Trump shapes team ahead of White House return

WASHINGTON - Donald Trump named more of his incoming team Tuesday, including seasoned figures and hard-liners, ahead of a meeting with President Joe Biden in what will be the Republican's first White House visit since exiting amid scandal four years ago.

The 78-year-old, who decisively defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in last week's election, makes a triumphant return to Washington Wednesday, meeting Biden in the Oval Office.

He is also expected to visit the US Capitol where his party has won a narrow majority in the Senate and is poised to retain control of the House of Representatives, giving Republicans the so-called trifecta of both chambers and the White House from January.

With just over two months until he takes office, Trump is moving quickly to consolidate an extraordinary comeback.

He got good news when a judge in New York delayed a decision until November 19 on potentially throwing out his conviction on multiple fraud charges ahead of scheduled sentencing.

Now, governments worldwide are scrutinizing Trump's government picks for signs of how closely the incoming administration will stick to his promises of an isolationist foreign policy, harsh crackdowns on illegal immigration, and persecution of people he perceives as enemies.

Hard-liners

Late Tuesday, Trump named military veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his incoming defense secretary.

"With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice -- Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down," he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, US media reported that Florida's Senator Marco Rubio would be nominated to the key position of secretary of state.

Trump separately named congressman Mike Waltz, a former special forces officer, as his incoming national security advisor.

Waltz has hawkish views on China and is not considered isolationist, despite desire in some Trump circles for the United States to retreat from foreign engagements and cut obligations to allies like NATO.

Trump on Tuesday also announced he was choosing a close ally, his former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe, to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

"He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH," Trump said in a statement.

On the domestic front, Trump has signaled he will back up his extreme election campaign rhetoric aimed at stirring fear and anger against illegal immigrants ahead of promised mass deportations.

On Monday, he named veteran hard-line immigration official Tom Homan as the country's "border czar."

US media also reported that Stephen Miller, author of Trump's so-called "Muslim ban" immigration policy during his first term, will hold a powerful position as deputy chief of staff.

Rounding out Trump's immigration team, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been tapped to head the massive Department of Homeland Security, CNN reported.

Trump has also picked Lee Zeldin to head the Environmental Protection Agency, with a mandate to slash climate and pollution regulations that Republicans say are slowing down business development.

New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a fierce Trump ally and pro-Israel stalwart, got the nod for UN ambassador, Trump's transition team said.

Another fervent pro-Israel figure, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, was named as ambassador to Israel, while Trump said he was appointing businessman and real estate expert Steven Witkoff as special advisor to the Middle East.

Return to the Oval

Biden's Oval Office invitation restores a presidential transition tradition that Trump tore up when he lost the 2020 election, refusing to sit down with Biden or even attend the inauguration.

By the time Trump took his last Marine One flight from the White House lawn on January 20, 2021, he had also been repudiated by many in his own party for having encouraged a mob to assault the US Capitol.

The period of disgrace soon evaporated, however, as Republicans returned to Trump's side, recognizing his unique electoral force leading the far-right movement that has now swept him back to power.

Trump enters his second term with a near total grip on his party, and with Democrats in disarray.

While many of his cabinet nominations require approval by the Senate, Trump is trying to bypass that oversight by forcing through so-called recess appointments.

He has turned the issue into a loyalty test, insisting Saturday that any Republican seeking to be leader of the Senate "must agree" to the unusual procedure. - AFP