Politics

Five takeaways from the testy U.S. Senate debate between Schiff and Garvey

Published

2 months ago

October 8, 2024

Five takeaways from the testy U.S. Senate debate between Schiff and Garvey

The only head-to-head debate in California’s high-stakes U.S. Senate race between Rep. Adam B. Schiff and former Dodger Steve Garvey was dominated Tuesday by contentious exchanges on a host of national political issues — from immigration to the economy, expanding conflict in the Middle East, reproductive healthcare and global warming.

The sharpest exchanges, however, related to the two candidates’ vastly different stances on former President Trump.

Schiff, a Burbank Democrat with more than 20 years of experience in the House and a commanding lead in the polls, cast Garvey as an inexperienced Trump backer who would push conservative rather than Californian values in Washington.

Californians, Schiff quipped, are “not looking for some MAGA mini-me in a baseball uniform.”

Garvey, a Palm Desert Republican with no political experience but high name recognition from his days as a Major League Baseball star, suggested Schiff was too caught up in party politics and his vendetta against Trump to focus on the issues most important to California voters.

“How can you think about one man every day and focus on that when you’ve got millions of people in California to take care of?” Garvey said. “I think it’s unconscionable.”

The debate was testy from the start. When Schiff in his first remarks accused Garvey of turning a blind eye to the worst impulses of Trump — who Schiff said wants to “be a dictator on Day One” — Garvey replied, borrowing a famous Ronald Reagan line used in a 1980 presidential debate, “There you go again.”

During a separate exchange on immigration, in which Schiff accused Garvey of supporting Trump’s plan for mass deportations, Garvey said, “One of the two of us is honest and straightforward.”

“I would agree with that,” Schiff shot back.

The debate offered a final chance for the two candidates to square off in public before voters decide between them in the November election. Californians will be asked to vote twice in the Senate race: First, to choose Schiff or Garvey to serve out the remainder of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s final term, which ends in early January, and, separately, who should serve a subsequent six-year Senate term.

Tuesday’s debate was the first since Garvey and Schiff won the two highest totals of votes in a more crowded primary field, in which Schiff bested Democratic rivals Reps. Katie Porter of Irvine and Barbara Lee of Oakland. Polls show Schiff with a substantial lead over Garvey.

Trump loomed over immigration debate

Moderators of the fast-paced, hour-long debate — hosted by KABC-TV in partnership with Univision and the League of Women Voters — asked Schiff and Garvey multiple questions about immigration and border security.

Schiff said the country needs to “get control of the border” with more personnel and technology to interdict people and drugs. But it also needs a “comprehensive immigration policy” that treats people humanely and provides relief for farmworkers and undocumented people who arrived in the U.S. as children.

And he blasted Garvey for backing Trump, saying Trump’s plan is for mass deportations that will devastate the country and immigrant communities.

“You’re voting for mass deportations when you say you’re for Donald Trump,” Schiff said.

Garvey said his campaign has focused heavily on Latino communities. He also said border security needs to be greatly enhanced. He said Schiff, alongside President Biden, had created an “existential crisis” by backing an “open border.”

“What we have to do is secure the border. We have to finish off the wall. We have to reinstate ‘remain in Mexico,’” Garvey said. “We have to reinforce our border patrol. We have to get back to building facilities at the border that will detain these illegal immigrants, then a judicial system that will will try them.”

A record number of people have been stopped at the U.S.-Mexico border during the Biden-Harris administration, and Republicans across the country — including Garvey — are pushing to make border security a campaign liability for Democrats.

“A lot of Americans are concerned about immigration,” said Mindy Romero, the founder of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC. “The reason why Republicans are talking about it so much is because it works.”

While Garvey’s chances of winning the Senate race are low given how deeply blue California voters are overall, Romero said, he is still the highest-ranking Republican on the ballot after Trump — and what Garvey says about immigration could still matter for Republicans.

“In California, we’re not a monolith and we’re not all in sync on this issue,” Romero said. “What Garvey says and does could help motivate and mobilize Republicans.”

Garvey struggled to state a clear position on abortion

The moderators sought, without success, to bring clarity to Garvey’s position on abortion rights.

He has said that he personally opposes abortion and would not support a federal ban on abortion.

“I am a Catholic,” Garvey said Tuesday night. “I believe in life at conception. I believe that God breathes a soul into these fetuses. So I am steadfast in terms of my policies on abortion, and also pledge to support all the people of California.”

But Garvey also pledged to “support the voice of Californians.” He said he supported the amendment enshrining a right to abortion in the state Constitution that two-thirds of Golden State voters supported in 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

If Garvey is “listening to the voices of Californians like he claims, he would hear their voices loud and clear,” Schiff said. “Californians want a national right to reproductive freedom and they don’t want the government in the business of making that decision for women.”

Schiff has been a longtime vocal advocate for access to abortion services, and said Tuesday that he supports establishing a national right to abortion access.

A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll in early August, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, found that more than half of likely California voters surveyed — 52% — said electing someone who “would be a strong voice in defending abortion rights in the Senate” was very important to them.

Differences on government’s role on the economy

The differences in how Schiff and Garvey see the role of government was fully on display when they were pressed on how to address the rising cost of goods and housing.

“We’re much worse off than we were four years ago,” Garvey said. He said he supported more free-market policies, and knocked Schiff for what he described as “Schiff-flation.”

Housing is a local issue and more federal regulation could lead to the government being “overinvolved,” Garvey said.

Asked how he would help renters, he said he’d do so by getting the U.S. economy “roaring again.”

Schiff said he would support more direct federal spending on housing, and as well as an expansion of Section 8 vouchers, a government subsidy that enables eligible tenants to find housing with private landlords. He also proposed a “renter’s tax credit,” akin to the tax deduction that allows homeowners to write off their mortgage interest payments.

Garvey said he would support tariffs on imported goods shipped by “a company that threatens the success of an American company.” But, he said, he would prefer to see lower domestic taxes to foster more small businesses and reduce the need to import foreign goods.

Schiff said he doesn’t support Trump’s “across-the-board tariffs,” which he said would lead to higher prices for consumers. He said he would support “targeted tariffs” when China dumps cheap goods into the country “to try to drive American businesses out of business.”

Feinstein’s legacy stirs debate

Throughout the debate, the political specter of the woman whose seat Schiff and Garvey are vying for loomed large.

Right out of the gate, KABC anchor and moderator Marc Brown brought up Feinstein having authored an assault weapons ban in 1994, and asked Garvey whether he would take any action on guns were he elected.

“I believe in the Constitution, I believe in the Second Amendment. I believe it will never be overturned, nor should we attempt to overturn that,” Garvey said. “I do have sympathy for all of those who may have been victims of shootings, but I think that the most important thing is a stringent background check that goes much deeper than it is today, in order to to preserve the integrity of the Second Amendment and to be able to provide for people to defend themselves.”

Schiff said Californians need leaders like Feinstein who are willing to “stand up to” the National Rifle Assn.

“I would support an assault weapons ban. I would support extended and universal background checks. I would support a ban on extended ammunition clips and my own bill, which would strip away the NRA’s immunity from liability,” Schiff said. “Mr. Garvey was asked just a couple weeks ago if he would support any gun control measure, and his answer was unequivocal, no, that is not what Californians are looking for. Californians want a leader like Dianne Feinstein, who will stand up to the NRA.”

Later in the debate, Feinstein came up again, on the issue of environmental regulations — and whether Schiff would ease water restrictions on farmers.

Schiff said he would not “support eviscerating” regulations, but would do what Sen. Feinstein did, which is “look for those opportunities where we can have a win, both for our farms, our cities and our environment.”

Garvey said environmentalists in the state need to work with farmers, and that he is a “consensus builder” who can help make that happen. He called water the “platinum issue in California,” and one Schiff doesn’t know how to fix.

Schiff would later evoke Feinstein’s name on the economy, saying he realizes many in California are struggling financially and that he will work with “community leaders and stakeholders in every part of this Golden State” in “Feinstein’s model.”

“Mr. Schiff, you’re no Dianne Feinstein,” Garvey said. “I remember when this state was the heartbeat of America, and now it’s just a murmur.”

Schiff, in response, said Feinstein was a friend of his, and would never “pretend to be the equal” of hers, because she was a “giant.” But he suggested he is far more similar to Feinstein than Garvey.

“While Mr. Garvey was signing baseballs for the last 37 years, I was seeing presidents of both parties and governors of both parties sign my bills into law,” Schiff said.

Back to Trump

After the debate, in small gaggles with reporters, both Schiff and Garvey came back to another politician not in the room: Trump.

Schiff said it was clear from the debate that Garvey is “for Trump” and his agenda.

“He’s for states being able to ban abortion. He’s against any form of gun safety legislation. He’s for opening up the oil spigots. These are views right out of Project 2025 and Trump, but they are not in sync in California,” Schiff said.

Garvey said he felt he had been unfairly tied to Trump.

“People know that we’re two entirely different people,” he said.

He said Schiff’s attempt to “paint me far-right” wouldn’t stand up, because “people know I’m conservatively moderate.”

Garvey declined to say whether he would vote for Trump in November, but confirmed that he voted for Trump for a third time in this year’s primary.

Politics

Fred Harris, former Democratic senator from Oklahoma and presidential candidate, dies at 94

Published

3 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Fred Harris, former Democratic senator from Oklahoma and presidential candidate, dies at 94

Fred Harris, a self-described populist Democrat from Oklahoma who served eight years in the U.S. Senate before an unsuccessful campaign for president in 1976, has died. He was 94.

Harris’ wife, Margaret Elliston, confirmed his death to the Associated Press in a text message on Saturday, writing: “Fred Harris passed peacefully early this morning of natural causes. He was 94. He was a wonderful and beloved man. His memory is a blessing.”

Harris, who was living in New Mexico, died in a hospital in Albuquerque, Elliston told The New York Times.

Harris first served for eight years in the Oklahoma State Senate after winning election in 1956. He then launched his career in national politics in 1964 when he won a Senate race to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Robert S. Kerr, who died in January 1963.

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Sen. Fred R. Harris, D-Okla., holds a copy of the report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders as he and two other members of the commission discuss the study on the television-radio program “Issues and Answers,” in Washington, March 3, 1968. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty, File)

“I’ve always called myself a populist or progressive,” Harris said in a 1998 interview. “I’m against concentrated power. I don’t like the power of money in politics. I think we ought to have programs for the middle class and working class.”

As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, the so-called Kerner Commission, appointed by then-President Lyndon Johnson to investigate the urban riots of the late 1960s.

Sen. Fred Harris of Oklahoma served in the U.S. Senate for eight years. (AP Photo, File)

The commission released its report in 1968, declaring, “our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal.”

Thirty years later, Harris co-wrote a report that concluded the commission’s “prophecy has come to pass,” stating that “the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and minorities are suffering disproportionately.”

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In 1976, Harris ran a failed bid to earn the Democratic presidential nomination, bowing out of the race after poor showings in early contests. The more moderate Jimmy Carter went on to win the presidency.

Harris moved to New Mexico that year and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. He wrote and edited more than a dozen books, mostly on politics and Congress. In 1999, he broadened his writings with a mystery set in Depression-era Oklahoma.

Former Oklahoma Sen. Fred Harris stands outside his Corrales, N.M., home, Friday, July 23, 2004. Harris died Saturday at a hospital in Albuquerque, his wife said. He was 94. (AP Photo/Jake Schoellkopf, File)

Harris was born Nov. 13, 1930, in a two-room farmhouse near Walters, in southwestern Oklahoma. The home had no electricity, indoor toilet or running water. He worked on the farm starting at age 5, driving a horse in circles to supply a hay bailer with power – earning 10 cents a day.

He later worked part-time as a janitor and printer’s assistant to help pay for his education at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a law degree in 1954. He practiced law in Lawton before beginning his career in politics.

Harris married his high school sweetheart, LaDonna Vita Crawford, in 1949, and had three children, Kathryn, Byron and Laura. After the couple divorced, Harris married Margaret Elliston in 1983.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Politics

Commentary: Donald Trump has a chance to become a true education president

Published

3 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Commentary: Donald Trump has a chance to become a true education president

Donald Trump had the right idea about education during his first administration: Judge potential employees by their skills and experience, not their degrees. Open up a world of bright futures to people who don’t have a bachelor’s degree but crave training and work hard.

In fact, aside from starting up Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, Trump’s most worthwhile official act was probably signing the rule that federal jobs should not require a bachelor’s degree unless it’s really needed.

Trump and other Republicans saw that the education vision President Obama had pushed — consisting of a vague Common Core public school curriculum followed by “college for all” — had alienated working-class Americans. Well-paid manufacturing jobs had all but disappeared, and people were looking for a new middle-class future.

The growth of tech indicated to Obama’s education advisors that success would depend on a university education, preferably in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields. But that wasn’t a message that many working-class people wanted to hear. It struck them as an elitist judgment that they’re nothing without a four-year degree.

Obama was right to some extent: The greatest growth in well-paid jobs will be among those that require a college degree. But Trump was right too: 45% of those holding a bachelor’s are underemployed even a decade after they graduate, working in jobs that don’t require a degree, and 28% of people with a two-year associate’s degree earn more than the average four-year-college graduate. More than a third of college students, meanwhile, don’t complete a degree within six years, and almost none of those students ever finish their education.

The problem is that high schools have become so college-focused that students who don’t plan on higher education usually get little to no guidance on what careers they might consider, according to a recent Gallup poll. There is a wide and rapidly expanding variety of possibilities.

So although Trump’s opening of federal jobs to more people without degrees was a start, schools can do far more to prepare young people to be both citizens and members of the workforce. That would be a far more productive path for Trump to take on education during his second administration than the issues he’s been batting around lately — especially because he will have some trouble realizing his ambitions even with a compliant Congress.

Shutting the U.S. Education Department, as the president-elect has threatened to do, would require congressional approval, and eliminating a Cabinet-level agency would be tough to get past even some Republican lawmakers. Its responsibilities could be returned to the Interior Department — where they originated before the Education Department was created, in 1979 — but what would be the point? The laws requiring equal treatment of girls and women in education would still have to be administered; college financial aid applications would still have to be processed; Pell Grants and student loans would still have to be overseen. No matter where the necessary personnel are placed, the work would need to be done.

Even as Trump vows to get the federal government out of the schools — though really, now that the No Child Left Behind Act is dead and gone, the Education Department does little to interfere with public education — he wants to meddle more by pulling funding from any schools that teach about LGBTQ+ issues or “critical race theory.” While these subjects make for provocative talking points, they’re not a major part of learning in most districts. These are decisions to be made at the state and local levels, and voters who don’t like what their school board decides can throw its members out at the next election. They very rarely do so.

Another pillar of Trump’s platform, school choice, appears to be facing public resistance. All three statewide votes on the subject this fall went against choice, two of them in conservative states. Nebraska voters overturned an earlier state decision to spend taxpayer dollars to enable parents to send their children to private schools. Parents rely on and support their local schools more than elected Republicans might understand.

Trump tends to favor disruption over constructive policymaking, but he has already made non-college pathways a signature education statement, and the idea has become popular with both parties. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of that. His administration could use corporate tax credits and public-private partnerships to help create apprenticeships, landing young people in white-collar jobs with a future, as Switzerland has done for years. Instead of deconstructing education, his education appointees could rebuild it through more relevant and exciting curricula with practical applications.

The president-elect’s pick for Education secretary, former pro wrestling executive Linda McMahon, has so far remained quiet about her priorities, though vouchers are likely to be among them. But just before her appointment was announced, she praised Switzerland’s system of white-collar apprenticeships for high school students, which lead to executive and professional jobs. I’ve long thought the United States should emulate the model; a small but very successful program in Denver does so.

Both Presidents George W. Bush and Obama saw education as an important part of their administrations but stumbled on the issue because of sometimes harsh and unrealistic policies. No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top ultimately did very little to improve learning, excite students or close achievement gaps. Trump has a chance to build on what he has already said he believes and become a true education president.

Politics

Trump administration takes shape: President-elect completes top 15 Cabinet picks

Published

11 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Trump administration takes shape: President-elect completes top 15 Cabinet picks

President-elect Trump has rounded out his picks for the top 15 positions within his Cabinet, handpicking an array of establishment and unconventional officials for top posts in just three weeks.

Trump has moved at a rapid pace to shape his upcoming administration, which stands in contrast to his first run at the presidency in 2016.

The president-elect’s picks have diverse ideologies united under Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

From Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s pro-choice stance to Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s pro-union stance and former George Soros adviser Scott Bessent, Trump’s Cabinet reflects a new era for Republican presidents.

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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. waves to the crowd at a campaign rally for former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

1. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – Secretary of Health and Human Services

Kennedy, a former Democrat, has been open about his pro-choice stance, much to the chagrin of conservative Republicans.

The former presidential candidate shared a video on social media this summer, writing in a post, “I support the emerging consensus that abortion should be unrestricted up until a certain point.”

He suggested that this limit should be “when the baby is viable outside the womb.” Viability is understood to occur around 24 weeks gestation.

Kennedy will likely be asked in his upcoming hearing the extent of his pro-choice stance. Several Republicans are wary of Trump’s pick for HHS, while others expressed confidence he would act in line with the administration.

“I would fully expect any of Trump’s nominees to be pro-life, as is President Trump,” Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “It does need to be addressed.”

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“I believe what he’s going to do is do the right thing,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said of Kennedy.

Trump’s softening stance toward abortion was a notable point during his campaign. Trump has said he would leave abortion to the states after of Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Trump notably opposes a federal abortion ban but has remained opposed to late-term abortions. In July, the Republican Party abandoned its long-standing position of advocating for abortions.

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., participates in a House Transportation Committee hearing June 27. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

2. Lori Chavez-DeRemer – Labor Secretary

Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination received strong support from unions, which once stood at odds with Republican ideology.

The president-elect lauded her for working “tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America.”

“I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand Training and Apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our Manufacturing jobs,” Trump said in an Friday announcement.

During her short stint as a House Republican, Chavez-DeRemer championed labor rights. She co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which increased penalties for employers who break labor law and makes it easier to unionize. She also co-sponsored the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which would expand the powers of public sector unions.

Her candidacy for the post was backed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, whose president thanked Trump for the pro-labor pick.

“North America’s strongest union is ready to work with you every step of the way to expand good union jobs and rebuild our nation’s middle class,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien wrote on X. “Let’s get to work!”

Similarly, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler praised Chavez-DeRemer for having “built a pro-labor record in Congress.”

“But Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States — not Rep. Chavez-DeRemer — and it remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda,” Shuler said.

Scott Bessent, founder and CEO of Key Square Group LP, at an interview during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee July 16. (Vincent Alban/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

3. Scott Bessent – Treasury Secretary

President-elect Trump nominated Bessent as his top economic official to implement “Trumponomics.”

Bessent made a name for himself at Soros Capital Management, where he worked as chief investment officer from 2011 to 2015. Following his work with Soros, he founded hedge fund Key Square Capital Management and was a key economic policy adviser and fundraiser for the Trump campaign.

He has been an advocate for economic policies like lower taxes, spending restraint and deregulation that have long made up the core of the Republican Party’s platform and has been supportive of Trump’s use of tariffs in trade negotiations.

In a statement, Consumer Bankers Association President and CEO Lindsey Johnson congratulated Bessent on the nomination.

“As an experienced and accomplished businessman, we applaud Mr. Bessent’s recent comments in which he has called for a surge in small business optimism, a smart deregulatory banking agenda and support for Main Street,” Johnson said.

“If confirmed, we look forward to working with Mr. Bessent to advocate for sound financial regulatory policy that enable banks to better support consumers, small businesses and the economy at large.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

4. Marco Rubio – Secretary of State

As America’s top diplomat, Rubio was plucked from his Senate term in Florida to serve in Trump’s upcoming administration.

Rubio, a former critic of Trump, has supported strong relations with foreign alliances, including NATO, advocating for a robust U.S. presence in the world. He has also publicly supported Israel’s war against Hamas and spoken out against continued aid to Ukraine.

“It is my Great Honor to announce that Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The United States Secretary of State. Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.”

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In a statement, Rubio, 53, said he was “honored” by the trust Trump “has placed in me.”

“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda,” Rubio wrote on X. “Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else.”

WATCH:

5. Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defense

A combat veteran and former Fox News host, Hegseth was picked as the senior executive in the Department of Defense, which oversees the U.S. military and Pentagon.

Hegseth, who served as an Army infantryman in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the Minnesota National Guard, has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s national security approach.

Hegseth has been under increased scrutiny after former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s decision to drop out following sexual misconduct allegations. Hegseth is also facing sexual misconduct allegations from a 2017 encounter. Scrutiny increased late Wednesday night after police in Monterey, California, released a report about the allegations.

“The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday. Through his attorney, he has also acknowledged the sexual encounter but has said it was consensual.

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Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi addresses the Republican National Convention in 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

6. Pam Bondi – Attorney General

Following Gaetz’s removal from consideration for the nation’s top cop, Trump chose Bondi as his attorney general pick.

Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, was named by Trump hours after Gaetz withdrew. Bondi is a longtime Trump supporter who served on his legal team during his impeachment trial.

“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump wrote in his announcement. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.

“I have known Pam for many years – She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”

WATCH:

7. Doug Burgum – Secretary of the Interior

North Dakota Gov. Burgum, a staunch advocate of expanded fossil fuel production, was picked as Trump’s secretary of the interior. Trump also named him to the newly created “energy czar” position.

Burgum has been an ally of Trump since he suspended his own presidential campaign. Burgum made energy and natural resources a key part of his campaign for the GOP nomination.

The president-elect said in a statement the newly formed National Energy Council “will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation.”

Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of AFPI, during the America First Policy Institute’s America First Agenda Summit in 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

8. Brooke Rollins – Agriculture Secretary

Rollins, who grew up on a farm in Glen Rose, Texas, was a surprise pick for the position. Others, including former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., were floated as top contenders.

Rollins served as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration. Since her time in the Trump White House, Rollins co-founded the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute think tank.

“A proud Graduate of Texas A&M University, Brooke earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Agriculture Development, and J.D., with Honors,” the announcement said. “From her upbringing in the small and Agriculture-centered town of Glen Rose, Texas, to her years of leadership involvement with Future Farmers of America and 4H, to her generational Family Farming background, to guiding her four kids in their show cattle careers, Brooke has a practitioner’s experience, along with deep Policy credentials in both Nonprofit and Government leadership at the State and National levels.”

Howard Lutnick, chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and co-chair of the Trump 2024 Transition Team, speaks during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York Oct. 17. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

9. Howard Lutnick – Commerce Secretary

Lutnick, 63, has served as the co-chair of Trump’s transition team and was a key fundraiser for Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns.

“I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce,” Trump said in a statement. “He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative.”

The Commerce Department plays a key role in regulating international trade with the U.S. as well as promoting economic growth domestically.

There are several notable bureaus within the Commerce Department, including the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Industry and Security, which work on issues related to national security and sensitive technologies by enforcing export controls and promoting the health of the U.S. defense industrial base.

Scott Turner at the America First Policy Institute’s America First Agenda summit in Washington, D.C., in 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

10. Scott Turner – Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Turner, 52, Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a former NFL player.

He served in Trump’s first administration as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.

“Scott is an NFL Veteran, who, during my First Term, served as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities,” Trump said in a statement Friday.

WATCH:

11. Sean Duffy – Secretary of Transportation

Duffy is a former Wisconsin congressman and former Fox News contributor and FOX Business co-host.

“Sean has been a tremendous and well-liked public servant, starting his career as a District Attorney for Ashland, Wisconsin, and later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District,” Trump said in his announcement Monday.

“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation. Importantly, he will greatly elevate the Travel Experience for all Americans!”

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Shortly after the announcement, a spokesperson for Fox News Media released the following statement: “Sean Duffy provided valuable insights and analysis in co-hosting the FOX Business Network program ‘The Bottom Line.’ As Duffy departs FOX News Media effective today, we wish him the best of luck in his return to Washington. Moving forward, ‘The Bottom Line’ will continue with Dagen McDowell joined by rotating co-hosts.”

Liberty Oilfield Services Inc. CEO Chris Wright, center, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (Reuters)

12. Chris Wright – Secretary of Energy

Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy, will lead the Department of Energy.

“I am thrilled to announce that Chris Wright will be joining my Administration as both United States Secretary of Energy, and Member of the newly formed Council of National Energy,” Trump said in a statement.

TRUMP NAMES SUSIE WILES AS FIRST FEMALE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF IN HISTORY

According to Liberty Energy’s website, Wright graduated from MIT with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also completed graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and MIT.

“[Wright] is a self-described tech nerd turned entrepreneur and a dedicated humanitarian on a mission to better human lives by expanding access to abundant, affordable, and reliable energy,” the company’s website says.

The key Cabinet position announcement comes after Trump made energy independence and bolstering oil and gas production a cornerstone of his campaign.

President Trump shakes hands with Linda McMahon, the outgoing administrator of the Small Business Administration, March 29, 2019. (Reuters/Joshua Roberts)

13. Linda McMahon – Secretary of Education

McMahon serves as co-chair of Trump’s transition team and is a major GOP donor and a retired World Wrestling Entertainment executive.

Clips of McMahon’s body slams have resurfaced across social media in the days since the announcement of her appointment.

McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009. She told lawmakers at the time she had a lifelong interest in education and once planned to become a teacher. She attempted two runs at the Senate as a Connecticut Republican, losing the 2010 race to Richard Blumenthal and the 2012 race to Chris Murphy.

McMahon then provided $6 million to help Trump’s candidacy after he secured the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. She served as administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2019.

Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., speaks during a campaign event in Buford, Ga., in 2020. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

14. Douglas Collins – Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Former Rep. Collins, R-Ga., is an Air Force Reserve chaplain.

Collins, 58, last ran for office in 2020 when he vied for a Georgia Senate seat and served two years as a Navy chaplain before joining the Air Force as a chaplain after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Trump praised Collins in the appointment announcement, saying he would be a “great advocate for active-duty service members, veterans and military families to ensure they have the support they need.”

“We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform,” Trump said. “Thank you, Doug, for your willingness to serve our country in this important role.”

Former President Trump listens as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during the Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, March 16. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

15. Kristi Noem – Homeland Secretary

Noem, who has served as South Dakota’s governor since 2019, has been a staunch Trump ally throughout his campaigns.

The Department of Homeland Security oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

If selected, Noem would work with Tom Homan, who was announced as Trump’s “border czar,” and Stephen Miller, who was announced as the White House deputy of staff for policy.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.