President-elect Donald Trump has been getting flack about his Cabinet picks, as many have accused him of selecting billionaires to serve alongside him. On Thursday, Trump defended his decision, saying that he wanted to work with successful people.
According to The Huffington Post, Trump addressed a rally crowd in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday and said, “A newspaper criticized me and said, ‘Why can’t they have people of modest means?’ Because I want people that made a fortune! Because now they are negotiating [for] you, OK?”
The media outlet notes that Trump’s Cabinet, which is made up of several billionaires and multimillionaires, is about to become the wealthiest Presidential Cabinet in history. The President-elect has been under fire since he appointed his $14.5 billion Cabinet, which includes Linda McMahon, Betsy DeVos, Todd Ricketts, Wilbur Ross, Steven Mnuchin, and Andy Puzder, among others.
The Guardian has compiled details about Trump’s Cabinet picks, noting that McMahon, 68, was assigned to lead the Small Business Administration. She ran the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) with husband Vince McMahon for decades, and her net worth is said to be about $1 billion. Meanwhile, DeVos was appointed as Secretary of Education and is the daughter-in-law of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos. Her family’s net worth is estimated at $5.1 billion.
Chicago Cubs co-owner Ricketts has been tapped as Deputy Secretary of Commerce, while Ross, 79, has been appointed as the Secretary of Commerce and is a billionaire investor with a net worth of $2.9 billion. Puzder, 66, was assigned as Secretary of Labor and is a restaurant executive who operates fast food chains including Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. Mnuchin, 53, was appointed as Treasury Secretary and is a hedge funder and Hollywood producer.
Trump said that his Cabinet appointees are very proud to serve the people, saying that they have given up their income to earn only a dollar a year while working with him.
“They’ve given up fortunes, of income, to come and make a dollar a year, and they are so proud to do so,” said Trump.
