Trump appoints national security adviser

Update, 2:05 p.m.:

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday appointed Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., as his new national security adviser. Waltz became the first Green Beret to serve in Congress, according to his website. Waltz has also previously served in the White House and the Pentagon, Trump said.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y. Associated Press / Photo by Matt Rourke, file

Initial post, 10:50 a.m.

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday said he would appoint former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., to head up the Environmental Protection Agency. Trump promised that Zeldin would swiftly eliminate regulations on American businesses. Going forward, federal environmental policies will focus on unleashing the power of American businesses while maintaining high environmental standards, Trump said.

Zeldin repeated Trump’s promises in a statement of his own. As a member of the cabinet, he would focus on establishing U.S. energy dominance, bringing back auto industry jobs from abroad, and leading in artificial intelligence technology. The new administration can hit those goals while maintaining clean air and water standards, he added.

What other cabinet appointments are reportedly in the works? Trump was considering appointing Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to be his new Secretary of State, Fox News reported. Fox reported separately that the president-elect was considering South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as a candidate for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Many observers also expect Trump to include billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in his cabinet.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about how Republicans are staring down the possibility of controlling both legislative chambers as well after securing the White House.