Donald Trump chooses loyalists to form his future government

(Washington) Donald Trump is progressing in the formation of his future administration, appointing loyalists to key positions and demanding that they can assume their functions by avoiding a laborious confirmation process in the Senate.

The 78-year-old Republican chose Elise Stefanik, a 40-year-old New York state representative, for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

“Elise is a fighter for America first, incredibly strong, tenacious and intelligent,” explained the man who is preparing to return to the White House in January.

Elected to Congress in 2014 at just 30 years old, Elise Stefanik has gradually established herself among Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters.

She made national headlines for her impetuous defense of the president during his first impeachment proceedings in 2019, then refused to certify the presidential election won in 2020 by Joe Biden.

More recently, in December 2023, she was the protagonist of a sequence that went viral on social networks, where we see her questioning in an extremely tense manner Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard University, about pro-Palestinian slogans heard on campus. M^me Gay then resigned.

Elise Stefanik accused the UN in mid-October of “languishing in anti-Semitism”.

Strong support from Israel

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, congratulated Mr.^me Stefanik. “At a time when hatred and lies fill the halls of the United Nations, your resolute moral clarity is needed more than ever,” he wrote.

In American political life, the post of United States Ambassador to the United Nations often serves as a springboard towards higher functions, as evidenced by the careers of Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State under Bill Clinton, Susan Rice, advisor in National Security under Barack Obama, or even George Bush Sr., who became president.

Donald Trump also announced that he would entrust the burning issue of immigration control at the borders to Thomas Homan, a hard-liner. Mr. Homan will be responsible for implementing the candidate’s promise to carry out the largest expulsion of irregular migrants in the history of the United States.

Another “hawk,” Florida Senator Michael Waltz, will be named to the crucial post of national security adviser, the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal Monday.

A veteran of the special forces, Mr. Waltz is known for his criticism of China.

Deregulate

The president-elect also appointed Lee Zeldin, another close friend of his, to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“He will ensure rapid and fair deregulation decisions are made that will boost the strength of American businesses, while maintaining the highest environmental standards,” explained the future Republican president.

Mr. Zeldin is also a former New York State Representative. “We will restore America’s energy leadership, revitalize our auto industry to bring back jobs to Americans, and make the United States the world leader in artificial intelligence. This while preserving access to clean water and air,” wrote the elected official on X.

The winner of the presidential election should finally appoint Stephen Miller as deputy director of his office, one of his close advisors since the time of his first successful campaign for the White House.

Bypass the Senate

Donald Trump has demonstrated his desire to bypass the laborious confirmation processes, by senators, of the people he appoints, despite the fact that the Republicans have regained control of the upper house of Congress.

To do this, he plans to use a clause that allows the president to make temporary appointments when the Senate is not in session.

“Any Republican senator interested in the coveted position of Majority Leader of the United States Senate must agree with [cette clause]without which we will not be able to have people confirmed on time,” wrote Mr. Trump, who will be received at the White House on Wednesday by Joe Biden.

The 45^e and soon 47^e American president made his first major appointment on Thursday by choosing a woman, Susie Wiles, to head his cabinet.

M^me Wiles was the architect of the Republican’s successful election campaign, which won 312 voters to Kamala Harris’s 226, and appears on track to capture a majority of the popular vote.

After regaining control of the Senate, the Republicans are also favorites to win the House of Representatives by a narrow margin, but in certain constituencies, notably in California, the count has still not been completed.