President-elect Donald Trump continued his dizzying sprint to fill positions for his incoming administration.
Mr. Trump has already assembled much of his Cabinet, and on Tuesday he nominated half a dozen other roles, including director of the National Institutes of Health, Navy secretary and U.S. trade representative.
His latest round:
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya for NIH director
He’s a professor of health policy at Stanford University. He is perhaps best known for criticism of the nation’s COVID-19 response and co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, alongside another Trump choice, Marty Makary, that urged the rollback of shutdowns and promoted the theory of herd immunity to combat the spread of the virus. Dr. Bhattacharya will need to be confirmed by the GOP-led Senate to solidify his role.
John Phelan as Navy secretary
Mr. Phelan, who has never served in the military, founded Rugger Management, a private investment firm based in Florida, and was the managing partner of MSD Capital, a private equity firm. He was also a donor to Mr. Trump’s campaign. Mr. Phelan would oversee the operations of the Navy and Marine Corps, including recruitment, training and the construction and provisioning of vessels and installations. This is another post requiring Senate confirmation.
Jamieson Greer as U.S. trade representative
Mr. Greer, who served as chief of staff under Bob Lighthizer in the first Trump White House, will likely play a key role in imposing sweeping tariffs. He is an Air Force veteran and a partner at the law firm King & Spalding. This position is also subject to Senate confirmation.
Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council
Mr. Hassett served in Mr. Trump’s first administration as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, where he helped design and pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Mr. Hassett will look to extend those tax cuts, which are set to expire this year, and will likely work in concert with Mr. Greer to implement Mr. Trump’s tariff policy. Mr. Hassett currently works as an economist at Stanford University and is managing director of the California-based Milken Institute think tank. This is a position that doesn’t need Senate confirmation.
Jim O’Neill as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s No. 2 at the Department of Health and Human Services
Mr. O’Neill is a longtime associate of venture capitalist and Trump ally Peter Thiel and is a former CEO of the Thiel Foundation. His position must be confirmed by the Senate.
Vince Haley as director of the Domestic Policy Council
Mr. Haley served as a speechwriter during Mr. Trump’s first term and did the same during his campaign. This post doesn’t require Senate confirmation.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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