Trump nominated Dr. Oz, a heart surgeon made famous by his appearance on Oprah who was later criticized for promoting outdated diets and detoxification regimens, to lead Medicare and Medicaid Services
President-elect Donald Trump said he is nominating Dr. Mehmet Oz, the long-running television talk show host, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“Doctor. Oz will be a leader in promoting disease prevention, so that we get the best results in the world for every dollar we spend on health care in our great country,” Trump said in a statement. “He will also cut waste and fraud in our Nation’s most expensive Government Agency, which accounts for one-third of the Nation’s Health Care spending and one-quarter of the entire National Budget. our family.”
Oz unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in Pennsylvania as a Republican in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump.
Before that, Trump has selected Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as its candidate for commerce secretary, a position in which he will have a key role in the implementation of Trump’s plan to increase and enforce tariffs.
Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. In the post, Trump said Lutnick “will lead our Tariffs and Trade agenda and have additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative.”
Lutnick is co-chairman of the Trump’s transition teamalong with Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with recommending candidates for key roles in the next administration.
The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a vast Cabinet agency involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring weather. This is also a position where networking with CEOs and the broader business community is important.
An advocate of widespread tariffs, Lutnick told CNBC in September that “tariffs are a great tool for the president to use — we need to protect American workers.” Trump on the campaign trail Proposal to impose 60% tax on Chinese goods — and tariffs of up to 20% on everything else the United States imports.
Mainstream economists are often skeptical of tariffs, viewing them as a largely ineffective way for governments to raise money and promote prosperity.
Lutnick has been considered for treasury secretary, a role that has been at the center of high-level competition in Trump world. At the same time, the treasury position is closely watched in financial circles, where a disruptive candidate could have immediate negative consequences on the stock market, something Trump watches closely.
The news also comes after billionaire Elon Musk and others in Trump’s orbit called on Trump to drop his front-runner for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, in favor of Lutnick. “Bessent is a normal business choice, while @howardlutnick will actually enact change,” Musk said in his post.
Lutnick joined Cantor Fitzgerald in 1983 and rose to the position of president and CEO in 1991.
Lutnick is also the president of a financial technology company BGC GroupInc. and commercial real estate services company Newmark CorporationInc.
Lutnick has previously donated to both the Democratic and Republican Parties and appeared on Trump’s NBC reality show, “The Apprentice.” He became part of the president-elect’s inner circle and shared the stage with Trump at events in the closing days of his campaign, including a rally at Madison Square Garden .
He was criticized in the final days of the campaign in an interview with CNN in which he repeated blatant criticism of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about vaccines.
