"This was the biggest surprise in a long time": the nomination of Matt Goetz for Attorney General and Attorney General of the United States surprised even representatives of the Republican Party. Who else is Trump preparing to govern with?
This news surprised even representatives of the Republican Party: "This was the biggest surprise in a long time,", Republican Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho told the Associated Press after it became clear that Trump had settled on the Republican Congressman Matt Goetz on his nomination for Attorney General and Secretary of Justice.
"The Hammer of Justice"
Matt Goetz has been one of Trump's most outspoken defenders in the criminal cases against him and already supported him in impeachment proceedings during his first term. As attorney general, he will play a central role - including in light of the future president's legal problems. Back in October, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance said that the attorney general's post would be the most important after the president's.
Born in 1982, Matt Goetz is one of Trump's most loyal vassals, writes the German public media ARD in connection with his nomination, recalling that the man who should now take over the Ministry of Justice once said that in in the name of pursuing a conservative course, he would even dissolve government institutions such as the Department of Justice.
"Now comes the hammer of justice", commented on the X platform Elon Musk, for whom it was previously clear that he will take the leadership of a specially created agency in which he will work to reduce government costs. For what other important positions are there already serious candidates? Here we list:
Fox News anchor as Secretary of Defense
Trump wants to make Pete Hegseth the Secretary of Defense of the United States, writes ARD. On Tuesday, the incoming president announced that Hegseth was a choice that would “put America's enemies on notice” that the military would be “great again and America would never settle for a secondary role”.
Hegsett has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as at Guantanamo Bay. After running unsuccessfully for Minnesota state senator in 2012, Hegseth joined the Fox News staff.
New CIA chief and new ambassador to Israel
John Ratcliffe, who is a former US intelligence coordinator, will be the new head of the CIA, Trump announced on Tuesday. In the words of the future president, Ratcliffe will be a “fearless fighter for the constitutional rights of all Americans, while ensuring the highest level of national security and peace through force”.
Trump wants to make former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee the US ambassador to Israel. “He loves Israel and Israelis, and they love him just as much. "He will fight tirelessly to achieve peace in the Middle East," Trump said. Huckabee is considered a staunch supporter of Israel. He is a former Baptist pastor who for years led group tours to Israel, which he advertised on his conservative websites. Huckabee's daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, served as White House press secretary from 2017 to 2019 in Trump's first term. She is now the governor of Arkansas.
Loyal people also in other important positions
Christy Noem, who has also been tapped as Trump's vice presidential running mate, is likely to head the US Department of Homeland Security. This is the structure responsible for implementing Trump's radical immigration policy plans. She is currently the governor of South Dakota.
Republican congressman Mike Walz is likely to take the post of national security adviser, writes ARD. Walz is a known advocate of a tough stance on China and has called for a rethink of US support for Ukraine in Russia's war of aggression against the country. The congressman from Florida has been supporting Trump for years and supports the future president's thesis that Europe should pay more for NATO.
Marco Rubio is nominated for Secretary of State
Meanwhile, Trump officially nominated Florida Senator Marco Rubio as the new US Secretary of State. Rubio is known for his tough stance on China and Iran, and in recent interviews he has been pushing for talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Other important appointments
Two other picks confirmed by Trump are Stephen Miller, who will be Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy, and Elise Stefanik, who will be the US ambassador to the United Nations.
Miller is a former adviser to Trump from his first term and has been instrumental in many of the president-elect's major policy decisions -- such as separating families at the Mexican border to keep migrants away from the U.S. border. Stefanik, on the other hand, worked in the administration of George W. Bush before being elected to the House of Representatives in 2014.