President-elect Donald Trump announced at least six more administration picks late Tuesday.
Trump made a pair of choices for health-related posts, namely the head of the National Institutes of Health and deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. For the former, Trump named Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of medicine at Stanford who opposed strict lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am honored and humbled by President @realDonaldTrump‘s nomination of me to be the next @NIH director,” Bhattacharya posted on X. “We will reform American scientific institutions so that they are worthy of trust again and will deploy the fruits of excellent science to make America healthy again!”
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For the latter, who will also work with vaccine skeptic and raw milk advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump named Jim O’Neill, a close associate of billionaire Peter Thiel who served as principal associate deputy secretary in the same department during the second Bush administration.
“I’m extremely honored to be nominated by @realDonaldTrump and excited to support @RobertKennedyJr and the great people of @HHSGov to make America healthy again,” O’Neill later posted.
O’Neill was also praised by Kennedy after the announcement: “Thank you @realDonaldTrump. With his rich experience in government and industry, Jim O’Neill is the perfect partner to help me restore HHS to its incorruptible scientific research and public health priorities,” he wrote.
Trump also selected one of his campaign speechwriters, Vince Haley, as director of the Domestic Policy Council. Haley, who worked in Trump’s first administration, has close ties to fellow speechwriter Stephen Miller, who has been brought on board as deputy chief of staff.
“Vince Haley is one of the most dedicated and honorable people I’ve met throughout this entire Trump journey,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung wrote in a congratulatory post on X. “There is nobody more qualified or more prepared to defend and advance @realDonaldTrump’s America First agenda than Vince. The man has some epic stories, too!”
Haley later took to X, for his first post on the social media site, to thank Trump and Elon Musk. “Very humbled by the trust placed in me by President Trump to lead the Domestic Policy Council, and thrilled to work with the all star Cabinet and White House team he is assembling. First post on X, but won’t be the last (thanks Elon!).”
Another council position, director of the White House National Economic Council, will go to Kevin Hassett, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers during Trump’s first term.
Trump’s choice for US Trade Representative is Jamieson Greer, who was chief of staff for that role in the Trump White House. During that time, Trump signed the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which he now wants to do away with through tariffs.
Lastly, Trump selected as Navy leader John Phelan, who has never served in the military but who donated to his campaign.
