Appointments completed for 15 ministries in the 2nd administration
A quick decision was made within 17 days of confirmation of election.
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Personnel nominated by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to key positions in the administration and White House. /AFP Yonhap News |
On the 22nd, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump appointed Scott Bessent (62), founder of Key Square Group, as Secretary of the Treasury, Lori Chavez-Dremer (56), a Republican member of the House of Representatives, as Secretary of Labor, and Scott Turner (52), former White House member, as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. and the Chairperson of the Activation Committee (WHORC), respectively. Then, on the 23rd, Brooke Rollins (52), head of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), was nominated as Secretary of Agriculture. After confirming victory in the presidential election on the 6th, major appointments in the administration and White House, including 15 ministers, were completed in less than three weeks. During his first term in office, the so-called ‘adult axis’, the elders and seniors who complemented Trump’s improvisational style, disappeared and were mainly comprised of loyalists who followed MAGA (Make America Great Again).
Trump said of Bessent, “He is respected as one of the world’s best international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists,” adding, “We will maintain the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency, prevent unfair trade imbalances, and dominate the global energy market to promote growth.” “I will support my efforts to make the economy a top priority,” he said. Bessent worked as chief investment officer (CIO) at legendary investor George Soros’ Soros Fund before setting up his own hedge fund in 2015. He served as Trump’s economic advisor and played a leading role in raising campaign funds. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who emerged as Trump’s closest confidant, opposed Bessent’s nomination on the 16th, but Trump chose Bessent. USA Today said, “Besent is gay and is raising two children with her husband, a former New York prosecutor.” “If confirmed by the Senate, she will become the first LGBTQ member of the Republican Cabinet.”
Bessent has been critical of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Joe Biden administration’s representative economic policy. In particular, there has been strong opposition to the semiconductor production subsidies that Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics are scheduled to receive as part of the IRA, saying that it will “bring destruction” and “distort resource allocation.” For this reason, there are predictions that the possibility of downsizing or reorganizing the IRA has increased with Bessent’s nomination as finance minister.
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Graphics = Baek Hyung-seon |
Scott Turner, who was nominated as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is a former professional American football (NFL) player. He served as a member of the Texas State House of Representatives and led the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Committee, which led private investment in underdeveloped areas during Trump’s first term. He is the only black person among the 15 ministerial nominees. Trump was criticized for forming a cabinet mainly made up of white people and “courting people of color to win the presidential election, but then pretending not to notice after the election.” Dremer, a Latina woman nominated as Secretary of Labor, is a rare pro-labor figure in the Republican Party. Rollins, who was nominated as Secretary of Agriculture, is the founder of AFPI, a representative pro-Trump think tank in Washington. Meanwhile, Trump appointed Alex Wong (44), former deputy special representative for North Korea policy at the State Department, as deputy national security adviser on the 22nd. With the selection of Wong, who was in charge of working-level dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea during Trump’s first term, there is speculation in the diplomatic community that Trump, who has shown off his close relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has shown his willingness to engage in dialogue with North Korea.
The characteristics of Trump’s second term appointments can be summarized in one word: ‘loyalist.’ He has fully deployed aides who will strongly promote America-first policies such as universal tariffs and deportation of illegal immigrants. Unlike in the first term, when James Mattis, a veteran and former four-star Marine Corps general, was selected as Secretary of Defense, this time the nomination of Pete Hegseth (44), a former reserve major, is symbolic. Trump will be inaugurated as president as the oldest person ever (79 years old), but his cabinet includes Hegseth, Ambassador to the United Nations Ellis Stefanik (40), Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (43), and White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt (27). A large number of ‘young bloods’ under the age of 40 were deployed throughout the administration.
As the transition team was formed at Trump’s home, Mar-a-Lago, the progress of people from Florida stands out. Senator Marco Rubio (53), whose district is Florida, was nominated as Secretary of State, and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (59) was nominated as Attorney General. White House Chief of Staff Suzy Wiles (67) and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz (50) also call Florida home. The entry of Fox News hosts who are friendly to Trump, such as Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary nominee Sean Duffy (53), a former member of the House of Representatives, is also mentioned as a feature.
[워싱턴=이민석 특파원]
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