Trump picks new secretaries for health and veterans affairs

Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday announced his decision to nominate former Democratic presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr. as his Secretary of Health and Human Services. The nomination for this top Cabinet position is subject to confirmation by the US Senate. Trump also announced his intent to nominate former Congressman Doug Collins of Georgia as Secretary for Veterans Affairs (VA). "I am thrilled to announce Robert F Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)," he said.

For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it came to public health, the president-elect said, indicating the health policies of his second term beginning January 20, 2025.

Declaring his pick for Veteran Affairs secretary, Trump said, “Doug is a veteran himself, who currently serves our nation as a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command, and fought for our country in the Iraq war,” he said.

The president-elect also announced the nomination of Jay Clayton as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, saying, “Jay is a highly respected business leader, counsel, and public servant.” According to Trump, Clayton received engineering and law degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, and an economics degree from the University of Cambridge. Before chairing the SEC, he was a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, and served on the Management Committee. Todd Blanche will serve as Deputy Attorney General, Trump announced.

The president-elect declared that Dean John Sauer will serve as Solicitor General of the United States in his administration. “John is a deeply accomplished, masterful appellate attorney, who clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia in the United States Supreme Court, served as Solicitor General of Missouri for six years, and has extensive experience practising before the US Supreme Court and other Appellate Courts,” he said.