On Tuesday evening, Donald Trump announced his selections for a series of positions in his administration. The appointments include his picks for deputy secretary of health and human services, US trade representative, and head of the National Economic Council, among others.
Trump named Jamieson Greer, an attorney who previously served under his former trade representative Robert Lighthizer, as the US trade representative. In his announcement, Trump said, “Jamieson played a key role during my first term in imposing tariffs on China and others to combat unfair trade practices, and replacing the failed NAFTA deal with USMCA, making it much better for American workers.”
If the Senate confirms him, Greer will be responsible for addressing the trade deficit and opening export markets globally, among other tasks, according to Trump.
Jim O’Neill will serve as deputy secretary of health and human services under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. O’Neill previously worked in the department under George W. Bush before moving to Silicon Valley, where he invested heavily in tech ventures alongside PayPal CEO Peter Thiel. Thiel, who advised Trump’s first administration, encouraged the president-elect to nominate O’Neill for a high-level health position.
O’Neill has been vocal in criticizing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In a 2014 speech, he argued that the FDA should approve drugs “after their sponsors have demonstrated safety, and let people start using them at their own risk,” adding that it should “prove efficacy after they’ve been legalized.”
Trump also nominated Stanford academic and physician Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya, a prominent critic of the US government’s Covid policies, published the Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020, which called for a return to normal life for those not vulnerable to the virus.
The declaration, which predated the availability of Covid-19 vaccines, promoted “herd immunity”—the idea that low-risk people should continue with normal life while building immunity through infection. Some members of Trump’s first administration, including Trump himself, embraced the idea, although the president mistakenly referred to it as “herd mentality” in his remarks about combating the virus.
Bhattacharya later sued the government, claiming it pressured social media platforms to censor his views. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration in that case.
“Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to a Gold Standard of Medical Research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America’s biggest health challenges, including our crisis of chronic illness and disease,” Trump wrote.
Trump also named Kevin Hassett, a Stanford economist who served as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers during Trump’s first term, to lead the National Economic Council. Trump praised Hassett, stating, “Kevin played a crucial role in helping me design and pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Together, we will renew and improve our record Tax Cuts and ensure fair trade with countries that have taken advantage of the United States in the past.”
Trump appointed Vince Haley, who helped lead the speechwriting department during his first term, as director of the Domestic Policy Council, which implements the administration’s agenda. Trump adviser and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller praised the appointment on social media, saying Haley’s “talent, devotion, determination, and deep philosophical commitment to the America First agenda is unmatched.”
Trump also named John Phelan, who co-founded MSD Capital to manage Michael Dell’s capital, as Navy secretary. Phelan and his wife hosted a private fundraising dinner for Trump at their $38 million home in Aspen, Colorado, in August.
