bypassing the body’s normal confirmation process.

Thune — along with the others — passed Trump’s loyalty test by replying that he was open to the idea.

Scott’s cheerleaders — a group that includes tech billionaire and Trump confidant Elon Musk, and far-right media personality Tucker Carlson — questioned Thune’s commitment to the incoming president, dredging up past opposition.

Decisive win

Trump is expected to further test lawmakers with a series of controversial moves, not least pardoning many of the people convicted of crimes related to the 2021 storming of the Capitol.

Other members have winced at the Republican president-elect’s plans for steep, across-the-board import tariffs, although most are behind his tax cut extension — which is expected to add significantly to the national debt.

The House and the Senate kicked off their frantic “lame-duck” session on Tuesday.

California is still counting ballots, but Republicans are widely expected to keep the House, handing the party total control of Washington after they claimed the Senate and White House last week.

The top priority for both parties in both chambers is funding the government to keep federal agencies open after December 20, with Republicans mulling a stop-gap measure that would keep the lights on into March.

The entire House of Representatives — Democrats as well as Republicans — gets to vote on the speaker, meaning Mike Johnson has to wait until the new Congress convenes in January to find out if he can hang on to the gavel.

“Republicans in the House and Senate have a mandate, it’s true. It was a decisive win across the nation,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday.

“The American people want us to implement and deliver that America First agenda.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)