Trump considering woman, openly gay man for leadership posts

By STEVE PEOPLES and JULIE PACE

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — His nascent administration already under attack, President-elect Donald Trump was considering Monday whether to inject new diversity into the GOP by recommending a woman to lead the Republican Party and an openly gay man to represent the United States at the United Nations.

 

The moves, among dozens under consideration from his transition team, follow an intense and extended backlash from Trump's decision on Sunday to appoint Steve Bannon, a man celebrated by the white nationalist movement, to serve as his chief strategist and senior adviser.

 

"After winning the presidency but losing the popular vote, President-elect Trump must try to bring Americans together - not continue to fan the flames of division and bigotry," said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. She called Bannon's appointment "an alarming signal" that Trump "remains committed to the hateful and divisive vision that defined his campaign."

 

His inauguration just 66 days away, however, Trump focused on building his team and speaking to foreign leaders. He remained sequestered in Trump Tower in New York.

 

Inexperienced on the international stage, the Republican president-elect spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone. His transition office said in a readout that "he is very much looking forward to having a strong and enduring relationship with Russia and the people of Russia." Trump has spoken in recent days with the leaders of China, Mexico, South Korea and Canada.

 

At the same time, Trump was considering tapping Richard Grenell as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He would be the first openly gay person to fill a Cabinet-level foreign policy post. Grenell, known in part for aggressive criticism of rivals on Twitter, previously served as U.S. spokesman at the U.N. under President George W. Bush.

 

Trump was also weighing whether to select Michigan GOP chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, a niece of chief Trump critic and 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney. She would be the second woman ever to lead the Republican National Committee — and the first in four decades.

 

"I'll be interested in whatever Mr. Trump wants," McDaniel told The Associated Press on Monday, adding that she was planning to seek the Michigan GOP chairmanship again.

 

Appointing McDaniel to run the GOP's political arm could be an effort to help the party heal the anger after a campaign in which Trump demeaned women. The appointment of Grenell, who has openly supported same-sex marriage, could begin to ease concerns by the gay community about Vice President-elect Mike Pence's opposition to same-sex marriage during his time as Indiana governor.

 

The personnel moves under consideration were confirmed by people with direct knowledge of Trump's thinking who were not authorized to publicly disclose private discussions. They stressed that the decisions were not final.

 

Internal deliberations about staffing come a day after Trump made overtures to warring Republican circles by appointing Bannon and RNC Chairman Reince Priebus as his White House chief of staff.

 

The former media executive, who led a website that appealed to the so-called "alt-right" — a movement often associated with efforts on the far right to preserve "white identity," oppose multiculturalism and defend "Western values."

 

Priebus on Monday defended the media mogul, saying the two made an effective pair as they steered Trump past Democrat Hillary Clinton and toward the presidency. He sought to distance Bannon from the incendiary headlines on his website, saying they were written by unspecified others.

 

"Together, we've been able to manage a lot of the decision making in regard to the campaign," Priebus told NBC's "Today." ''It's worked very, very well."

 

President Barack Obama avoided any direct criticism of Trump's personnel moves during an afternoon news conference, suggesting that the new president deserves "room to staff up."

 

"It's important for us to let him make his decisions," Obama said. "The American people will judge over the course of the next couple of years whether they like what they see."

 

The outgoing president encouraged Trump, however, to embrace a unifying tone.

 

"It's really important to try to send some signals of unity and to reach out to minority groups or women or others that were concerned about the tenor of the campaign," Obama said. "And I think that's something he will — he will want to do."

 

Trump's hires were, at first glance, contradictory, though they fit a pattern of the celebrity businessman creating a veritable Rorschach test that allowed his supporters to see what they wanted. Priebus, who lashed the RNC to Trump this summer despite some intraparty objections, is a GOP operative with deep expertise of the Washington establishment that Trump has vowed to shake up. He has close ties to House Speaker Paul Ryan, a fellow Wisconsinite.

 

Bannon, meanwhile, helped transform the Breitbart News site into the leading mouthpiece of the party's anti-establishment wing, which helped fuel the businessman's political rise. Ryan has been one of his most frequent targets.

 

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, called Bannon's selection "a sad day."

 

Bannon, Greenblatt said, "presided over the rise of Breitbart as a haven online" for the "alt-right." The website under Bannon's leadership "trafficked in the some of the worst tropes, not just only against Jews — but the anti-Semitism is real — but also against other minorities, particularly Mexicans and Muslims."

___

Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, Ken Thomas in New York, Donna Cassata in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-11-15

 

Good for him. Bring in the best man or woman for the job!

He also won the popular vote. That article is incorrect. We gave Obama a chance, lets give him due and see what happens.

2 hours ago, Ulysses G. said:

Good for him. Bring in the best man or woman for the job!

 

You mean the antisemitic Bannon? Thats the best for the job in your view?

7 minutes ago, elephant45 said:

He also won the popular vote. That article is incorrect. We gave Obama a chance, lets give him due and see what happens.

Well, as of now, it appears he has not won the popular vote.   

26 minutes ago, Credo said:

Well, as of now, it appears he has not won the popular vote.   

 

I believe winning or not winning the popular vote is a mute topic at this point.  Trump won this election and he is going to be the next president of the United States.

 

Trump hasn't even moved into the White House yet, and is already displaying great leadership qualities by seeking out the best and most qualified to be part of his administration, regardless of gender, religious, and sexual preferences.

 

In spite of the liberal, left-wing nut cases wringing their hands and weeping over Hillary losing this election, Trump will make America great again.  God Bless Trump and his supporters. :-)

45 minutes ago, DriveByTrucker said:

 

You mean the antisemitic Bannon? Thats the best for the job in your view?

 

I do not buy that charge. The liberal lied all through the election,so I take their claims with a grain of salt. They said the same thing about Trump and that is nonsense.

Guess they missed part where Trump said "Some of my best friends are Negroes"

3 hours ago, DriveByTrucker said:

 

You mean the antisemitic Bannon? Thats the best for the job in your view?

Depends on the job !

3 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

 

I believe winning or not winning the popular vote is a mute topic at this point.  Trump won this election and he is going to be the next president of the United States.

 

Trump hasn't even moved into the White House yet, and is already displaying great leadership qualities by seeking out the best and most qualified to be part of his administration, regardless of gender, religious, and sexual preferences.

 

In spite of the liberal, left-wing nut cases wringing their hands and weeping over Hillary losing this election, Trump will make America great again.  God Bless Trump and his supporters. :-)

America is the greatest country in the world. Says my American Friend. I visit him once per month at the Funny Farm.

4 hours ago, elephant45 said:

He also won the popular vote. That article is incorrect. We gave Obama a chance, lets give him due and see what happens.

 

"We gave Obama a chance".

 

Wow, you should do stand up.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

 

I believe winning or not winning the popular vote is a mute topic at this point.  Trump won this election and he is going to be the next president of the United States.

 

Trump hasn't even moved into the White House yet, and is already displaying great leadership qualities by seeking out the best and most qualified to be part of his administration, regardless of gender, religious, and sexual preferences.

 

In spite of the liberal, left-wing nut cases wringing their hands and weeping over Hillary losing this election, Trump will make America great again.  God Bless Trump and his supporters. :-)

 

Agreed about the popular vote, but there's also no need to twist fact as a previous poster did. He won the elections, leave it at that.

 

Wouldn't know that his confirmed appointments conform to "the best and most qualified" bit. Especially so with reference to Bannon. The article is yet another in a predictable wave of rumors regarding possible appointments, rather than confirmed ones. Perhaps best to wait and see who actually gets what before celebrating Trump's "great leadership qualities".

 

What strikes me as funny is how Trump gets applauded for trivial things,  like exhibiting common sense or courtesy, which are usually the expected norm from someone in his position. The bar is being set rather low, in some cases.

 

"...Trump will make America great again.  God Bless Trump and his supporters."

 

And here I was thinking Trump is the president of all US citizens, and that "making America great again" is an inclusive statement. Guess some don't see it this way.

I'm not one for tokenism as I think in almost all cases it leads to mediocrity. That said, if these two have the chops for the assignments AND they create a more diverse Executive branch, so much the better.

Kind of reminds me of the first car I bought. I put a new louder horn on it so people would notice me and get out of my way. I think The Donald is stealing my idea. PS. You may want to consider a Blackberry as China might caught off mobile phone exports if your not a team player. 

Edited November 15, 20169 yr by elgordo38

5 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

 

I believe winning or not winning the popular vote is a mute topic at this point.  Trump won this election and he is going to be the next president of the United States.

 

Trump hasn't even moved into the White House yet, and is already displaying great leadership qualities by seeking out the best and most qualified to be part of his administration, regardless of gender, religious, and sexual preferences.

 

In spite of the liberal, left-wing nut cases wringing their hands and weeping over Hillary losing this election, Trump will make America great again.  God Bless Trump and his supporters. :-)

 

 

seems pretty noisy for a "mute" topic

3 hours ago, Ulysses G. said:

 

I do not buy that charge. The liberal lied all through the election,so I take their claims with a grain of salt. They said the same thing about Trump and that is nonsense.

 

"Liberals" did it again.

 

Of course the "liberal media" created a white supremacist in the form of Bannon. No doubt the "Liberals" created Alt-Right too and the KKK, hell in your simplistic view of the world "liberals" probably created Hitler, Idi Amin and Pol Pot too! But funny enough it are the fascists, racists, xenophobes, antisemitic, homophobes, etc. among the likes of you who are extremely happy with the appointment of Bannon. Is that because these deplorables read the “liberal” media too, hence found out that Bannon supports their causes?

 

And when considering lies, wasnt it Trump who actually did lie all through the election (about almost everything), and sadly enough, is happily continuing his lies to his voters? After all, he started retracting his campaign policies on the same day he got the electoral votes. That in my view is lying to your constituencies. But don’t take my word for it. After all, these are the words of a liberal. Suggest you just take in your daily dose of Beitbart truth and just look at "the establishment" he would drain (which is a 100% liberal view btw) and who are now part of his team, or how his position on Obamacare couldn't change fast enough. My guess it that his socialist views on Jobs, Infrastructure, Globalization/trade-deals, extra hospitals, etc. will pretty soon be abolished too. After all he won the electoral votes so there is no longer a need to promise all kinds of things to the "Average Joe"......

 

 

33 minutes ago, DriveByTrucker said:

 

"Liberals" did it again.

 

Of course the "liberal media" created a white supremacist in the form of Bannon. No doubt the "Liberals" created Alt-Right too and the KKK, hell in your simplistic view of the world "liberals" probably created Hitler, Idi Amin and Pol Pot too! But funny enough it are the fascists, racists, xenophobes, antisemitic, homophobes, etc. among the likes of you who are extremely happy with the appointment of Bannon. Is that because these deplorables read the “liberal” media too, hence found out that Bannon supports their causes?

 

 

And when considering lies, wasnt it Trump who actually did lie all through the election (about almost everything), and sadly enough, is happily continuing his lies to his voters? After all, he started retracting his campaign policies on the same day he got the electoral votes. That in my view is lying to your constituencies. But don’t take my word for it. After all, these are the words of a liberal. Suggest you just take in your daily dose of Beitbart truth and just look at "the establishment" he would drain (which is a 100% liberal view btw) and who are now part of his team, or how his position on Obamacare couldn't change fast enough. My guess it that his socialist views on Jobs, Infrastructure, Globalization/trade-deals, extra hospitals, etc. will pretty soon be abolished too. After all he won the electoral votes so there is no longer a need to promise all kinds of things to the "Average Joe"......

 

 

 

 

Somewhere, a therapy dog is waiting for you.

2 minutes ago, Usernames said:

 

Somewhere, a therapy dog is waiting for you.

 

Oh I am not the fascist here Username, so I am not the one insane and in need of therapy.....good luck with your life!

Just now, DriveByTrucker said:

 

Oh I am not the fascist here Username, so I am not the one insane and in need of therapy.....good luck with your life!

A Swing!  . . . and a miss.

Fools choose a fool to president, who chooses fools in his Cabinet .... was predictable, so whats the problem

 

 

7 hours ago, DriveByTrucker said:

 

You mean the antisemitic Bannon? Thats the best for the job in your view?

 

Do you have any proof of this, other than a one statement he is supposed to have made to his ex-wife and used as a way of gouging money from him during a divorce? Or are you just repeating what you have been told by other liberals?

Liberal: " Willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas"

Sounds ok to me.

Its great he hired a homosexual. That should tell the drama queens. 

As the legendary George Carlin said, what is this "openly gay" nonsense? Would you describe someone as "openly black"?

 

For god's sake it's an irrelevance to anyone but the retarded.

 

 

5 hours ago, Usernames said:

 

Somewhere, a therapy dog is waiting for you.

 

Indeed. A post chock full of the same lies, distortions and exaggerations that the liberal media have relied on to smear Trump for months. No wonder the American people ignored this nonsense and elected him president.

3 hours ago, Prbkk said:

Liberal: " Willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas"

Sounds ok to me.

They don't want to be called "Liberals" anymore.  They now call themselves "Progressives". 

4 hours ago, Dtrump said:

List of LGBT members of the United States Congress.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT_members_of_the_United_States_Congress

 

Only a retarded person would not understand why?  Why is there an openly gay forum on Thai Visa? 

so that some pro-Clinton thaivisa keyboard warriors can maybe find some fun and/or love I guess.

1 hour ago, landslide said:

They don't want to be called "Liberals" anymore.  They now call themselves "Progressives". 

 

Makes more sense because Democrats and Republicans alike are liberals. It was particularly clever branding by the Democrats to steal the label.

You couldn't make it up!

 

 

Quote

 

Ben Carson declines role in Trump administration because he 'feels he has no government experience'

http://www.businessinsider.com/ben-carson-donald-trump-administration-2016-11

 

 

Honorable man or more money to be made outside than in?

11 hours ago, Prbkk said:

Liberal: " Willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas"

Sounds ok to me.

 

Except today's Liberals have morphed into condescending idealogues and are the new oppressors of the working class. That is why they lost the election.