TRUMP
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump will meet on Thursday with more candidates for top White House positions in New York, as a flurry of new names have emerged as potential cabinet picks.
One of the most unusual names floated is that of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who according to CNN and MSNBC is under consideration for secretary of state and other posts.
Until now, US news outlets have reported that former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani was tipped for the job of top diplomat.
Media reports suggested Trump might have believed that the 72-year-old’s controversial professional ties — which include lobbying for a Venezuelan oil firm — were too much to secure Senate confirmation.
Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, originally supported Marco Rubio for president and differed with Trump on several issues, but she eventually came round to supporting the Republican nominee.
Retired general Michael Flynn is being considered for the role of national security adviser — a position that does not require Senate confirmation, NBC News reported.
Flynn is one of the few national security experts who strongly supported Trump during the campaign.
Between 2012 and 2014, the 57-year-old headed the Defense Intelligence Agency but left under a cloud because of clashes with personnel and administration officials, US media reported.
Trump is expected to spend the day at his Manhattan headquarters, where he will meet a stream of potential new hires as well former Republican secretary of state Henry Kissinger, now 93.
During the evening, Trump will have his first appointment with a foreign leader when he meets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Rick Perry — former governor of oil-rich Texas and one of the contenders that Trump crushed in the Republican primary — is being considered for energy secretary, The Wall Street Journal reported.
If it turns out to be true, the appointment is likely to raise eyebrows with many recalling an embarrassing moment during the 2011 Republican primary when he struggled to remember the third government agency he wanted to eliminate.
Perry said that when he became president “there’ll be three agencies I’ll end: commerce, education…” The moderator asked if he could name the third agency. “No,” said Perry.