By Carlos Micames
The inauguration of Donald Trump as the nation’s 45th President brings with it a plethora of fresh faces to the White House. However, new is not always necessarily equivalent to better in this case. The Trump Train has begun its route toward “Making America Great Again” and the team is quickly taking shape. Although many of his cabinet choices raise eyebrows, let’s take a look at three of the most controversial members chosen to lead the new President’s agenda.
Rex Tillerson: Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson is the former CEO of oil giant Exxon Mobil, which he presided from 2006 to 2016. Some argue that his experience in the business sector and his broad international experience make him qualified for the position. However, many politicians are worried about Tillerson’s history with Russia and his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 1998 he was named president of Exxon Neftegas, where he was responsible for Exxon’s holdings in Russia. John Hamre, the President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies stated that Tillerson “has had more interactive time with Vladimir Putin than probably any other American, with the exception of Dr. Henry Kissinger.” Tillerson has collaborated with the Russian Government for countless offshore drilling projects and was awarded the Order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin for his contributions in Russia’s energy sector. In addition, he still owns many shares of Exxon Mobil and Yandex, a Russian tech company, which is considered as a conflict of interest under 2012 ethic laws. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Tillerson was questioned by a tense Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) on his hesitation to refer to Vladimir Putin as a war hero. With tensions escalating in the Middle East and China, it will be interesting to see what Tillerson’s experiences can bring to Trump’s new Russian-friendly foreign policy.
Ben Carson: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
As you may remember, Dr. Ben Carson was a serious contender during the GOP primary early last year. The world renowned neurosurgeon was originally offered the position for the Department of Health and Human Services, a position he seemed perfect to lead, but turned it down. Eventually, he was convinced to accept the job of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Supporters say that his childhood experiences of residing in public housing with his single mother will provide him with a distinct outlook on how to improve lives for suburban families. However, Carson has admitted to staying away from public housing and has criticized programs developed by HUD, such as the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing program designed to incentivize desegregation based planning in cities, which we once compared to “communism.” He defended his stance by saying government “should not keep people in a dependent state. It should be used as a springboard, and not as a hammock.” Although Dr. Carson is a brilliant neurosurgeon with even a film dedicated to him, Gifted Hands, his lack of experience dealing with housing policy is worrying for many lawmakers.
Betsy DeVos: Secretary of Education
DeVos is chairwoman of the Windquest Group, a private operating group that invests in technology, manufacturing and clean energy, among other specialties. She is also a fierce supporter of school vouchers–which provide more choice for families to choose the schools for their children–and supports reducing the amount of funding used for public education and transferring it to tax credits for businesses who provide scholarships and vouchers. In addition, DeVos has also been active in promoting charter schools, which adhere to minimum public standards and are supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. However, she has been criticized for not supporting legislation that permits failing charter schools to close and failing to distinguish between growth and proficiency. DeVos’s family is one of the richest in Michigan (her father Richard is the owner of the Orlando Magic NBA team and has a net worth of $5.1 billion) and is a major donor to political campaigns. She said “it’s possible” her family donated $200 million dollars to the GOP over the last several decades. Most notably of all, DeVos never attended a public school or university, and neither has anyone in her family. Whether or not her ideas are applicable in the current economic climate is soon to be decided.