Trump makes flurry of choices including labor secretary and CDC chief

In a flurry of announcements late Friday evening, Donald Trump released his picks for some of the most important agency and advisory roles in the country, further revealing his preference for Fox News personalities and those that are loyal to him.

Treasury secretary

Trump named Scott Bessent to serve as his next treasury secretary. The role is one of the most powerful in Washington, with huge influence over America’s economy and financial markets.

Bessent, a longtime hedge-fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, has advocated for tax reform and deregulation, particularly to spur more bank lending and energy production. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting US national debt.

If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary.

Office of Management and Budget

Trump tapped Russ Vought to lead Office of Management and Budget, a powerful agency that helps decide the president’s policy priorities and how to pay for them.

Vought, was OMB chief during Trump’s previous term in office, and would again play a major role in setting budget priorities.

Since Trump left office, Vought has been deeply involved in Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term.

Trump praised Vought as a “cost-cutter” in a statement after nominating him for the OMB. “He did an excellent job serving in this role in my First Term – We cut four Regulations for every new Regulation, and it was a Great Success!” he wrote on Truth Social.

Deputy assistant to the president

Trump is also bringing back Sebastian Gorka, a former Breitbart writer and longtime rightwing Maga supporter with questionable credentials who was let go from the White House in 2017.

Gorka served as deputy assistant to the president, advising Trump on national security. But his responsibilities were vague. He frequently appeared as a surrogate for Trump on cable news, where he appeared to enjoy stirring controversy during his months-long tenure.

Trump named Gorka to serve as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism in his second administration.

Labor secretary

In a surprise choice as his nominee for labor secretary, Trump named Oregon Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who narrowly lost her bid to re-election to the House of Representatives on 5 November.

If confirmed by the Senate, Chavez-DeRemer would oversee the labor department’s workforce and its budget, and would put forth priorities that affect workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities.

Chavez-DeRemer had strong backing from union members in her district. She was one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or Pro Act, which would have strengthened workers’ right to organize.

Surgeon general

Dr Janette Nesheiwat is Trump’s pick for surgeon general. Nesheiwat is a double board-certified medical doctor, a regular Fox News contributor and the author of Beyond the Stethoscope: Miracles in Medicine.

Deputy national security adviser

Former state department official Alex Wong will serve as deputy national security adviser, Trump said on Friday. Wong served as deputy special representative for North Korea during Trump’s first administration.

Food and Drug Administration

Trump also said he would nominate Johns Hopkins surgeon and writer Marty Makary to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the world’s most influential drug regulator. The agency is responsible for approving new treatments and ensuring they are safe and effective. It has regulatory authority over human and veterinary drugs, biological medicines, medical devices and vaccines.

It’s also responsible for maintaining safety standards for the food supply, tobacco, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.

In interviews promoting his latest book, Makary spoke against what he called “massive over-treatment” in the US that he called “an epidemic of inappropriate care”.

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Trump announced Scott Turner as his pick to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Trump announced Dave Weldon, a former congressman and a medical doctor, as his choice for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a sweeping agency with a $17.3bn budget used as a public health model around the world.

Weldon served in the US House of Representatives representing Florida’s 15th district from 1995 to 2009. He did not seek re-election in 2008.

The CDC director reports to the health secretary, a role for which Trump has selected Robert F Kennedy Jr. Unlike past appointments, the CDC director post will require Senate confirmation starting in 2025 due to a provision in the recent omnibus budget.