President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will nominate Alexander Acosta to lead the Labor Department, a day after the President’s previous nominee bowed out.
He praised Acosta for his “tremendous career.”
“I’ve wished him the best,” Trump said. “I think he’ll be a tremendous secretary of labor.”
Acosta, a protege of conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, was appointed to the National Labor Relations Board by President George W. Bush. He also served as assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s civil rights division under Bush’s administration.
If Acosta is confirmed, he will be the first Latino member of Trump’s cabinet.
Andrew Puzder withdrew his nomination for secretary of labor on Wednesday amid uncertain support from Republican senators.
Puzder was dogged by resurfaced allegations of domestic abuse, and admitted earlier in February that he failed to pay taxes on a housekeeper who was an undocumented immigrant.
He seems to have all the proper conservative qualifications. The real question is this: Is he hostile to the very concept of employees?
If the answer is no, then he’s a better choice than Puzder by an order of magnitude, regardless of whatever flaws he may have…which are undoubtedly many, given who nominated him.
Those will come out in time, and will likely be ignored by Republicans in the Senate. A week ago, they’d have even voted in Puzder.
Melania: “Acosta? Vell, dahlink, I love hees leetle alligator shirts. Zee Donalt geeves theem to me to play golf een.”
I agree that he may not be as bat sh*t as Puzder was but we’re still talking bad. Which was to be expected. TIme for Dems to dig up all the oppo research they can on him.
Side note: why does he look like the human version of Alfred E. Newman on the cover of Mad magazine?
trump said his approval rating according to Rasmusen is 55% (Likely voters that is) I know Rasmusen leans R but still.
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Forty-five percent (45%) disapprove.
The latest figures include 38% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 36% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of +2. (see trends).
(Barring something Trumpian)…Acosta would be the sixth lawyer to become Labor Secretary. From the ‘somewhat ironic’ file, former secretary Perez headed the DOJ civil rights division under Obama.
In order
Lewis B. Schwellenbach (Truman)
Arthur Goldberg (Kennedy)
W. Willard Wirtz (Kennedy n Johnson)
Libby Dole (Bush 1)
Tom Perez (Obama)