On Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump announced a number of new appointments for his incoming administration.
Director of the National Institutes of Health: Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD
I am thrilled to nominate Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Bhattacharya will work in cooperation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to direct the Nation’s Medical Research, and to make important discoveries that will improve Health, and save lives.
Jay is a Professor of Health Policy at Stanford University, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economics Research, and a Senior Fellow by courtesy at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Stanford Freeman Spogli Institute, and the Hoover Institution. He directs Stanford’s Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging. His Research focuses on the Health and Well-Being of vulnerable populations, emphasizing the role of Government programs, Biomedical Innovation, and Economics. Jay is a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, an alternative to lockdowns proposed in October 2020. His peer-reviewed research has been published in Economics, Statistics, Legal, Medical, Public Health, and Health Policy Journals. He holds an MD and PhD in Economics from Stanford University.
Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to a Gold Standard of Medical Research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America’s biggest Health challenges, including our Crisis of Chronic Illness and Disease. Together, they will work hard to Make America Healthy Again!
Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services: Jim O’Neill
I am very pleased to nominate Jim O’Neill to serve as the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services to work alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He will oversee all operations and improve Management, Transparency, and Accountability to, Make America Healthy Again.
Jim previously served as the Principal Associate Deputy Secretary of HHS. He led reforms at FDA to overhaul Food Safety Regulations, and implemented the FDA Amendments Act, which improved Drug and Medical Device Safety, and ensured greater protection for Public Health. He helped design and launch the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to improve the Health response to Emergencies and Disasters. After serving at HHS, Jim became a Managing Director of Clarium Capital, a Global Macro Investment Fund. As CEO of the Thiel Foundation, Jim funded Innovative Nonprofits that promote Technology and Freedom. By co-founding the Thiel Fellowship, he helped launch the careers of young Entrepreneurs, who founded Science and Tech Companies worth Hundreds of Billions of Dollars. More recently, Jim served as CEO of SENS Research Foundation (SRF). He led efforts to research and develop Regenerative Medicine Solutions for age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Cancer, and Heart Disease. Under his leadership, SRF made progress toward rejuvenating the immune system, eliminating senescent cells, rejuvenating the neocortex, and obviating mitochondrial mutations.
Jim and RFK Jr. will fight in unison to ensure every American, and especially our most precious resource, our children, will live long and healthy lives and, Make America Great and Healthy Again!
United States Secretary of the Navy: Jim Phelan
It is my great honor to announce John Phelan as our next United States Secretary of the Navy! John will be a tremendous force for our Naval Servicemembers, and a steadfast leader in advancing my America First vision. He will put the business of the U.S. Navy above all else.
John has excelled in every endeavor, from founding and leading Rugger Management LLC, to co-founding MSD Capital, LP, the Private Investment Firm for Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies. His Record of Success speaks for itself – A true Champion of American Enterprise and Ingenuity!
John’s intelligence and leadership are unmatched. John holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and is a truly brilliant guy! His incredible knowledge and experience will elevate the lives of the brave Americans who serve our Nation. John will deliver real results for our Navy and our Country. I look forward to working with him.
Director of the White House National Economic Council: Dr. Kevin A. Hassett
I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Kevin A. Hassett, of Massachusetts will serve as the Director of the White House National Economic Council. As my Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, Kevin played a crucial role in helping to design and pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and stood with me as we pursued our enormously successful agenda to Make America Great Again. He will play an important role in helping American families recover from the Inflation that was unleashed by the Biden Administration. Together, we will renew and improve our record Tax Cuts, and ensure that we have Fair Trade with Countries that have taken advantage of the United States in the past. Kevin will also play a key role strengthening our Economic relationships with Allies, new and old, while also securing Prosperity for the American People.
Kevin is currently the Brent R. Nicklas Distinguished Fellow in Economics at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and Managing Director at the Milken Institute. He served as the 29th Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers (2017-2019), and returned to the White House in 2020 to serve as my Senior Advisor.
