President-elect Donald Trump is continuing to rapidly build out his next administration, nominating his former acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, to be the U.S. ambassador to NATO.
“Matt is a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended,” Trump said in a statement. “Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability – He will put AMERICA FIRST.”
Trump has consistently criticized NATO member countries for insufficient defense spending, correctly arguing that the U.S. bears an outsized burden while many European allies fail to contribute their fair share. His choice for ambassador is expected to champion this stance, which is likely to raise some concerns among NATO allies across the Atlantic.
The president-elect has wasted no time in naming who he wants to appoint to various positions within his next administration after he’s sworn in on Jan. 20. Per CBS News, here is a list of nominations thus far:
White House chief of staff: Susie Wiles
Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
Attorney General: Matt Gaetz
Deputy attorney general: Todd Blanche
HHS secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Office of Management and Budget Director: Russ Vought
U.N. ambassador: Elise Stefanik
“Border czar”: Tom Homan
Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Doug Collins
National security adviser: Michael Waltz
Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum
Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright
Secretary of Transportation: Sean Duffy
Secretary of Commerce: Howard Lutnick
Secretary of Education: Linda McMahon
White House counsel: William McGinley
U.S. Ambassador to NATO: Matthew Whitaker
Secretary of Homeland Security: Kristi Noem
CIA director: John Ratcliffe
Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard
EPA administrator: Lee Zeldin
Solicitor general: Dean John Sauer
FCC chairman: Brendan Carr
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator: Dr. Mehmet Oz
U.S. Ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee
U.S. ambassador to Canada: Pete Hoekstra
U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York: Jay Clayton
Department of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy
Deputy chief of staff: Dan Scavino
Deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser: Stephen Miller
Deputy chief of staff for Legislative, political and public affairs: James Blair
Deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel: Taylor Budowich
Presidential Personnel Office head: Sergio Gor
White House communications director: Steven Cheung
White House press secretary: Karoline Leavitt
Most of those nominees will have to be approved by the Senate. Meanwhile, Republicans are holding on to a small majority in the House, though reports Wednesday said Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur claimed victory, securing her 22nd term in the U.S. House of Representatives after a tightly contested race in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District.
The Associated Press called the race at 1:02 p.m. EST, declaring Kaptur the winner over Republican state Rep. Derek Merrin. With nearly all precincts reporting, Kaptur edged out Merrin with 48.27% of the vote to his 47.63%, a margin of just 2,382 votes.
Libertarian candidate Tom Pruss drew approximately 4% of the vote, further narrowing the competition but more than likely taking votes away from Merrin.
As the longest-serving woman in House history, Kaptur celebrated her victory in a district significantly reshaped by recent redistricting, making it one of the most competitive in the country. Her re-election preserves a Democratic hold on the seat, even as Republicans strengthen their majority in the House.
Derek Merrin, a fourth-term state representative and a strong ally of President-elect Donald Trump, mounted a formidable challenge in a campaign defined by sharp contrasts. With the race now settled, Democrats hold 213 seats in the House, while Republicans, bolstered by gains in other districts, have secured a narrow majority with 218 seats.
At 78, Kaptur was regarded as one of the most vulnerable incumbents in this year’s congressional races. Her campaign for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District was among the most expensive, with total spending surpassing $23 million, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan organization monitoring campaign finances.
