Trump search for Treasury pick widens, sources say
2024.11.18 11:48
By Steve Holland
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump’s search for a Treasury secretary is widening after it stalled over the weekend and he is looking at other candidates, two sources briefed on the matter said on Monday.
Banker Howard Lutnick and investor Scott Bessent had been lead candidates for the top Treasury job in the new Trump administration, Reuters reported last week. However, no announcement about the position was made and the team has widened the search, the two sources said.
Among the other names being considered are Apollo Global Management (NYSE:) Chief Executive Marc Rowan, one of the sources said, confirming earlier reporting by the New York Times (NYSE:) and the Wall Street Journal, which said that Trump was also considering former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh.
Rowan and Warsh did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Bessent declined to comment. A spokesperson for Lutnick declined to comment.
It was unclear if any candidates had been ruled out or if other names could be added to the mix. A number of other people have also been speculated for the position.
The Treasury secretary role is one of the highest-profile cabinet posts, overseeing the country’s financial and economic policy. As such, it is one of the key roles being watched by global investors and Wall Street.
As of Sunday, Trump was also considering Lutnick for another economic job, possibly that of commerce secretary, the source briefed on the matter told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Two top Trump advisers, Tesla (NASDAQ:) CEO Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is Trump’s pick to head the Health and Human Services Department, sided with Lutnick for the position, sending supportive posts on social media.
Musk did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment beyond his post on X. A spokesperson for Kennedy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
