Donald Trump’s Government
American voters are interested to see if Donald Trump can win enough Electoral College votes to become President. If he does, whom will Donald Trump appoint to top positions in a Trump Administration?
Since Trump disdains policy analysis himself, we can infer that he will rely on those who were his surrogates during his Primary and Presidential campaigns.
Rudy Giuliani is clearly at the top of that list and can be expected to be appointed Attorney General.
Chris Christie (R-NJ) is also influential but may not accept nomination to a Cabinet position because he was passed over for Vice President. But, if he relents, he also can be expected to be nominated for Attorney General.
A couple of former Generals have appeared on Trump’s behalf and are probably in line for appointments to NSA or CIA.
The important position of National Security Advisor shapes national security policy, but none with that knowledge has, as yet, appeared, except John Bolton.
Nomination of someone to be Secretary of State is a question mark, though I’ve suggested Trump should consider Gov. John Kasich (R-OH).
In a normal Presidency, the candidate’s immediate advisors move into the White House and take charge. That would suggest that Giuliani and Christie will show up during the first several weeks of a Trump Presidency and possibly some businessmen that Trump has appointed to his Economic Policy team.
But, beyond those two experienced Republican politicians, who else is there?
Elizabeth “Betsy” McCaughey’s appearance today on the Michael Smerconish program on CNN suggests a New York connection. McCaughey was a disastrous appointee of Gov. George Pataki as his Lt. Governor and had to be dumped. Why Trump would call her into his circle knowing that she is not a stable political surrogate or prospective appointee is difficult to fathom.
Having banished Paul Manafort, it’s not likely that Reagan era personalities will be pulled from obscurity to man a Trump Presidency. But, let’s throw out some names:
Secretary of State Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)
Treasury Secretary David Malpass
Secretary of Defense Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn
Attorney General Rudolph Giuliani
Interior Jan Brewer
Agriculture Charles Herbster
Commerce Donald Trump, Jr.
Labor Chris Christie
Health & Human Services Dr. Ben Carson
HUD Kim Abrams
Transportation William Palatucci
Energy Harold Hamm
Education Dr. Sam Clovis
Veterans Administration Col. Oliver North
Homeland Security Corey Lewandowski
Chief of Staff Jared Kunsler
National Security Advisor John Bolton
CIA Gen. Jack Keane
United Nations Elizabeth McCaughey
Council Economic Advisors Peter Navarro
Domestic Policy Kellyanne Conway
Press Secretary Katrina Pierson