(The Center Square)—President-elect Donald named businessman Howard Lutnick as his pick for Secretary of Commerce Tuesday, a coveted role and the latest in Trump’s flurry of cabinet nominations.
Trump said Lutnick will lead the “tariff and trade agenda,” an important role for president-elect, who has vowed to aggressively wield tariffs. Lutnick is a veteran of Wall Street and current CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services company.
“I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce,” Trump said in a statement. “In his role as Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Transition Team, Howard has created the most sophisticated process and system to assist us in creating the greatest Administration America has ever seen.”
Trump has argued that tariffs can be used to bring in major revenue for the U.S., pressure nations around the world to comply with U.S. economic demands, and improve the job market in the U.S.
Lutnick has publicly promoted tariffs in the media, explaining how they can be a tool in negotiations with other countries, many of whom currently tariff U.S. products, pointing out for instance that 100% tariffs in Europe and Japan prevent U.S. automakers from selling in other countries. Many economists question whether higher tariffs will drive elevated inflation in the U.S.
Trump is daily announcing new picks for his administration.
So far, Trump’s choices include:
- Howard Lutnick as Secretary of Commerce.
- Sean Duffy to lead the Department of Transportation.
- Chris Wright for Department of Energy Secretary.
- Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission.
- North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior.
- William Owen Scharf as Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of U.S. Health and Human Services
- Former Congresswoman and veteran Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence.
- Former Congressman Doug Collins as Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Jay Clayton as Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Former congressman Matt Gaetz for Attorney General.
- Veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.
- Veteran and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
- U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as Secretary of State.
- Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan as “border czar.”
- Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
- Former Congresswoman and current governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
- Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency.
- William Joseph McGinley as White House Counsel.
- Steven C. Witkoff as Special Envoy to the Middle East.
- Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. as national security advisor.
- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel.
- Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. as ambassador to the U.N.
- Dean John Sauer as Solicitor General.
- Todd Blanche as Deputy Attorney General.
- Emil Bove as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.
- Dan Scavino of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff.
- Susie Wiles, co-chair of the Trump campaign, as White House Chief of Staff.
- Stephen Miller as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor.
- James Blair of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs.
- Taylor Budowich of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel.
At Last, a Company With Integrity in the Gold IRA Industry
For several years, I’ve been vetting out precious metals companies in search of the best. I believe in gold and silver but it’s hard to find integrity in the Gold IRA industry. The vast majority operate with shady tactics and gigantic spreads that take advantage of Americans who simply want to protect their life’s savings.
I’ve found a handful that I like and I’ve worked with some of them. By no means would I “unrecommend” them because, again, I vetted them out and found them to be above the fold. Unfortunately, it isn’t hard to be better than the rest when the rest are so darn awful.
After years of searching, I finally found a company that truly operates with integrity. Augusta Precious Metals has three important attributes that set them far above the competition:
- Non-Commissioned Sales Team: I cannot stress how important and unique this is. With just about every other company in the Gold IRA industry, the sales teams make commission from every account they open. This means they steer their clients toward the gold and silver products with the highest commission. With Augusta Precious Metals, the team is solely focused on putting the best gold and silver for their clients into their IRA. They get paid to serve the best interests of the Gold IRA client, NOT their own commission pay.
- Incredibly Low Fees: Most Americans would be shocked if they knew the spread other Gold IRA companies charge. Augusta charges just 5% versus up to 45% elsewhere.
- No Pressure, No Gimmicks: There’s an understanding among most in the Gold IRA industry that fear and pressure is the way to go. Augusta Precious Metals takes a sober approach when working with clients because they hold integrity in the highest possible regard. This is why they don’t offer gimmicks like “free” or “bonus” silver. It’s also why they do not apply pressure tactics to get quick sales. Their educational and transparent approach to doing business is exceedingly rare in the Gold IRA industry.
