By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – President-elect Donald J. Trump has selected Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, to serve as his U.S. ambassador to Israel during mounting tensions in the Middle East.

The post requires Senate confirmation.

Trump said, “Mike has been a great public servant, governor, and leader in faith for many years. ”

“He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”

Huckabee, a devout evangelical Christian, served as Arkansas’ governor from 1996 to 2007 and unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016.

After leaving the office, the 69-year-old hosted a show on broadcaster Fox News and a radio program.

Trump also said he would nominate Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida, one of his fiercest defenders, to serve as his attorney general despite concerns about his alleged past conduct.

ALLEGATIONS INVESTIGATED

Gaetz was investigated several times for allegations of wrongdoing, and several Republican senators expressed reservations about supporting his nomination.

“Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations, and restore Americans’ badly shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” Trump said in published remarks.

“On the House Judiciary Committee, which performs oversight of [Department of Justice] DOJ, Matt played a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax,” Trump added, referring to Gaetz’s defense of him during his first impeachment.

The House Ethics Committee revealed in June that it was investigating Gaetz on allegations including sexual misconduct, drug use, and obstruction. Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing and maintained his innocence throughout a Justice Department probe — closed last year — into allegations that he violated sex trafficking laws and obstructed justice.

Federal prosecutors in Florida did not file charges against him in the case of Worthy News learned.

Several sources say Wall Street banker Howard Lutnick, who serves as co-chair of Trump’s transition team, has been nominated as commerce secretary. Lutnick had been considered for the treasury secretary position.

He is the CEO and chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald, an investment firm, and has donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past. He also once appeared on Trump’s NBC reality TV show, “The Apprentice.”

MEDIA PERSONALITIES

More media personalities are nominated for his cabinet, such as Fox News host Pete Hegseth, to head the Department of Defense.

“Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart, and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,” the president-elect said in a statement.

Trump praised Hegseth’s military record as an Army combat veteran who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay.

Hegseth, 44, was a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekends” and author of the book “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” which rails against what he calls the “warped, woke, and caustic policies of our current military.”

Among other nominees are Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Todd Blanche as Deputy Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as as Health Secretary, Russ Vought as Office of Management and Budget Director, Elise Stefanik as U.N. Ambassador, and Border Czar” Tom Homan.

Others include Doug Collins, Secretary of Veteran Affairs; Michael Waltz, National Security adviser; Doug Burgum, Interior Secretary; and Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy.

The list, reviewed by Worthy News, also includes:

Secretary of Transportation: Sean Duffy
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
Environment Protection Agency (EPA) administrator: Lee Zeldin
Solicitor general: Dean John Sauer
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman: Brendan Carr
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator: Dr. Mehmet Oz
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

With Republicans taking control of the U.S. Senate, sources say many of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees, even some controversial ones, will likely face an easy path to confirmation.

According to sources familiar with the ongoing selection, the president-elect aims to announce all of his Cabinet-level picks by Thanksgiving, a goal he’s on pace to meet.

Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.

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