Trump lags predecessors on diversity as he picks Cabinet

[webfact]

Trump lags predecessors on diversity as he picks Cabinet

By LISA LERER and JULIE PACE

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Donald Trump fills out his Cabinet, it's looking less like America's population and more like the world Trump has always orbited: wealthy, white, male-dominated and business-minded.

 

Trump, who railed against what he called "politically correct crap" during his no-holds-barred presidential campaign, is on track to create the least diverse Cabinet in a quarter-century.

 

The uniformity is particularly striking in the president-elect's picks for the highest-profile Cabinet and White House jobs. While he has selected a handful of women and minorities for lower-profile posts, his choices for the big four Cabinet slots — Treasury, State, Defense and Justice — and his top White House jobs — chief of staff, national security adviser and senior adviser — are all white men.

 

So, too, will white men run the departments of Commerce, Energy, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.

 

Should Trump be unable to complete his term as president, the top eight people in the line of succession are white men from the Cabinet and Congress. That number could grow to 12 if he picks a white man for Agriculture secretary. North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat, is the only woman believed to be in the mix.

 

Unlike recent predecessors in both parties, Trump so far has no Hispanics in the most prominent positions. Based on the current top contenders for remaining jobs, it appears unlikely he'll have a Hispanic in his Cabinet or in any top White House job.

 

Trump spokesman Jason Miller has pledged that the president-elect's team will be "very broad and diverse, both with the Cabinet and the administration."

 

But Trump himself seems to have different priorities: "I want people that made a fortune! Because now they're negotiating for you, OK?" he said, at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, last week.

 

Even if he appoints women or minorities to three remaining Cabinet-level posts — Veterans Affairs, Agriculture and the Office of Management and Budget — Trump will lag behind the past three administrations in creating a demographically diverse White House.

 

President Bill Clinton installed 10 women and minorities into Cabinet-level jobs during his first term, part of an effort to create an inclusive image for his new administration. Other presidents have followed suit: George W. Bush had nine in his first term, and Barack Obama broke records with 13, according to an analysis of data compiled by University of California at Berkeley law school professor Anne Joseph O'Connell.

 

So far, Trump has selected five non-white men or women for the 16 posts he's filled: Neurosurgeon Ben Carson for secretary of Housing and Urban Development, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as U.N. ambassador, former Bush administration Labor Secretary Elaine Chao for Transportation, activist Betsy DeVos as Education secretary and World Wrestling executive Linda McMahon to head the Small Business Administration.

 

"The Cabinet choices are the most visible. And, consequently, to the extent that he faces pressure on diversity, it plays out here," said O'Connell, who added that she expects even less diversity in lower-level government posts.

 

Republicans say it's important to consider the entirety of Trump's government, not just the roles at the top. For example, the president-elect has included several women and minorities on his list of candidates for the Supreme Court.

 

"It matters that government as a whole is representative of America," said Republican strategist Sara Fagen, former White House political director for George W. Bush. "I don't think this says something about him and his values."

 

Raw numbers don't tell the whole story when it comes to diversity in government and who wields influence in an administration. While Obama put together the most diverse Cabinet ever, some women in his White House still felt marginalized. The concerns reached the president himself during his first year in office, leading him to hold a dinner with senior female advisers to discuss his administration's boys-club image.

 

Some of Trump's most powerful aides are women. Kellyanne Conway served as his third and final campaign manager and remains a senior adviser. Trump's daughter Ivanka consults on most major decisions and is expected to continue doing so once her father is in the White House.

 

Shortly after the election, Trump met with BET founder Robert Johnson, who suggested the White House create an office of minority and urban affairs. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and influential adviser, was in the meeting and told Johnson it was something the transition team was already considering.

 

"It ended with me telling him, 'I want to be helpful to you if I've got an open door to make my case that I think are in the best interests of African-Americans,' Johnson said. "Everyone nodded they were willing to listen."

 

Earlier this year, an Associated Press review of the upper ranks of the Trump Organization revealed few, if any, black executives. Other minorities were also scarce at that level.

 

Trump had a rocky relationship with women and minorities during his presidential campaign. His victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton hinged almost entirely on white voters. Only about 2 percent of Trump voters were black and about 7 percent were Hispanic, according to exit polls conducted by Edison Research for the AP and television networks. Nearly 9 in 10 were white.

 

Less than half of Trump voters — about 47 percent — were female, the exit polls show, compared with 59 percent of Clinton voters.

___

AP Polling Director Emily Swanson and AP writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-12-16

[captspectre]

the liberal PC idiots just can't leave this alone! we saw what "diversity" in hiring did to the country! now we see that only the best people are being appointed to the jobs.about time !

 

[Silurian]

What do you mean lack of diversity? He has people from Goldman Sachs, from Exxon Mobile, from the military, from politics and even from Fox News. How much more diversity do you need? You have business (financial and oil) interests covered, military interests covered, politicians covered and non-biased (fair and balanced) media types.

 

Huh, what was that? Someone with ties to the common man? Hmmm...Um, I guess Steve Bannon? Wasn't he the one with all the slightly alt-right ideas that kept getting spouted during the campaign and riling up the "common man"?

 

With all this "diversity" things should work out for everyone, right?

[akentryan]

He has appointed people he will listen to and trust. Not a bunch of hacks selected because of their color or gender to fill some kind of contrived diversity rate.

[abrahamzvi]

3 hours ago, captspectre said:

the liberal PC idiots just can't leave this alone! we saw what "diversity" in hiring did to the country! now we see that only the best people are being appointed to the jobs.about time !

 

I'd love to hear what you will be saying in 3-4 years from now. I bet you won't be as upbeat as you are now!

[212Roger]

Trump is choosing the best person (that he believes) for the position.  Period!  What's wrong with that?  All Presidents should do likewise.  Obama chose "losers."   Give Trump a chance;  time will tell...   

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, captspectre said:

the liberal PC idiots just can't leave this alone! we saw what "diversity" in hiring did to the country! now we see that only the best people are being appointed to the jobs.about time !

 

 

 

So how come sara palin doesn't have a seat?

[Luckysilk]

Sick and tired of the left telling us what to do and think they can blame themselves for forcing this PC crap to the limit and the revolt.

 

Keep going President Elect Trump and pick the best and get the job done.

[elgordo38]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump, who railed against what he called "politically correct crap" during his no-holds-barred presidential campaign, is on track to create the least diverse Cabinet in a quarter-century.

 

Did the "Make America Great Again" crowd really expect this guy to deliver on his promises? How naive. I wonder what job he has in store for Kyane West you know the husband of the woman that Trump called fat. Apparently Kyane made a trip to Trump Towers. 

[bark]

4 hours ago, captspectre said:

the liberal PC idiots just can't leave this alone! we saw what "diversity" in hiring did to the country! now we see that only the best people are being appointed to the jobs.about time !

 

Besides, Doctor Ben Carson, there are no other smart black people ?

[Opl]

3 hours ago, Silurian said:

What do you mean lack of diversity? He has people from Goldman Sachs, from Exxon Mobile, from the military, from politics and even from Fox News. How much more diversity do you need? You have business (financial and oil) interests covered, military interests covered, politicians covered and non-biased (fair and balanced) media types.

 

Huh, what was that? Someone with ties to the common man? Hmmm...Um, I guess Steve Bannon? Wasn't he the one with all the slightly alt-right ideas that kept getting spouted during the campaign and riling up the "common man"?

 

With all this "diversity" things should work out for everyone, right?

 

... not to mention,  vultures and hawks, multi-millionaires and billionaires,  

Edited December 16, 2016 by Opl

[Thaidream]

I am afraid that the Trump cabinet means that the common man/woman will indeed be forgotten because all the things necessary to really advance the poor and middle classes will lessen the wealth of the 1% and all the cabinet picks are from the 1%.

It's like picking the Godfather to investigate the Mafia.

[canuckamuck]

You want the best people or do you want the most diverse? I think when you get to the level of running the most powerful government on Earth, you should be more interested in actual qualifications, rather than skin color or sexual orientation or whatever distinction is a hot issue at the moment.

[jcsmith]

4 hours ago, captspectre said:

the liberal PC idiots just can't leave this alone! we saw what "diversity" in hiring did to the country! now we see that only the best people are being appointed to the jobs.about time !

 

So let's take look at the best:

Secretary of State: Rex Tillerman has zero experience in anything like this after a long career with Exxon who is currently being sued for spreading false propaganda about climate change. Has been awarded Russia's highest honor for a non-citizen and a long history with Russia. 

 

National Security Advisor: Mike Flynn is about as nutty as Trump himself. He has many times retweeted fake news, just recently deleting one tying Hillary Clinton to the fictitious Pizza Gate which has been receiving news coverage lately. The "lock her up" leader has his own experience with leaking of documents, but is most well known for his conspiracy theory support and islamaphobia. This includes saying that 1.7 billion people are inflicted with the vicious cancer of islam, and that fear of Islam is rational. Quite a ISIS recruiting tool there.

 

Attorney General: Jeff Sessions was denied a federal judgeship over racism allegations. Once said that he thought the KKK was okay until he found out they smoked weed. 

 

EPA Head: Scott Pruitt is a climate denier with ties to the very companies that he should be protecting against. 

Secretary of Labor: Andrew Puzder comes from the fast food industry and opposes a minimum wage hike as well as opposing efforts to make more workers eligible for overtime. Great to know we have this guy batting for us...

 

Top Advisor: Steve Bannon is the guy who brought us such great and unbiased news as Breitbart. Enough said.

Secretary of Education: Betsy Devos has no experience at all in the public school system who strongly supports a charter school system. 
 

Great that Trump is bringing out the Cream of the Crop!

Edited December 16, 2016 by jcsmith

[jesimps]

It's his presidency. You'd expect him to feel duty bound to pick the best people for the job, rather than be lumbered with mediocrities, due to trying to please the liberal PC mob.

Edited December 16, 2016 by jesimps

[Thaidream]

While I do not want the so called 'politically correct'  as a basis for picking cabinet members I do want a diverse cabinet which represents what the population of the country looks like. The worst feeling in the World is to be represented in government by people who do not look like you; have your experiences or upbringing. There is no one in this cabinet that is truly representative of the common man or woman. What I see is a bunch of millionaires/billionaires who know nothing about the struggles of the average American trying to raise a family; pay a mortgage; get an education for their children and try at some point to retire.

This cabinet will increase business and jobs in America but the most money will go to the already wealthy and the rest of us will get peanuts. What America needs is a real redistribution of wealth and these picks will not do it.

Some of the military picks will probably be OK but the problem is that Trump and they will want to increase the military budget because they all see terrorists behind every tree. America already has the highest defense budget in the World at over $630 Billion per year and they want to increase it even more. In addition there are so many assorted intelligence agencies consuming billions of dollars that we can't even get a single agreed upon intelligence brief. Of course, they will take money away from the poor and senior citizens to pay for this increase and say it's all for 'national security'. 

Would Hillary have been better. No, but Bernie Sanders would have because his program and cabinet would have actually fixed with what is wrong with America. I will give Trump a chance to prove me wrong but so far I don't see much hope.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, jcsmith said:

So let's take look at the best:

Secretary of State: Rex Tillerman has zero experience in anything like this after a long career with Exxon who is currently being sued for spreading false propaganda about climate change. Has been awarded Russia's highest honor for a non-citizen and a long history with Russia. 

 

National Security Advisor: Mike Flynn is about as nutty as Trump himself. He has many times retweeted fake news, just recently deleting one tying Hillary Clinton to the fictitious Pizza Gate which has been receiving news coverage lately. The "lock her up" leader has his own experience with leaking of documents, but is most well known for his conspiracy theory support and islamaphobia. This includes saying that 1.7 billion people are inflicted with the vicious cancer of islam, and that fear of Islam is rational. Quite a ISIS recruiting tool there.

 

Attorney General: Jeff Sessions was denied a federal judgeship over racism allegations. Once said that he thought the KKK was okay until he found out they smoked weed. 

 

EPA Head: Scott Pruitt is a climate denier with ties to the very companies that he should be protecting against. 

Secretary of Labor: Andrew Puzder comes from the fast food industry and opposes a minimum wage hike as well as opposing efforts to make more workers eligible for overtime. Great to know we have this guy batting for us...

 

Top Advisor: Steve Bannon is the guy who brought us such great and unbiased news as Breitbart. Enough said.

Secretary of Education: Betsy Devos has no experience at all in the public school system who strongly supports a charter school system. 
 

Great that Trump is bringing out the Cream of the Crop!

 

Well, that's what people seem to want - a change. From corrupt self seeking career politicians who talk the talk but deliver little except for themselves. From diversity where good candidates are passed over because someone else fills a particular quota and from liberal policies that just don't work. Not the idea, but the implementations.

 

Now, whether this and these are the right choices to deliver that transformation - we shall see. But with all this whining and moaning, flinging of unsubstantiated accusations, attempts at de-legitimizing the process, the democrats are driving more away from them.

 

 

[captspectre]

3 hours ago, abrahamzvi said:

I'd love to hear what you will be saying in 3-4 years from now. I bet you won't be as upbeat as you are now!

hang around, I will still be here! anything is better than what you had! I did not say we because I have been here for seventeen years and counting!

[au82tiger]

I was so excited to read the AP article.  Knowing that Lisa Lerer and Julie Pace (two Liberal Hacks) are so upset with the tremendous choices that The President Elect has thus far settled on, reassures me that finally we will be moving in the right direction. 

[dunroaming]

It's Trumps ship and he get's to pick his crew.  He has a vision of how the USA should be and he is appointing like minded people.  The ship may sink or not but as with all captains he will be responsible for his crew and his ship.  It is much too early to know while the ship is still in the dock and won't set sale for a few weeks yet.

 

It seems to me (and all the republicans I know) that it is going to be a complete disaster BUT! I have never hoped so much that I am wrong.

[IAMHERE]

4 hours ago, bark said:

Besides, Doctor Ben Carson, there are no other smart black people ?

None that voted Trump is a safe bet.

[connda]

What does 'diversity' really mean.  Think about it.

[dunroaming]

7 minutes ago, connda said:

What does 'diversity' really mean.  Think about it.

 

In this case it means people with diverse points of view that come together to give balance on important matters of government.  Rather than a one trick pony with blinkers on.  It is at the core of the democratic system.

 

So fat chance then!

[LarryBird]

30 minutes ago, connda said:

What does 'diversity' really mean.  Think about it.

 

Thinking about people as abstractions.

[sgtsabai]

His so-called cabinet is filled with alligators, snapping turtles and cottonmouths, with the exception of Gen. Mattis who while I have great respect for should not be filling a civilian position. He isn't draining the swamp he is filling it with some of the most dangerous creatures known to mankind. They are racist, misogynist, bigots, homophobic, Wall Street criminal/banksters, climate deniers, polluters, anti-education, neocon/neoliberal, 1% of the worst sort. Oh and a nut case former general. The scum of the scum. No moral person, perhaps with the exception of Gen. Mattis who I can't believe even now would accept a job from the Trump, would accept a job in his fascist government. Wait and see, no way, resist! He is not and never will be my president. An amoral perhaps human being that shows all the signs of being a fascist. No, not no but Hell No!

[Opl]

Trump’s 17 cabinet-level picks have more money than a third of American households combined

 

http://qz.com/862412/trumps-16-cabinet-level-picks-have-more-money-than-a-third-of-american-households-combined/

 

Here's a look at how some of the wealthiest appointees so far stack up, according to data and estimates by the Washington Post, Forbes, The Guardian, and OpenSecrets.org:

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/trump-s-cabinet-picks-have-combined-wealth-11b-how-did-n692681

 

Marge Baker (executive vice-president of the liberal pressure group People For the American Way°: "  “When you’ve got Wall Street billionaires setting the agenda it’s not likely to benefit average Americans. Research shows that the wealthy have different priorities and policy priorities, for example on healthcare and the minimum wage.”

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/02/trumps-rich-pickings-president-elects-team-could-be-wealthiest-ever

 

 

[canuckamuck]

Oviously the president should be looking at less successful people so that everyone can feel warm and fuzzy about it.

[Scott]

Inflammatory post removed.  

[stevenl]

Oviously the president should be looking at less successful people so that everyone can feel warm and fuzzy about it.

He should be looking at people suitable for the position.

Sent from my ROBBY using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[Silurian]

He has diversity on his "spy team" as well by hiring the mentally challenged.

 

Flynn: crazy tweeting and lock her up nut job; oh and disclosing classified material "accidentally"

Pompeo: wants to create a searchable database on all Americans including financial and lifestyle information

Sessions: wants communication such as email turned over to the Government without any court order in case of any "emergency" situation

 

You can watch civil liberties and net privacy disappear.

 

Band of Big Brothers: Meet Trump’s spy team

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3150741/government/band-of-big-brothers-meet-trumps-spy-team.html