President-elect Donald Trump has chosen former Representative Lee Zeldin as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), overturning President Joe Biden's environmental policies, and Representative Elise Stefanik as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Both are prominent pro-Trump loyalists who have claimed '2020 election fraud.'
On the 11th (local time), Trump announced in a statement, "I will nominate Lee Zeldin as the head of the EPA," calling him "a true warrior of America First policies." He also emphasized, "He will liberate American businesses through fair and swift deregulation while maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet."
In a separate statement, Trump named Representative Stefanik as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN. He introduced her by saying, "Elise is a strong and very smart warrior of America First policies," and "She will be an incredibly excellent UN Ambassador who brings peace through strength and America First national security policies."
The two additional appointments to Trump’s second-term administration share the commonality of being prominent pro-Trump figures who have actively supported his reelection bid. It is a form of political reward. Zeldin, a native of New York, has agreed with claims of election fraud, opposing the certification of Biden’s victory at the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021. After losing the 2022 New York gubernatorial race to Democrat Kathy Hochul, he has spent much of this year traveling between Florida’s Mar-a-Lago resort to support Trump’s campaign activities.
In an interview with Fox News on the same day, Zeldin said, "During the first 100 days (after inauguration), we will repeal regulations that burden businesses and reduce costs," adding, "There are regulations that the left has defended through regulatory power. These regulations ultimately lead businesses in the wrong direction." He also emphasized that Trump wants to pursue 'energy dominance' through the EPA, calling it "the greatest four years of any White House president in history."
Representative Stefanik, appointed as U.S. Ambassador to the UN, was initially classified as a moderate when she entered politics in 2014 as the youngest member of Congress but later became a pro-Trump figure. Even before Trump declared his reelection bid, she expressed support within the Republican Party, stating that "we must unite around the most popular candidate." She was also mentioned as a potential running mate for Trump ahead of this year’s election. In her statement, Stefanik said, "I am truly honored to be able to serve in the cabinet," and "Trump’s historic electoral landslide gave hope to the American people."
Both the EPA Administrator and the U.S. Ambassador to the UN require Senate confirmation. However, Trump indicated the day before that "any Republican senator aspiring to leadership in the U.S. Senate must agree to a recess appointment in the Senate," signaling his intention to nullify congressional checks during the cabinet formation process. A 'recess appointment' is the president’s authority to appoint an official nominee without Senate confirmation during a congressional recess. Anticipating delays in the confirmation process due to Democratic opposition in appointing loyalists to his second-term cabinet, Trump preemptively issued guidelines to Senate Republicans. Currently, the three main candidates vying for the Senate Republican leadership have all expressed agreement with this approach.
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