Trump nominates ex-Reagan official as trade rep
President-elect Donald Trump, who made criticism of foreign trade deals a major theme of his presidential campaign, said Tuesday he is nominating former Reagan administration official Robert Lighthizer to be his new U.S. trade representative.
Lighthizer, 69, “has extensive experience striking agreements that protect some of the most im- portant sectors of our economy and has repeatedly fought in the private sector to prevent bad deals from hurting Americans,” Trump said in a statement. “He will do an amazing job helping turn around the failed trade policies which have robbed so many Americans of prosperity.”
A critic of China trade practices in particular, Lighthizer said he is “fully committed to President-elect Trump’s mission to level the playing field for American workers and forge better trade policies, which will benefit all Americans.”
In recent years, Lighthizer has worked on trade issues as a partner with the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
Trump made the announcement while preparing for another day of briefings and jobs interviews at his Manhattan office tower. The president-elect also stayed busy on social media. In a flurry of new tweets, Trump:
Questioned House Republicans for gutting a congressional ethics investigating committee, tweeting that the GOP should focus on issues like tax reform and health care; however, Trump also described the independent ethics committee’s work as “unfair.”
Threatened General Motors — and presumably other companies — with the imposition of a “border tax” over operations in Mexico.
Again pledged to dismantle President Obama’s health care plan, saying it “just doesn’t work, and it is not affordable.”
Later in the week, Trump plans to receive a special security briefing on allegations that Russia orchestrated the hacking of Democratic officials during last year’s presidential election, aides said. Trump is awaiting a final report being developed by intelligence agencies at Obama’s request.
Among the jobs he plans to fill in the coming days: director of National Intelligence, secretary of Agriculture and secretary of Veterans Affairs.