by Misty Severi
President-elect Donald Trump announced a series of crucial nominations on Friday night, including tapping NFL veteran Scott Turner as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Russ Vought to return as the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The announcements come after Trump nominated Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Labor secretary, and Scott Bessen for Treasury secretary earlier Friday.
Turner previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first administration, which the former president claimed had resulted in an “Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.”
“Scott will work alongside me to Make America Great Again for EVERY American,” Trump said.
The former president highlighted Vought’s success as his OMB director during the first administration, and said he was looking forward to bringing him back to the White House. Vought’s nomination is considered more controversial due to his role in the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025.”
“Russ has spent many years working in Public Policy in Washington, D.C., and is an aggressive cost cutter and deregulator who will help us implement our America First Agenda across all Agencies,” Trump said. “Russ knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State and end Weaponized Government, and he will help us return Self Governance to the People.”
Trump also named former State Department official Alex Wong as his Principal Deputy National Security Advisor and Assistant to the President, who will work alongside National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. Dr. Sebastian Gorka was appointed Senior Director for Counterterrorism and Deputy Assistant to the President.
The incoming president said Gorka was one of his advisors on national security for his primary debates in 2016. He has more than 30 years of national security experience.
Trump additionally made several health nominations, including nominating Fox News contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as Surgeon General, and former Florida GOP Rep. and medical doctor Dave Weldon as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The current Health of America is critical, and CDC will play a big role in helping to ensure Americans have the tools and resources they need to understand the underlying causes of disease, and the solutions to cure these diseases,” Trump said.
Dr. Marty Makary was nominated as the next Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner.
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Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.
No on Gorka.