President-Elect Trump Begins to Fill His Cabinet

Although they have not been officially announced, the media is reporting the first three “hires” who will be joining President-Elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet in January.

Thursday evening, it was reported that Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn (ret.) has been selected to serve as National Security Adviser. He was one of the president-elect’s closest advisers on foreign policy and was formerly the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Then, Friday morning, two more picks were leaked to the media, reportedly from Trump transition team member Sean Spicer. While these nominations have not been formally announced, the source is highly credible.

First, U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has been offered the job of attorney general. Sessions was the earliest major endorsement Trump picked up during the Republican presidential primary race and has remained by his side throughout the campaign.

Sessions is a former U.S. Attorney and Alabama Attorney General. According to the Presidential Transition Team, he met with the president-elect Thursday, at which time Trump told the senator he was greatly impressed with his record as a prosecutor.

Also reportedly joining the Trump team is Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) as CIA Director. He has a law degree from Harvard and is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, having served in the U.S. Army for five years as an Armored Branch cavalry officer, achieving the rank of captain.

Although Flynn is a registered Democrat, he often labeled himself as a conservative and has been vocal in his opposition to President Barack Obama’s foreign policy. Sessions and Pompeo are both highly regarded within conservative activist circles in Washington, D.C.

More appointments are expected to be announced Friday morning.

UPDATE: The Presidential Transition Team has issued the following statement regarding the nominations:

President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced that he intends to nominate U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as Attorney General and U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.  Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn has been selected to be the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.

U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions has dedicated his life to public service. He has a distinguished legal career and has served as both the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama and Alabama Attorney General prior to his service in the U.S. Senate. He has been one of President-elect Trump’s trusted advisors on the campaign and will now continue his service as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer.

“It is an honor to nominate U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as Attorney General of the United States,” said President-elect Trump. “Jeff has been a highly respected member of the U.S. Senate for 20 years. He is a world-class legal mind and considered a truly great Attorney General and U.S. Attorney in the state of Alabama. Jeff is greatly admired by legal scholars and virtually everyone who knows him.”

“I am humbled to have been asked by President-elect Trump to serve as Attorney General of the United States,” said U.S. Senator Sessions. “My previous 15 years working in the Department of Justice were extraordinarily fulfilling. I love the Department, its people and its mission. I can think of no greater honor than to lead them. With the support of my Senate colleagues, I will give all my strength to advance the Department’s highest ideals. I enthusiastically embrace President-elect Trump’s vision for ‘one America,’ and his commitment to equal justice under law. I look forward to fulfilling my duties with an unwavering dedication to fairness and impartiality.”

Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a retired United States Army Lieutenant General and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, assumes the position of National Security Advisor with a decorated career of more than 35 years in service to our nation. He served as President-elect Trump’s top military advisor during the campaign and will now continue providing expert advice and support to the President-elect as his National Security Advisor.

“I am pleased that Lieutenant General Michael Flynn will be by my side as we work to defeat radical Islamic terrorism, navigate geopolitical challenges and keep Americans safe at home and abroad,” said President-elect Trump. “General Flynn is one of the country’s foremost experts on military and intelligence matters and he will be an invaluable asset to me and my administration.”

“I am deeply humbled and honored to accept the position as National Security Advisor to serve both our country and our nation’s next President, Donald J. Trump,” said Lieutenant General Flynn.

Congressman Mike Pompeo, representing Kansas’ Fourth Congressional District, is a former active duty cavalry officer in the U.S. Army, graduated first in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He currently serves on the House Intelligence Committee, which oversees America’s intelligence-gathering efforts.

“I am proud to nominate Congressman Mike Pompeo as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency,” said President-elect Trump. “He has served our country with honor and spent his life fighting for the security of our citizens. Mike graduated number one in his class at West Point and is a graduate of Harvard Law School where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He will be a brilliant and unrelenting leader for our intelligence community to ensure the safety of Americans and our allies.”

“I am honored to have been given this opportunity to serve and to work alongside President-elect Donald J. Trump to keep America safe. I also look forward to working with America’s intelligence warriors, who do so much to protect Americans each and every day,” said Congressman Pompeo.