On November 19, President-elect Donald Trump appointed billionaire former professional wrestling company owner Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education.
Mr Trump also picked Dr Mehmet Oz — a former television talk show host and heart surgeon — to head the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of elderly, poor and disabled Americans.
The US president-elect also appointed Wall Street executive Howard Lutnick to head the Commerce Department.
Ms. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Mr. Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2019 and ran unsuccessfully for the Senate twice as a Republican in Connecticut. Ms. McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for one year, starting in 2009, and has served for several years on the board of trustees of Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
Dr. Mehmet Oz failed in his 2022 bid to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate. He was an outspoken Trump supporter and in recent days expressed support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. If confirmed by the Senate, Oz would be responsible for Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare).
Meanwhile, Howard Lutnick, a cryptocurrency advocate and head of investment banking and brokerage firm Cantor Fitzgerald, will play a key role in implementing Trump’s tax plans and strengthening tax policies as Commerce Secretary.
Mr Lutnick is co-chair of Mr Trump’s transition team, along with Ms Linda McMahon. Both are tasked with recommending candidates for key positions in Mr Trump’s next administration.
The nomination would put Mr. Lutnick in charge of a key Cabinet agency involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It’s also a position where connecting with CEOs and the business community is crucial.
According to AP, Mr. Lutnick was once considered for the position of US Treasury Secretary.
Mr. Lutnick joined Cantor Fitzgerald in 1983 and was appointed chairman and chief executive officer in 1991. He is also chairman of financial technology company BGC Group and commercial real estate services company Newmark Group.
