The United States President-elect, Donald Trump, has named Howard Lutnick, a prominent Wall Street executive and chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald, to serve as commerce secretary in his incoming administration.
The role entailed verseeing a 51,000-person agency with an $11 billion budget and responsibility for key sectors like manufacturing, trade, the census, and technology regulation.
Lutnick, who led Trump’s transition team, was initially considered for Treasury secretary. However, his close and frequent presence at Mar-a-Lago, where the president-elect was strategising for his second term, reportedly caused friction with Trump. Despite this, his $1 million donation to Trump’s super PAC in recent years was believed to have solidified his candidacy.
If confirmed, Lutnick will follow a tradition of commerce secretaries being drawn from a president’s pool of donors. However, his appointment could face scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest, as he has not stepped down from his leadership role at Cantor Fitzgerald, which operated in financial services, cryptocurrency, and real estate—industries regulated by agencies he helped shape during the transition.
“There are concerns about how Lutnick’s continued involvement in these ventures might intersect with his responsibilities as commerce secretary,” said an individual familiar with the matter.
Meanwhile, Trump’s transition efforts were grappling with controversy surrounding another key appointment: Matt Gaetz, the former Florida congressman nominated to lead the Justice Department. Gaetz was under scrutiny after reports surfaced that a hacker accessed sensitive legal files containing sworn testimony from women alleging sexual misconduct, including a claim that Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old in 2017.
Although the material was publicly released, its existence posed challenges for Gaetz’s confirmation. Senate approval, while under Republican control, could be an uphill battle given the nature of the allegations. According to insiders, Trump privately admitted that Gaetz may struggle to secure confirmation.
As Trump continued to finalise his cabinet, other key positions, including Treasury secretary, remained under consideration. None of his choices have been officially nominated, as that process required a sitting president and Senate confirmation. Despite Republican control of the chamber, contentious picks like.Gaetz could face significant resistance.
