Trump chooses many hardliners for the White House?

President-elect Trump has chosen former Congressman Lee Zeldin as Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the upcoming term, according to The Guardian on November 12.

Lee Zeildin speaks at a Trump campaign event in January in New Hampshire.

Mr. Zeldin served as a congressman from New York until 2023. Mr. Trump described Mr. Zeldin as a “true warrior” for his America First policies. The president-elect believes that the official will make fair and swift deregulation decisions that allow American businesses to thrive while maintaining the highest environmental standards, including clean air and water.

Mr. Zeldin is said to have little experience in the environmental field but is a longtime supporter of Mr. Trump. The 44-year-old former congressman expressed his honor at being nominated and pledged to restore America's leading position in energy, revive the auto industry to bring jobs back to the US, and make the US a world leader in artificial intelligence (AI). "We will do this while protecting access to clean water and clean air," Mr. Zeldin wrote on X.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that Mr. Trump has chosen Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, but may change his mind at the last minute.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Rubio at the November 4 campaign in North Carolina

Mr. Rubio is the most hard-line figure on Mr. Trump's list of potential choices, alongside Senator Bill Hagerty and former national security adviser Robert O'Brien, according to Reuters.

Mr. Rubio ran unsuccessfully for president in 2016. Over the years, he has advocated a strong foreign policy toward America's geopolitical rivals such as China, Iran and Cuba.

Trump's hardline adviser returns?

On the same day, CNN and other American media reported that Mr. Stephen Miller was about to return to the White House as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy.

Stephen Miller is expected to return to the White House in a larger role.

Mr. Miller was a senior adviser and the architect of Trump’s hardline immigration policies during his first term. Mr. Miller is also said to have proposed a plan to deport undocumented immigrants in the US. He once said that in his second term, the Trump administration would increase the number of deportations 10-fold, to more than 1 million people per year.

Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt declined to comment on CNN's report, saying she would make an announcement when a decision was made. However, Vice President-elect JD Vance tweeted his congratulations to Miller on X, calling it another impressive pick by the president-elect.

In addition, the US media also reported that Mr. Trump has chosen Congressman Mike Waltz from Florida as national security advisor. This is an extremely influential position but does not require Senate approval.

Congressman Mike Waltz

Mr. Waltz served as defense policy director for Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018. He is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Acquisition and is also a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Waltz, a former US Army colonel and the first Green Beret to become a congressman, is known for his hawkish stance on China. He is a member of the Republican China Task Force and has argued that the US military is not prepared enough for a potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

In a book published this year, Mr. Waltz presented a five-part strategy to prevent war with China, including arming Taiwan more quickly, recommitting to allies in the Pacific and modernizing aircraft and warships.

On the other hand, Mr. Trump confirmed the appointment of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as the US Ambassador to the United Nations for a second term. "She will be a great Ambassador to the United Nations, bringing peace through strength and America First national security policies," the president-elect said.

Mrs. Elise Stefanik

Ms. Stefanik (40 years old) was elected to the House of Representatives in 2014 and became the third highest-ranking Republican official in the legislature in 2021, replacing Ms. Liz Cheney, who was ousted for criticizing Mr. Trump.

Previously, Mr. Trump officially confirmed his selection of Mr. Tom Homan, who was the acting director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as the senior official in charge of border issues under the Trump 2.0 administration. In his new role, Mr. Homan will be responsible for managing the southern, northern, coastal and air borders of the US.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-trump-chon-nhieu-nhan-vat-cung-ran-vao-nha-trang-185241112090932754.htm