President-elect Trump Introduces New Nominations
On Sunday evening, President-elect Donald Trump announced multiple nominations, revealing new individuals selected for his incoming administration. The appointees are expected to address various issues, including defense, technology, and budgeting.
- Donald Trump announced a series of new appointments for his administration.
- Stephen Alexander Vaden is nominated as deputy secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
- Stephen Feinberg is named for deputy secretary of defense.
- Elbridge “Bridge” Colby to serve as undersecretary of defense for policy.
Key Appointments and Their Roles
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump proceeded to introduce several experts for key positions within the White House. He started by naming Stephen Alexander Vaden as the nominee for deputy secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
“In my First Term, Stephen was the General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture, and a Member of the Board of the Commodity Credit Corporation, where he won two cases before the United States Supreme Court, relocated and reorganized the Agencies that comprise the Department to better serve Rural America, and engaged in substantial regulatory reform,” Trump stated.
Trump further added:
“Stephen joined the USDA on Day One of my First Term, and left in December 2020 after I nominated him, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him, to continue to serve the American People as an Article III Judge on the Court of International Trade. Judge Stephen Vaden resides in Union City, Tennessee, where he helps manage his family farm. Congratulations Stephen!”
Following Vaden, Trump introduced a “slate of America First Patriots” to collaborate with Pete Hegseth, his nominee for secretary of defense, formerly a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend.” Among these, Stephen Feinberg was appointed as the next deputy secretary of defense, with the mission to “Help Make the Pentagon Great Again.” Trump praised Feinberg as:
“An extremely successful businessman, Stephen is a Princeton graduate, who founded his company, Cerberus, in 1992. In addition to his leadership at Cerberus, from 2018 to January 2021, Stephen served as Chairman of my Intelligence Advisory Board.”
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The president-elect further announced Elbridge “Bridge” Colby as his choice for undersecretary of defense for policy. Colby, a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, was recognized by Trump as:
“A highly respected advocate for our America First foreign and defense policy, Bridge will work closely with my outstanding Secretary of Defense Nominee, Pete Hegseth, to restore our Military power, and achieve my policy of PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Trump stated.
In addition to defense appointments, Trump nominated Michael Duffey and Emil Michael for undersecretary roles in defense acquisition and research, respectively.
“Mike will drive change at the Pentagon and, as a staunch proponent of an America First approach to our National Defense, will work to revitalize our Defense Industrial Base, and rebuild our Military,” Trump remarked about Duffey.
Trump highlighted Emil Michael’s role as:
“Ensuring that our Military has the most technologically sophisticated weapons in the World, while saving A LOT of money for our Taxpayers.”
Further Appointments and Initiatives
In addition to defense and agriculture, Trump designated several tech-related roles. Michael J.K. Kratsios was named director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he will also serve as an assistant to the president. Kratsios, who holds a degree from Princeton University, previously held the position of undersecretary of defense for research and engineering at the Pentagon.
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The president-elect also nominated Dr. Lynne Parker as the executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Dr. Parker, who obtained her Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT, previously served as Deputy U.S. CTO.
Additional nominations included Bo Hines and Sriram Krishnan. Hines will assume the role of executive director of the Presidential Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, a “new advisory group composed of luminaries from the Crypto industry,” according to Trump. Krishnan will be a senior policy advisor for artificial intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
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Finally, Trump introduced Scott Kupor as his pick for director of the Office of Personnel Management. Kupor, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University, is a managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz.
“Scott will bring much needed reform to our federal workforce. Scott graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University, with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy,” Trump commented. “He also holds a Law degree, with distinction, from Stanford University. Congratulations Scott!”
Trump’s comprehensive list of nominations reflects his strategy to incorporate diverse expertise into his administration, spanning sectors from defense to technology and beyond.