Trump Check January 3, 2019

Draining The Swamp? Former Lobbyists In Line For Key Cabinet Posts

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 02: U.S. President Donald Trump (C) leads a meeting of his Cabinet, including (L-R) Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, in the Cabinet Room at the White House January 02, 2019 in Washington, DC. A partial federal government shutdown entered its 12th day as Trump and House Democrats are at an impasse over funding for border security, including the president’s demand for $5 billion for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Let’s take look at who’s minding the store. As Eric Lipton of The New York Times has pointed out, here are four people Donald Trump wants in cabinet level positions. Azar has been confirmed by the Senate. Others are “acting”:

Department of Defense: Patrick Shanahan (former Boeing executive)

Environmental Protection Agency: Andrew Wheeler (former coal lobbyist)

Health and Human Services: Alex Azar (former pharmaceutical lobbyist)

Department of the Interior: David Bernhardt (former oil industry lobbyist)

As of Thursday, DOD will be run by a former senior Boeing executive. EPA is run by a former coal lobbyist. HHS is run by a former pharmaceutical lobbyist. And Interior will be run by a former oil-industry lobbyist. Welcome to 2019.

— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) January 3, 2019