He’s expected to reward the band of surrogates who stood by him.
.. President-elect Donald Trump does not have the traditional cadre of Washington insiders and donors to build out his Cabinet, but his transition team has spent the past several months quietly building a short list of industry titans and conservative activists who could comprise one of the more eclectic and controversial presidential cabinets in modern history.
Trumpworld has started with a mandate to hire from the private sector whenever possible. That’s why the Trump campaign is seriously considering Forrest Lucas, the 74-year-old co-founder of oil products company Lucas Oil, as a top contender for Interior secretary, or donor and Goldman Sachs veteran Steven Mnuchin as Treasury secretary.
Franklin Graham: Best Election Choice for Christians ‘Not Difficult to Figure Out’
Celebrated evangelical pastor Franklin Graham has declared that the best choice for President in Tuesday’s elections “isn’t difficult to figure out if you are a Christian,” in evident reference to Republican candidate Donald Trump.
.. The Rev Graham, son of renowned evangelist Billy Graham, acknowledged that for many, voting for Trump isn’t easy, while insisting that it is nonetheless the better choice and that he is a “changed man.”
.. The Rev Graham, son of renowned evangelist Billy Graham, acknowledged that for many, voting for Trump isn’t easy, while insisting that it is nonetheless the better choice and that he is a “changed man.”
.. “Some candidates have entire political ads talking about how they spent their career fighting for the rights of children,” he said. “Yet they spent their entire career fighting against the rights of unborn children!”
Graham has said that while Trump’s comments might be “crude,” Hillary Clinton’s progressive agenda is “godless” and cannot be defended.
.. “Our political system is broken, and it will take strong, tough leadership to begin fixing some of this,” Graham said.
.. We’ve got to let the Christian voice be heard at the ballot box before it’s too late,” he said.
In speech, Peter Thiel defends what Trump represents much more so than candidate himself
Thiel spoke at length about the condition of the U.S., citing a litany of statistics mean to alarm: 64 percent of people age 55 in the U.S have less than a year’s worth of savings. Healthcare costs are “10 times” the cost of “simple medicines” anywhere else in the world. College tuition has risen faster than the rate of inflation. Millennials expect their lives to be worse than the lives of parents. Incomes have been stagnant, with the median household making less money today than 17 years ago. Meanwhile, the government is “wasting trillions of dollars of taxpayer money” on foreign wars in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Somalia.
.. Thiel was also asked about Trump’s personality traits and whether he is concerned about his temperament. Thiel mostly dodged the question, saying instead that when it comes to president, he’s more concerned with world view than temperament, and that he’s more worried about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, saying he thinks she has the propensity to get the U.S. into “more wars.”
.. What about the tax returns that Trump has refused to admit? Here, Thiel suggested that government focuses too much on transparency, suggesting that it’s why we “in some ways have a less talented group running [for office] than 30 or 40 years ago.”
.. Not last, Thiel was asked about Trump’s oft-repeated statements about banning Muslims from traveling to the United States.
Somewhat amazingly, Thiel — who said he doesn’t support a “religious test” — said the “media is always taking him literally. I think a lot of the voters take him seriously but not literally, so when they hear the Muslim comment or the wall comment, it’s not, ‘Are you going to build a wall like the Great Wall of China but, ‘We’re going to have a saner, more sensible immigration policy’ and ‘How do we strike the right balance between costs and benefits?’”
Which Republicans Oppose Donald Trump? A Cheat Sheet Which Republicans Oppose Donald Trump? A Cheat Sheet
Michael Steele becomes the sixth former chair of the Republican National Committee to say he will not vote for the GOP nominee.
.. He joins Marc Racicot (chair 2002-2003), who told Bloomberg in August, “I cannot and will not support Donald Trump for president.” Mel Martinez (2007) memorably told The Wall Street Journal, “If there is any, any, any other choice, a living, breathing person with a pulse, I would be there.” Bill Brock (1977-1981) has said he won’t back Trump, and so has Ken Mehlman (2005-2007). Rich Bond (1992-1993) wrote in an email in May that he would not vote for either Trump or Clinton, and would write in Homer Simpson if need be.
.. Despite a mass exodus since a video emerged of Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women, some prominent Republicans have still kept backing Trump. That notably includes Speaker Paul Ryan, who is officially a Trump endorser, even though he has said he will not defend or campaign for the nominee, and even though Trump has taken to attacking him during stump speeches and interviews; and also Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.Barbara Bush: NAY.. Unlike her husband and elder son, the former first lady has publicly disavowed Trump. “I mean, unbelievable. I don’t know how women can vote for someone who said what he said about Megyn Kelly, it’s terribleMitt Romney: NAY.. “I wanted my grandkids to see that I simply couldn’t ignore what Mr. Trump was saying and doing, which revealed a character and temperament unfit for the leader of the free world.” Romney continued: “I know that some people are offended that someone who lost and is the former nominee continues to speak, but that’s how I can sleep at night.”Bob Dole: YEA.. The former Senate majority leader and 1996 GOP presidential nomineeendorsed Trump on May 6. He will also be the only living GOP nominee to attend the RNC. (May 6, 2016.)John Boehner: YEA
The former speaker, who says he and Trump are “texting buddies,” told an audience at Stanford University that he’d back Trump in the general election.Trent Lott: YEADick Cheney: YEA
The former vice president blasted Trump during the primary over his stance on 9/11, and said he “sounds like a liberal Democrat,” but he now says he will back the nominee.Newt Gingrich: YEAJeb Bush: NAYReince Priebus: YEARick Perry: YEA
The former Texas governor and presidential candidate—who was one of the first to blast Trump—told CNN that he backs Trump.Mike Huckabee: YEA
The former Arkansas governor, who ran for president this year, says Republicans should get in line. “When we nominated people over the past several election cycles, some of us had heartburn, but we stepped up and supported the nominee,” he said. “You’re either on the team, or you’re not on the team.” (May 5, 2016)Bobby Jindal: YEA
The former Louisiana governor, who during his own presidential campaign called Trump a “narcissist” and an “egomaniacal madman,” wrote in a Wall Street Journal column that he’s voting for Trump, “warts and all.”Eric Cantor: YEA