Written By John Solomon, Just The News
Some conservatives fretted that either former Cabinet member might send wrong message for second term.
President-elect Donald Trump is sending a strong message to the interventionist and neo-conservative wing of the GOP: there’s no room in his next Cabinet for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and ex-United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Trump made the proclamation in a post on his TruthSocial platform Saturday evening, ending any speculation that his two former Cabinet officers and occasional critics would make a return in 2025.
“I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation,” Trump wrote.
“I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he added.
Haley ran against Trump in the 2024 Republican primaries, and relentlessly attacked him. She then refused to quickly drop out when it was clear she was being trounced by the future president-elect. She endorsed Trump, but did not prominently campaign for him in the fall election.
Pompeo, who served as both the CIA Director and Secretary of State in Trump‘s first term, also endorsed Trump and appeared as a warm-up speaker as some of his rallies. But in 2023 he leveled some criticisms of Trump as he considered his own run for president, which he didn’t wage.
Many in MAGA world have been lobbying against both Pompeo and Haley as speculation swirled that one or both could be appointed to a second Trump Cabinet.
These “neocons have positioned themselves to get highly influential roles within the second Trump administration,” former Trump adviser Roger Stone wrote last week. “And this sinister fifth column has the potential to be more harmful to Trump’s America First agenda than his leftist opinion within the Democrat Party.”
Written By Just The News Staff
Trump calls on Senate Leadership candidates to ‘agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!)’
President-elect Donald Trump is sending a message to the senators seeking the position of Senate Majority Leader in the new Congress. He wants them to agree to “Recess Appointments (in the Senate!)” in order to get people he appoints to various posts started in their position while waiting to officially be confirmed.
He sent out the strong recommendation Sunday afternoon on X, formerly Twitter, which his new friend and ally Elon Musk now owns.
Trump tweeted:
“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner. Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY! Additionally, no Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU!”
Elon Musk was quick to tweet back that “This is essential. There is no other way.”
Written by Charlotte Hazard, Just The News
Trump selects Lee Zeldin to head the Environmental Protection Agency
“I am deeply honored to have been asked by President Trump to serve in his Cabinet,” Zeldin said in a statement to the New York Post.
President-elect Donald Trump has picked former New York Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin to be the head of the Environmental Protection Agency in his upcoming administration.
“I am deeply honored to have been asked by President Trump to serve in his Cabinet,” Zeldin said in a statement to the New York Post.
“As EPA Administrator, we will restore American energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, make the United States the global leader of Artificial Intelligence advancement, and slash the red tape holding back American workers from upward economic mobility,” the statement continued.
Zeldin represented Long Island in Congress for four terms before running for governor and losing to current Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“We will accomplish all this while conserving our environment, protecting access to clean air and water, and keeping the American people healthy,” Zeldin’s statement to the Post continued. “I look forward to contributing to President Trump’s agenda to build a more prosperous future for our nation.”
Trump has also announced New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as United Nations Ambassador and Tom Homan as the “border czar” for his second term.
“I have known Lee Zeldin for a long time, and have watched him handle, brilliantly, some extremely difficult and complex situations. I am very proud to have him in the Trump Administration, where he will quickly prove to be a great contributor!” Trump said in an emailed statement.