Inside Trump’s Cabinet: Who are they? What will they do?

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Evan Vucci / AP

In this Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, file photo, Stephen Bannon, campaign CEO for President-elect Donald Trump, leaves Trump Tower in New York. Trump on Sunday named Republican Party chief Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff and conservative media owner Bannon as his top presidential strategist, two men who represent opposite ends of the unsettled GOP.

Sun, Dec 4, 2016 (2 a.m.)

The president’s job description is no joke. Leading the United States demands wearing dozens of profoundly important hats, and according to the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum: “One ‘trick’ a president has is to delegate ... pick qualified people to do certain work, expect them to do their best and then report back on what they have accomplished.”

Line of Succession

In the absence of the president, power shifts according to the line of succession. It ensures that if a disaster ever wiped out high-ranking leadership, someone down the line would be poised to assume command:

• Vice President

• Speaker of the House of Representatives

• President Pro Tempore of the Senate

• Secretary of State

• Secretary of the Treasury

• Secretary of Defense

• Attorney General

• Secretary of the Interior

• Secretary of Agriculture

• Secretary of Commerce

• Secretary of Labor

• Secretary of Health and Human Services

• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

• Secretary of Transportation

• Secretary of Energy

• Secretary of Education

• Secretary of Veterans Affairs

• Secretary of Homeland Security

Those high-ranking right hands make up the Cabinet, overseeing global relations, military actions, energy initiatives and the pocketbook of the federal government, among many other societal pillars. And if crisis incapacitates the president and vice president, they are in the line of succession. Certain positions always get a lot of scrutiny, but given President-elect Donald Trump’s contentious win, all inner-circle jobs are in the spotlight. His selection process so far has been compared to a reality show, and tweets have flown both praising and lamenting the evolving list of so-called “finalists.”

Whatever you think of Trump’s style, it’s bringing great attention to the gravity of these positions and the people who may wield their influence. Up to the moment these pages went to press, this was the status of his starting lineup.

Secretary of State

If it involves foreign policy and international relations, it’s in this tent. The secretary of state is the president’s top adviser on foreign affairs and has primary responsibility for implementing policy. Given Trump’s stated intentions to shake up both new and long-standing trade deals as well as accords such as the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Agreement on climate policy, this position will be vital to maintaining relationships with allies and civil discourse with nations less friendly to the U.S.

• Rudy Giuliani, lawyer and former mayor of New York City: Dealing with the aftermath of 9/11 as New York’s mayor tops Giuliani’s résumé for the job, and those who see Trump as a strongman world leader in the Ronald Reagan mold like Giuliani’s tough rhetoric on terrorism (see his “We’re coming to get you!” speech at the Republican National Convention, which was passionate or unhinged, depending on your perspective). But there are deep concerns over Giuliani’s temperament in a job where a delicate diplomatic touch is as much of an asset as a backbone.

• David Petraeus, retired Army general and former CIA director: Petraeus resigned from the helm of the CIA in 2012, following an extramarital affair with his biographer, with whom FBI and Justice Department prosecutors said he shared classified information on a felony level. He eventually pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge. Since his retirement from the military, Petraeus has been working in academic and nonprofit circles. After their recent meeting, Trump tweeted that he was “very impressed!”

• Mitt Romney, businessman and former governor of Massachusetts: Google “Romney an inspired choice” and see how many stories come up. The 2012 Republican presidential nominee is seen as capable because of his grooming on international affairs, and temperamentally perfect for the job thanks to his unflappable demeanor. He’s also seen as a hardliner on Russia, which would balance concerns over Trump’s pro-Putin comments. But would Trump loyalists accept him, given that he harshly criticized the president-elect during the campaign?

• Others: U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; John Bolton, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush; John Kelly, retired Marine Corps general; and Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan

Secretary of the Treasury

In charge of writing tax code, collecting revenue and managing debt, the treasury is the federal government’s accountant and watchdog over the industries of finance and banking, as well as the instrument of its financial sanctions against foreign nations. Trump’s pick will take charge just as a handful of multinational corporations, including Apple and IBM, are seeking to negotiate lower taxes for more than $2 trillion in untaxed profits stashed overseas.

• Steven Mnuchin, former investment banker and Trump’s campaign finance chairman: Mnuchin churned out a personal fortune of $40 million as an executive at Goldman Sachs, which was bailed out with taxpayer money after it helped crash the global economy in 2007 and 2008. A housing lender bought by Mnuchin was investigated after a number of lawsuits over illegal foreclosures and racist lending practices. Despite Trump’s campaign rhetoric railing against the finance industry, one expert told Politico, “It’s hard to see Mnuchin cracking down on Wall Street.”

Secretary of Agriculture

The secretary has some responsibility in enacting the president’s trade positions, though the job primarily oversees the farming industry, inspects food quality, provides income-based food assistance and helps develop international markets for American products.

• Sid Miller, Texas agriculture commissioner: Miller helped found the Legislative Tea Party Caucus and referred to Hillary Clinton as a c*** on Twitter. He’s a former vocational agriculture teacher and operates Miller Nursery & Tree Co. and Sid Miller Horses.

• Sam Brownback, governor of Kansas: Having championed trickle-down economics, Brownback leads a state whose deficit of $345 million continues to grow in the wake of heavy tax cuts. A Morning Consult poll found him to be the most unpopular governor in the country, and his team has refused to release Kansas’ most recent economic report.

• Sonny Perdue, former governor of Georgia: A Democrat turned Republican who supports state funding for faith-based organizations, Perdue served in the Georgia Senate for 11 years before becoming governor. He made national headlines in 2007 when he led a prayer for rain on the steps of the Georgia capitol during a severe drought.

• Others: Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and former U.S. deputy secretary of agriculture; Ted McKinney, director of the Indiana Department of Agriculture in the Pence Administration (many other names have been floated, but they’re unlikely to be chosen)

Attorney General

The leader of the Justice Department is responsible for law enforcement and administration of justice at the federal level with oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Attorneys and the U.S. Parole Commission, among other arms of the government.

• Jeff Sessions, U.S. senator from Alabama and that state’s former attorney general: Trump’s selection of Sessions has been his most controversial Cabinet choice. Sessions’ qualifications include serving as Alabama’s attorney general and as a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, so it’s not as if he doesn’t have the chops for the job. But he has faced accusations of racism throughout his career, to the point that he was denied a federal judgeship in the 1980s over racist comments.

Secretary of Commerce

The department overseeing economic growth and job creation will be even more crucial under Trump as America slips further into the worst wage inequality seen since the Roaring Twenties. The current secretary, Penny Pritzker, was a noted fundraiser for Obama.

• Wilbur Ross, billionaire investor and Trump fundraiser: According to all reports, it’s a foregone conclusion that Ross will be appointed. On first glance, he looks to be part of the same “swamp” that Trump promised to drain in Washington. He’s an investor worth more than $2.5 billion and chairs a private equity firm. However, Ross has been a vocal critic of trade agreements like NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which Trump vows to overturn.

Secretary of the Interior

Interior’s mission is to manage and conserve federal lands and natural resources through such entities as the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. This appointment will be big for Nevada, because the BLM oversees its nearly 50 million acres of public land in the state, determining whether to use it for recreation, conservation, grazing, mining, drilling for oil and gas, etc.

• Robert Grady, venture capitalist and partner in Gryphon Investors and former adviser to President George H.W. Bush: A Wyoming resident, Grady has worked on federal and state environmental policies. He served President Bush in several roles and is credited with advising him on the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.

• Mary Fallin, governor of Oklahoma: Fallin is known for working with Oklahoma’s dozens of Native American tribes and spent 12 years on the governing board of the state’s tourism and recreation department. She also called for a day of prayer over the financial woes of the oil and gas drilling industry, which is powerful in Oklahoma, though the state is wracked by earthquakes believed to be caused by widespread fracking.

Secretary of Labor

The Department of Labor oversees unions, occupational safety standards, unemployment benefits and other work-related issues, and the secretary suggests and enforces related laws.

• Victoria Lipnic, lawyer and Equal Employment Opportunity commissioner: Appointed by Obama in 2010, Lipnic is among the lesser-known candidates being considered by Trump. As a conservative member of the EEOC, she dissented from her peers who ruled that blocking a transgender person from using the bathroom of his or her identified gender constituted harassment.

• Peter Kirsanow, member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and former member of the National Labor Relations Board: When the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia infamously suggested that black students should consider attending “less advanced” colleges, he was referencing a legal brief written by Kirsanow. A notable opponent of affirmative action and the Black Lives Matter movement, Kirsanow used his position on the commission to push a yearslong investigation of the Black Panther Party after two of its members were seen standing outside a Philadelphia polling place in 2008.

Secretary of Defense

The world’s largest employer, with nearly 3.2 million civilian contractors and active-duty military, the Department of Defense oversees the four branches of the military as well as dozens of intelligence agencies and task forces. Under Trump, the secretary will be key in shaping strategy around ISIS and an increasingly belligerent Russia.

• James Mattis, retired Marine Corps general and former commander of U.S. Central Command: Beloved by a generation of Marines who appreciated his down-to-earth style during the invasion of Iraq, James “Mad Dog” Mattis was picked because of his brutal honesty and his experience in the civilian world. When it comes to policy, Mattis is in favor of a strong military presence abroad. But appointing him requires a waiver from Congress, as the position is only available to those who’ve been out of uniform for seven years (Mattis retired in 2013).

Secretary of Health and Human Services

The secretary oversees 11 agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and is key in President-elect Trump’s fulfillment of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act and making changes to entitlement programs.

• Tom Price, U.S. representative from Georgia and chairman of the House Budget Committee: The former orthopedic surgeon and early Trump backer is adamant about repealing the Affordable Care Act, opposes federal funding for Planned Parenthood and federal health coverage that includes birth control, saying such legislation is “trampling on religious freedom and religious liberty” and advocating for equal protection for the unborn under the 14th Amendment. He also is known for opposing marriage equality and voting against enforcing anti-gay hate crimes.

Secretary of Transportation

Taking need, the environment and national defense into account, the transportation secretary oversees 11 agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration. Among the key reasons Nevadans should care about this selection is the bearing it could have on the Interstate 11 project linking Phoenix and Las Vegas. The state also could gain from Trump’s call for investment in infrastructure.

• Elaine Chao, labor secretary under President George W. Bush and deputy secretary of transportation under President George H.W. Bush: Chao was the longest-serving secretary of labor since World War II, as well as the first Asian-American woman to serve in a Cabinet. Her husband is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. While she has been praised by her colleagues, leaders of organized labor have accused her of being subject to business interests. Trump has pledged to spend $1 trillion on revitalizing roads, bridges and other pieces of public transit, and the U.S. Travel Association lauded his choice of Chao to oversee it.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

HUD’s charge is supporting development of communities and providing paths to homeownership. The secretary oversees affordable housing and mortgage insurance programs, guaranteeing they are free from discrimination.

• Ben Carson, neurosurgeon and former Trump rival: Trump offered Carson the Health and Human Services position, but he replied that he didn’t believe he was qualified (despite running for president). Then Trump tweeted that he is “seriously considering” Ben Carson for the HUD role, and media reports say an announcement is imminent, though Carson has not publicly responded.

• Robert Woodson, founder and president of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise: An adviser to House Speaker Paul Ryan on issues of poverty, Woodson received the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation Prize and the Presidential Citizens medal for his Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, which empowers grass-roots groups to address community problems.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The VA is in charge of running all of the federal government’s benefit programs for veterans, including hospitals and the GI Bill. Trump referenced veterans issues — particularly reducing unemployment and homelessness — a lot during his campaign.

• Scott Brown, former senator from Massachusetts and Fox News contributor: Brown served for 35 years in the Army National Guard, retiring at the rank of colonel. In Congress, he pushed bipartisan laws designed to inform returning veterans of their benefits. When he left office, he went to work as a finance lobbyist and an analyst on Fox News. He was later accused of sexual harassment by former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros.

• Jeff Miller, retiring congressman and chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: As the powerful head of a Congressional veterans’ committee, Rep. Miller, R-Fla., sponsored a number of bills defending the rights of veterans, including reducing the VA’s hospital backlog and automatically giving veterans in-state tuition status.

Secretary of Energy

The Department of Energy splits focus between energy innovation, education and regulation, as well as environmental quality. DOE’s chief implements the president’s energy plan while maintaining and managing nuclear weapons and reducing nuclear danger.

• Harold Hamm, CEO of Continental Resources: The Oklahoma oil billionaire and friend of Trump was a leading influence on the president-elect’s energy policies during the campaign. Hamm, whom Forbes describes as “the most successful fracking pioneer,” is speculated to be Trump’s top pick, but he told The Oklahoman he planned to stay at Continental.

• Kevin Cramer, U.S. representative from North Dakota: A Trump energy adviser, Cramer remains hesitant about the prospect of the Cabinet position. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he receives his top campaign donations from the oil and gas, electric utilities and agricultural services industries, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Secretary of Education

Federal education officials wield enormous power through giving or withholding education funds to the country’s often underfunded school districts. They also set the long-term priority for the nation’s schools. In recent history, that priority has been high-stakes standardized testing, “accountability” measures and Common Core.

• Betsy DeVos, Republican megadonor: With the exception of her support for school choice programs and presence on a number of education-related foundations, the GOP fundraiser has no experience as an educator or expertise in running a school. A product of private religious school and an exclusive Calvinist liberal arts college, DeVos feels that public education has failed. She is a major supporter of school vouchers, as is Trump. She comes from a wealthy family and married into the Amway fortune in 1980.

Secretary of Homeland Security

Formed by President George W. Bush after 9/11, the department is in charge of securing American borders and preventing terrorism within them. Given Trump’s comments about mass deportation and building a southern border wall, the incoming secretary is likely to face an uphill climb.

• Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state: A descendent of Norwegian and German immigrants, Kobach made his claim to conservative fame advocating that illegal immigrants deport themselves and filing lawsuits to prevent the children of illegal immigrant parents from being able to pay in-state tuition at public colleges. When he met with Trump at his New Jersey golf club recently, he accidentally exposed to photographers the details of his plan of action if chosen. It included barring all refugees fleeing Syria, where more than 400,000 civilians have died in a bitter civil war that has reduced many of the country’s cities to rubble and starved thousands of children to death.

OTHER KEY ADVISERS

Chief of Staff

This position didn’t exist until 1939, but it has become one of the most powerful in U.S. government. The chief of staff oversees the president’s senior advisers, is in charge of carrying out the president’s vision, and decides who can and can’t meet with the president.

• Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee: The nod to Priebus is largely seen as having two roots: One, it was a reward for him standing by Trump and taking blows for him during the campaign, helping sway moderate Republicans. Two, Priebus is a close ally of House Speaker Paul Ryan, with whom the president-elect has had a testy relationship. Trump needs Ryan in his corner. Still, Priebus’ ties to Ryan and other establishment leaders could pose problems for Trump among his most zealous supporters, given the promise to “drain the swamp.”

Chief Strategist

The chief strategist is in the background working on plans to get things done. The job is described as day-to-day politicking that serves the president’s overall vision. Given Trump’s choice of chiefs, many analysts have predicted a power struggle.

• Stephen Bannon, CEO of Breitbart: The godfather of the white nationalist alt-right movement, Bannon was an investment banker and Hollywood financier before he became a founding publisher of breitbart.com, a far-right opinion site now conclusively shown to have pushed racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric. Despite views that would have made him a pariah in any other election, Bannon made the cut because of his close relationship with Trump during the campaign.

National Security Adviser

This is the middleman between the president and national security officials, especially during a time of crisis. The position requires a deep understanding of national security policy, as the NSC advisor typically meets often with the president and the secretary of state.

• Michael Flynn, retired Army general: Flynn’s rocky career in the military’s intelligence community led him to early retirement. Aides and peers described him as a bad manager who ignored orders and worked against the policy of his department. Flynn has said in retrospect that officials in his department were uninterested in his belief that the U.S. was more in danger of terrorist attacks than it was during 9/11. He is an opponent of drone warfare, arguing that it fuels endless conflict.

Central Intelligence Agency Director

The director heads the American intelligence community and advises the president on national security. The nonpartisan office must be confirmed by the Senate.

• Mike Pompeo, U.S. representative, R-Kan.: Pompeo graduated from West Point and Harvard Law and was a cavalry officer patrolling the Iron Curtain before the fall of the Berlin Wall. He founded Thayer Aerospace in 1997 with help from Koch Venture Capital, prompting opponents to question his ties to the Koch brothers and their contributions to his campaigns. He serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, the latter informing Trump’s choice. He has called U.S. Islamic leaders “potentially complicit” in terrorist acts and strongly opposes the nuclear deal with Iran.

U.S. Trade Representative

The incoming trade representative will be the eyes and ears of America when it comes to economic dealmaking with foreign countries. It’s likely that this position will play a crucial role in reversing or renegotiating deals such as NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

• Dan DiMicco, former CEO of Nucor steel company and Trump trade adviser: DiMicco is an opponent of free trade, which devastated the steel industry in which he worked. He has blogged and spoken about the issue at length, criticizing the Chinese government for predatory economic practices and protectionism while lambasting those in the U.S. who tout free trade, writing that massive trade agreements have not only “undermined the concept of free trade but killed it.”

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