US President-elect Donald Trump has named as his candidate for attorney general, congressman Republican Matt Geitz, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
„Matt will end the weaponization of government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore Americans' severely eroded faith and trust in the Department of Justice,' Trump said in a statement, which the election of Geitz is announced, which will have to be confirmed by the Senate, where the Republicans have a majority.
According to members of Trump's inner circle, the attorney general is the most important member of the administration after Trump himself and is key to his plans to carry out mass deportations, pardon those involved in the January 6 riots and seek retribution against those who who have been chasing him for the last four years.
During his first term, Trump was angered by what he said were obstructionist actions by the Justice Department, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who allowed an investigation into alleged contacts between the Trump campaign in 2016 and Russia, as well as and Bill Barr, who publicly denied his false claims that his 2020 election loss was the result of fraud, Reuters notes.
Trump announced that he will appoint former member of the House of Representatives from the Democratic Party Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
„I know that Tulsi will bring to our intelligence community the fearless spirit that has defined her distinguished career by upholding our constitutional rights and bringing peace through force,” Trump said in a statement.
Forty-three-year-old Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022 and was considered one of Trump's possible vice-presidential candidates. She will replace Avril Haynes as the top US intelligence official after the Republican president-elect begins his second term in January.
She is not expected to face difficulties in confirming herself in the Senate, where from the beginning of next year Trump's supporters will have a majority of at least 52 to 48 votes, notes Reuters.
Earlier last night, Trump said he would choose Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who is a high-ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Intelligence Committee, as his secretary of state, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
„He will be a strong defender of our nation, a true friend to our allies, and a fearless warrior who will never back down from our adversaries,” Trump said in a statement.
Rubio's election should bring relief to US partners who fear the Trump administration could withdraw from the country's global network of alliances, including NATO, given its “America First” of Trump on foreign affairs, notes Reuters
Fifty-three-year-old Rubio is known as a “hawk” regarding China, an outspoken critic of the Communist government of Cuba and a staunch supporter of Israel. In the past, he has advocated a more aggressive US foreign policy toward America's geopolitical enemies, although his views have more recently aligned with Trump's.
Meanwhile, several surveys indicated that the Republican Party is gaining a majority in the lower house of the American Congress - the House of Representatives. A simultaneous forecast in this direction was given by the center for sociological studies "Edison Research" and the American television channels CNN and NBC, quoted by DPA, Reuters and BTA.
The prediction of "Edison Research" indicates that the congressmen from the Republican Party will be at least 218, which guarantees them a majority in the votes in the 435-seat House of Representatives of the US Congress, according to Reuters. "Edison Research" takes into account that there are still nine places where the counting of votes from the November 5 presidential election in the USA has not been completed.
The Republicans already have a majority in the upper house - the Senate, and today they chose John Thune as their leader there. GOP senators have secured at least 52 of the 48 seats against Democrats with one count remaining.
Trump's biggest achievement during his first term as President Trump has been the massive tax cuts, which expire next year. This legislation and the $1 trillion infrastructure investment law signed by Democrat President Joe Biden came into effect at a time when their parties controlled both houses of the US Congress, Reuters notes.
The agency also recalls that the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, was removed from office, and his fellow party member Mike Johnson took his place.