Several former members of Donald Trump’s first administration have been tapped to fill key cabinet roles as he prepares to take back the White House this month, the president-elect announced in a series of Truth Social posts Saturday.
Trump, 78, nominated Steven Bradbury to serve as deputy secretary of transportation; Katharine MacGregor – the vice president of environmental services at NextEra Energy — to serve as deputy secretary of the interior; and David Fotouhi as deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The incoming president also chose Paul R. Lawrence to serve as deputy secretary of Veteran Affairs; University of Chicago professor Casey B. Mulligan as chief counsel for advocacy at the US Small Business Administration; and Army veteran James Danly as deputy secretary of energy.
Bradbury, who served as the general counsel of the Department of Transportation during Trump’s first term, was credited by the 47th president for rebuilding “our crumbling infrastructure” and slashing regulations that were “killing jobs” and small businesses.
MacGregor will return to the Department of Interior, where she served during Trump’s first four years as president.
“She helped us in our quest to make our National Energy DOMINANT, and was also an integral part of the team that produced our Historic “Salute to America” at the National Mall,” Trump said.
Fotouhi, who worked at the EPA for the entirety of Trump’s first term, will return to the environmental agency to advance “pro GROWTH policies, unleash America’s Energy Dominance, and prioritize Clean Air, Clean Water, and Clean Soil for ALL Americans,” he said.
Trump hailed Lawrence for his work during his first term, adding that his latest nominee will focus on taking care of veterans and ensuring they are treated with the “respect they deserve.”
“Paul was a great VA Under Secretary of Benefits in my First Term, implementing Legislation I signed to improve the GI Bill and Appeals Modernization,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Paul also helped us drive the claims backlog to its LOWEST LEVEL in VA History.”
Trump praised Mulligan as a “fantastic economist” and a “highly respected expert on regulations that are crushing our Small Businesses.” He previously held the title of Chief Economist of Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers.
Danly is a retired US Army officer, who served two tours in Iraq, where he earned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, Trump said.
“He served in my First Term as General Counsel, Commissioner, and Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, where he won countless cases before the Federal Courts, and drove regulatory reform to ensure abundant and affordable energy for the American People,” the incoming commander in chief said.
