Donald Trump with Susie Wiles. Photo: AFP
US President-elect Donald Trump made his first cabinet appointment on Thursday, following his decisive election victory. Trump's campaign manager, Susie Wiles, will serve as his White House chief of staff, marking the first time a woman has been named to this high-profile role and representing the Republican's initial appointment to his incoming administration.
Trump's overwhelming victory over Democrat Kamala Harris is already causing significant shifts in US and global politics, just two days after election day and two-and-a-half months before he returns to the White House. The president-elect's first cabinet choice, Wiles, enjoys broad support within his team and was prominently featured on stage during his victory speech on Wednesday morning.
"Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again," Trump said of the resolute 67-year-old Florida native.
Other potential candidates for positions in the Trump 2.0 administration reflect the disruptive nature of his upcoming presidency. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent figure in the anti-vaccine movement for whom Trump has promised a "big role" in healthcare, told NBC News on Wednesday that "I'm not going to take away anybody's vaccines." However, the former independent candidate reiterated that the Trump administration would recommend removing fluoride—a mineral US authorities say aids dental and skeletal health—from public water supplies.
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, could also be in line for a job auditing government waste after the right-wing SpaceX, Tesla, and X boss enthusiastically backed Trump. Trump is expected to dismantle many of Biden's signature policies. He returns to the White House as a climate change denier, ready to dismantle Biden's green policies with his pledge to "drill, baby, drill" for oil.
He may face challenges in dismantling some of President Joe Biden's investment legislation, which injects money into many Congressional districts where members would be reluctant to see it go. As Trump began working on his transition team at his Florida resort, Biden pledged a peaceful and "orderly" transfer of power. Biden, 81, urged Americans in a solemn televised address to "bring down the temperature," in stark contrast to Trump's refusal to accept his 2020 election defeat.
The Democrat has invited Trump for talks at the White House. However, Biden's spokeswoman said Trump's team had not yet signed key documents allowing the legal transition process to start. In his speech from the Rose Garden of the White House, Biden called for unity while urging Democrats not to lose hope, stating: "Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated."
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