Trump vows to tackle energy problems, chronic disease with latest nominations 

President-elect Donald Trump is making good on campaign promises to work to bring down energy prices and address chronic diseases in Americans. 

His latest cabinet nominations and staff selections continue his pattern of directly addressing campaign themes of reform with his picks, rather than waiting for legislative fixes once inaugurated.  

In Trump’s first round of cabinet nominations and staff appointments previously covered by The Lion, the Republican addressed national security and homeland security issues he emphasized during the campaign.  

In that round of picks, he chose a mix of conservatives, mainstream Washington insiders and moderate liberals to fill out his executive team, an approach he also took with his latest nominees.  

Here’s what you need to know about Round 2.     

Doug Burgum, Interior Secretary 

With the prior nomination of Kristi Noem to the post of Secretary of Homeland Security, the approval of Burgum, a two-term governor from North Dakota, would make it the first time North and South Dakota are represented in a presidential cabinet simultaneously.   

Burgum, who was a successful software entrepreneur prior to becoming governor, has been tapped to be chair of the newly formed National Energy Council. The council will be tasked with securing U.S. energy dominance and increasing the baseline power capabilities of the U.S. energy grid, according to a statement by Trump.  

North Dakota ranks third among U.S. states in crude oil reserves and production. Burgum’s selection signals the U.S. will be open for more oil and gas production on U.S. lands controlled by the Interior Department.  

Trump’s energy policy is key to many of his administration’s long-term goals, including combatting inflation, keeping peace and stability worldwide and defeating China in a race for technological dominance.     

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary  

Kennedy is one of the more controversial picks, but his backing of Trump was a key moment in a campaign that had many key moments.  

With his iconic Kennedy Democrat brand, RFK Jr.’s endorsement helped bolster Trump campaign charges that Democrats are corrupt elitists who simply want to enjoy power. 

Known for challenging the safety of even long-administered vaccines, Kennedy also wants to focus on the chronic disease epidemic in America, especially among children, which he believes comes from America’s food supply.  

HHS oversees the Food and Drug Administration, so both drugs and the food supply will come under increased scrutiny if Kennedy is confirmed.  The clash between big pharmaceuticals, food producers and Kennedy should be epoch-making.  

Big Pharma CEOs favored Harris over Trump in 2024, as measured by campaign contributions.   

Doug Collins, Veterans Affairs Secretary 

Collins is a former congressman from Georgia, who represented the state’s 9^th Congressional District from 2013-21.  

He’s an ardent Trump loyalist and continues the Trump trend of picking cabinet members with a military background. He’s currently a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve who served for five months in Iraq during the 2008 surge.  

Collins said he would fight to make the VA more efficient for veterans.  

“We’ll fight tirelessly to streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they’ve earned,” said Collins.  

Chris Wright, Energy Secretary 

Wright is an energy entrepreneur from Colorado. His selection signals Trump’s desire to help tap America’s world-leading shale oil and gas deposits to establish energy dominance for the U.S.  

America leads all other countries in shale oil reserves at 78.2 billion barrels and ranks fourth in wet shale gas reserves at 622.5 trillion cubic feet.    

The Biden administration launched an unprecedented effort to kill oil and gas development in the U.S., which is one reason why inflation flared under his watch.  

Wright will also be a member of the National Energy Council.   

Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary 

Duffy is a former four-term congressman from Wisconsin who was first elected in the Tea Party wave of 2010. He served as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee’s housing subcommittee. He’s well-known today as a Fox News contributor.  

Prior to being elected to Congress, he served as district attorney for Ashland County, Wisconsin.  

“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation,” Trump’s statement said. “Importantly, he will greatly elevate the Travel Experience for all Americans!” 

William McGinley, White House Counsel 

McGinley is a Trump administration veteran, having served previously as Secretary of the Cabinet, a White House staff position that coordinates policy and communication for cabinet members and the president.  

McGinley served as outside counsel for the 2024 RNC election fraud unit.   

He currently works at The Vogel Group, a K Street lobbying practice.   

Dean John Sauer, Solicitor General  

Sauer is the lawyer who represented Trump in the presidential immunity case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which Trump won.   

That’s good for Trump, because beyond that one case, the responsibility of the Solicitor General is to appear on behalf of the chief executive for Supreme Court cases. Previously, Sauer was Solicitor General in Missouri from 2017 to 2023.    

In that position he filed a claim in the 2020 presidential contest on behalf of Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina that challenged how election rules were changed to benefit Biden in several states during COVID-19.   

Brendan Carr, FCC Chairman 

Carr is a Federal Communications Commission veteran, having been appointed to the body by Trump in 2017. He previously served as general counsel for the FCC.   

Carr has said the job of the FCC chairman under a new Trump administration would be “to change course and bring new urgency to achieving four main goals: 

• reining in Big Tech; 

• promoting national security; 

• unleashing economic prosperity; 

• and ensuring FCC accountability and good governance.” 

“The FCC,” writes Carr, “has an important role to play in addressing the threats 

to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions 

in the market.” 

Carr argues internet companies should not be able to censor speech, while at the same time enjoying immunities granted by Congress from liability under Section 230 protections, which generally hold such companies harmless if they either publish or censor speech.  

Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary 

Leavitt, 27, is another Trump veteran who served as national press secretary for his 2024 campaign after previously serving as a press assistant in his first administration. She is poised to become the youngest White House press secretary in history, eclipsing Ronald Ziegler, who served under Richard Nixon at the age of 29.

Leavitt may be best known to the public from an episode where she argued with CNN host Kasie Hunt about the bias of CNN debate moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, whose anti-Trump views are well-known.  

Being out-argued by Leavitt, Hunt terminated the interview, as CNN muted Leavitt’s mic and cut the camera to other panel members.    

“Jake Tapper has a history of anti-Trump lies. He has frequently compared President Trump to Adolf Hitler, which is disgusting,” Leavitt said later about the segment. “He has said that Donald Trump’s presidency was a nightmare for the United States of America.”  

Just days later, Biden delivered a historically bad debate performance as moderators Tapper and Bash looked on helplessly, somewhat neutered by Leavitt’s criticisms. Biden later dropped out of the campaign as a result.