Tracking presidential actions and other news.
Trump II Names a New White House Counsel (David Warrington) to Replace the One He Announced Three Weeks Ago (Bill McGinley). McGinley will take the top legal role at Musk’s DOGE advisory board.
Trump II Says He’ll Nominate Former Congressman Billy Long to lead the IRS. The current IRS Commissioner’s term doesn’t end until 2027, so there’ll be some hoops to get over.
Trump II Transition Team Signs Documents Required for Staffer Background Checks. They’d been resisting signing these docs, as well as memoranda covering ethics agreements and cooperation with the White House (thatone was signed last week). A Trump II spokeswoman said the transition team would post an “Ethics Plan” to a government website soon.
Trump II Says He’ll Name Trump I Staffer Kash Patel His Next FBI Director. Note that the current director, Chris Wray, a Trump I nominee, has a 10-year term that ends in 2027.
Trump II Names Trade Hawks Hassett and Greer to Top Trade Posts.
Trump II Chooses Jay Bhattacharya to Lead National Institutes of Health.
Trump II Fails to Disclose Transition Organization Donors. This is a result of the Trump II transition team failing to sign ethics and other documents related to the handover process.
Trump II Nominates Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as Surgeon General. Missed this yesterday.
Trump II Taps Dr. Marty Makary as FDA Commissioner. Also missed this yesterday. Probably I should create a separate post with a list of nominees/leaders (once confirmed).
Trump II Taps Brooke Rollins, Head of the America First Policy Institute, to Lead Department of Agriculture.
Trump II Names Wall Street Investor Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary.
Trump II Nominates Former Florida Republican Congressman Dave Weldon to Lead CDC. A vax skeptic, natch.
Trump II Nominates Oregon Republican Congresswoman Laurie Chavez-DeRemer to Head Department of Labor. Not a bomb-thrower, according to this write-up.
Trump II Nominates Russell Vought, Former Trump I Official and Project 2025 Architect, to Lead Office of Management and Budget.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi Picked to be Trump II AG Nominee.
Trump II AG Nominee Matt Gaetz Withdraws From Consideration.
Former Trump I Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker Gets Ambassador to NATO Nom from Trump II.
Trump II Announces Linda McMahon to Head Department of Education.
Trump II Nominates Dr Mehmet Oz to Lead Centers for and Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oof.
Trump II Selects Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary.
Trump II Taps Fox Business Personality and The Real World alum Sean Duffy to Lead Department of Transportation.
Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright to Be Trump II’s Energy Secretary.
Trump II Selects Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to Lead the Agency.
Trump II Names Campaign Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt White House Press Secretary.
Trump II Picks ND Governor Doug Burgum to Lead Department of the Interior. Missed this yesterday. Apparently this man is also now Trump II’s ‘Energy Czar’.
Former Arkansas Governor Mick Huckabee Named Trump II’s Ambassador to Israel. Thought about skipping this one because it’s only an ambassadorship. But it’s an important one. And we’re all caught up.
Trump II Chooses Republican Congresswoman of New York Elise Stefanik as Ambassador to the UN. Late with this one have added it now!
Trump II Names Personal Lawyer Todd Blanche as Deputy Attorney General.
Trump II Noms RFK Jr to Lead Department of Health and Human Services.
Former Hawaii Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Trump II’s Choice to Become Director of National Intelligence.