Palm Beach, Nov 17 (AP) President-elect Donald Trump made his selection for energy secretary on Saturday, even as a key ally, billionaire Elon Musk, called for more direct public input into the decision-making process for another top post: the head of the Treasury Department.
Trump picked Chris Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, as energy secretary. Wright is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking, a key pillar of Trump's quest to achieve US "energy dominance" in the global market.
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The announcement of that selection came hours after Musk mused about the president-elect's yet-to-be-made treasury secretary choice. "Would be interesting to hear more people weigh in on this for @realDonaldTrump to consider feedback," Musk, who Trump has already tapped to co-lead a commission tasked with increasing government spending efficiency, posted on Saturday on the X social media platform he owns.
Musk then used the rest of his post to become the first participant in the public poll he was proposing. He endorsed Howard Lutnick, the CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald and co-chair of Trump's transition team ahead of Inauguration Day on January 20, 2025, over hedge fund manager Scott Bessent.
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Musk said in his post that "Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas @howardlutnick will actually enact change".
"Business-as-usual is driving America bankrupt, so we need change," he said.
Wright, meanwhile, has been one of the industry's loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change and could give fossil fuels a boost -- including quick action to end a year-long pause on natural gas export approvals by the Biden administration.
Wright has criticised what he calls a "top-down" approach on climate by liberal and left-wing groups and said the climate movement around the world is "collapsing under its own weight".
His selection came after Trump had already announced many picks in recent days, including his choice for Secretary of State, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and attorney general, former Florida Rep Matt Gaetz. (AP)
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