US president Donald Trump is expected to name Alexander Acosta as his nominee for the position of labour secretary, making him the first member of the Hispanic community in his cabinet after his earlier pick Andrew Puzder bowed out.
The president was also reported to be planning to ask a billionaire friend from New York to conduct a broad review of US intelligence that has seemed to be at odds with him. But that appointment was not expected immediately.
Acosta’s nomination was to be announced shortly.
The president is also said to have offered the position of National Security Adviser, which fell vacant on Michael Flynn’s ouster, to Vice-Admiral Robert Harward, who according to some reports, has asked for time to consider.
Puzder, a food-chain owner, withdrew his nomination facing opposition from some Republican senators, which seemed to have made his confirmation difficult. The problem: an undocumented immigrant he employed as housekeeper.
The New York Times reported on Thursday the president was planning to ask Stephen A Feinberg, a co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management, a private investment firm, to conduct the review and stay on for a large role in the intelligence community.
{{/usCountry}}The New York Times reported on Thursday the president was planning to ask Stephen A Feinberg, a co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management, a private investment firm, to conduct the review and stay on for a large role in the intelligence community.
{{/usCountry}}The president has blamed Flynn’s exit on leaks from the intelligence community and has railed against it in a string of posts on Twitter against “illegal classified leaking” and “low-life leakers”.
Read: Trump faces calls for probe after National Security Adviser quits over Russia talks
New York Times reported there was considerable disquiet in the intelligence community over this development; even Trump’s nominee for the position of Director or National Intelligence Dan Coats was upset.