Trump names Truth Social head as chair of intelligence advisory board
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The President's Intelligence Advisory Board is a White House council that provides the president with objective assessments of intelligence agencies' efficacy and strategy.
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Devin Nunes talks with Republican Congressmen Jim Jordan and John Ratcliffe on Capitol Hill, on December 9, 2019. (AP)
Donald Trump appointed Devin Nunes, a former US legislator who now oversees Trump's Truth Social social media network, as chair of the president's intelligence advisory council.
Nunes, a longtime Trump supporter who chaired the US House of Representatives intelligence committee for much of Trump's first term, would continue to lead Truth Social while serving on the advisory group, Trump announced in a platform post.
As committee chairman, Nunes claimed that the FBI collaborated against Trump throughout its investigation into alleged Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election, in which Trump beat Democratic contender Hillary Clinton.
According to Trump, “Devin will draw on his experience as former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and his key role in exposing the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, to provide me with independent assessments of the effectiveness and propriety of the U.S. Intelligence Community’s activities."
The President's Intelligence Advisory Board is a White House council that provides the president with objective assessments of intelligence agencies' efficacy and strategy.
On Saturday, Trump also appointed Troy Edgar, an IBM executive and former US Department of Homeland Security official, as the department's deputy secretary, and billionaire Bill White as the US ambassador to Belgium.
Edgar was Trump's former CFO and associate deputy undersecretary of management for homeland security. White is the former CEO of the Intrepid Museum in New York City, the current CEO of the Constellations Group, and a long-term friend of Trump.
In a Truth Social post, Trump stated that Edgar was "previously the Mayor of Los Alamitos, California, where he helped me lead the City and County revolt against Sanctuary Cities in 2018".
Money that pays off: Major donors assume key positions in Trump admin.
Almost three dozen of President-elect Donald Trump's future administration appointments have contributed to his campaign or allied entities, including tech billionaire Elon Musk, the highest revealed donor for the 2024 race, CNN reported.
Eight of his cabinet candidates, including Linda McMahon for the Education Department, and their spouses contributed more than $37 million combined, underlining the power of ultra-wealthy individuals in dictating US policy during the second Trump administration.
Two other cabinet nominees, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, moved funds from their campaign accounts to the pro-Trump campaign.
Musk, who contributed more than $277 million to Trump's campaign, is guiding a new Department of Government Efficiency initiative and has played an important role in the presidential transition, offering his opinions on job candidates, speaking with world leaders, and meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as he considers how to reduce the federal government.
CNN found that more than 30 of those given high-level posts in his government donated to his campaign or one of the main Trump-aligned outside groups, according to an FEC record examination.
According to an examination of campaign disclosures, five members of his first cabinet gave over $8 million to his committees or big outside groups that supported him. Donations from McMahon, Trump's SBA administrator during his first term, amounted to more than 90% of the total in the 2016 election.
Linda McMahon, Trump's Education Secretary nominee, donated $21.2 million, while other seven-figure donors include Howard Lutnick (Commerce), Scott Bessent (Treasury), Kelly Loeffler (SBA), and her husband Jeff Sprecher. Trump also appointed close associates and family members to key diplomatic roles, such as Warren Stephens as US envoy to the UK, Charles Kushner as ambassador to France, and Tom Barrack to Turkey. Real estate mogul Steve Witkoff, a longtime Trump ally, was named special envoy to the Middle East after donating $250,000 to a pro-Trump super PAC.
