Trump Makes Waves With Major Team Announcement

President-elect Donald Trump continues to swiftly shape his incoming administration, announcing the nomination of former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker as the next U.S. ambassador to NATO.

“Matt is a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended,” Trump declared in a statement. “Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability – He will put AMERICA FIRST.”

Trump has frequently criticized NATO member nations for not meeting defense spending commitments, arguing that the U.S. carries an unfair share of the burden while many European allies fall short. Whitaker, as ambassador, is expected to uphold this stance, a move that could spark some apprehension among NATO partners.

The announcement underscores Trump’s focus on quickly assembling his team before his inauguration on Jan. 20. According to CBS News, the president-elect has already unveiled several key appointments for his administration. Here is a summary of the nominations so far:

• White House chief of staff: Susie Wiles
• Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
• Attorney General: Matt Gaetz
• Deputy attorney general: Todd Blanche
• HHS secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• Office of Management and Budget Director: Russ Vought
• U.N. ambassador: Elise Stefanik
• “Border czar”: Tom Homan
• Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Doug Collins
• National security adviser: Michael Waltz
• Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum
• Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright
• Secretary of Transportation: Sean Duffy
• Secretary of Commerce: Howard Lutnick
• Secretary of Education: Linda McMahon
• White House counsel: William McGinley
• U.S. Ambassador to NATO: Matthew Whitaker
• Secretary of Homeland Security: Kristi Noem
• CIA director: John Ratcliffe
• Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard
• EPA administrator: Lee Zeldin
• Solicitor general: Dean John Sauer
• FCC chairman: Brendan Carr
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator: Dr. Mehmet Oz
• U.S. Ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee
• U.S. ambassador to Canada: Pete Hoekstra
• U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York: Jay Clayton
• Department of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy
• Deputy chief of staff: Dan Scavino
• Deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser: Stephen Miller
• Deputy chief of staff for Legislative, political and public affairs: James Blair
• Deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel: Taylor Budowich
• Presidential Personnel Office head: Sergio Gor
• White House communications director: Steven Cheung
• White House press secretary: Karoline Leavitt

Many of these nominees will require Senate confirmation. Meanwhile, Republicans are holding onto a slim majority in the House. On Wednesday, reports confirmed that Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur secured her 22nd term in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District after a tightly contested race.

The Associated Press officially called the race at 1:02 p.m. EST, declaring Kaptur victorious over Republican state Rep. Derek Merrin. With nearly all precincts reporting, Kaptur earned 48.27% of the vote compared to Merrin’s 47.63%, with a narrow margin of just 2,382 votes.

Libertarian candidate Tom Pruss received approximately 4% of the vote, likely drawing support away from Merrin in the close contest.

As the longest-serving woman in House history, Kaptur celebrated her re-election in a district significantly reshaped by recent redistricting, which turned it into one of the nation’s most competitive battlegrounds. Her victory ensures Democrats retain control of the seat, even as Republicans solidify their majority in the House.

Derek Merrin, a fourth-term state representative and strong Trump ally, ran a vigorous campaign marked by sharp ideological contrasts. With the election now resolved, Democrats hold 213 seats in the House, while Republicans maintain a narrow majority at 218 seats.

At age 78, Kaptur faced one of the most challenging re-election battles of her career. Her race in Ohio’s 9th District became one of the year’s most expensive, with over $23 million spent on the campaign, according to data from OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan group tracking campaign finances.