US Leadership

Question 1

Who is Secretary of State?

Answer 1

Rex W. Tillerson
R
Rex Wayne Tillerson is an American energy executive, civil engineer, and diplomat who is the 69th and current United States Secretary of State, serving since February 1, 2017.

Question 2

Who is the Treasury Secretary?

Answer 2

Steven Mnuchin

Confirmed by Senate: 53-47 Senate Hearing »
The former Goldman Sachs executive would be responsible for government borrowing in financial markets. He would also be involved in assisting with any rewrite of the tax code and carrying out or lifting financial sanctions against foreign enemies.

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee pressed Mr. Mnuchin on his use of offshore tax havens, his initial failure to disclose almost $100 million in assets and charges that a company he ran was overly aggressive in foreclosing on homes.

Question 3

Who is the House Minority Leader?

Answer 3

Nancy Pelosi - D

CA - is an American politician who is the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, representing California’s 12th congressional district. She previously served as the 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, the only woman to do so, and is to date the highest-ranking female politician in American history.

Question 4

Who is the Defense Secretary?

Answer 4

James N. Mattis

The retired general would shape the fight against the Islamic State while overseeing a military that is struggling to put in place two Obama-era initiatives: integrating women into combat roles and allowing transgender people to serve openly. Read more »

General Mattis diverged from Mr. Trump on several issues during his hearing, striking a tougher stance on Russia and a more supportive one on NATO and saying that he supported the Iran nuclear agreement.

Question 5

Who is Attorney General?

Answer 5

Jeff Sessions
(Deputy - Rod Rosenstein)

The senator from Alabama supports strict immigration enforcement and measures tough on crime. He would be responsible for carrying out Mr. Trump’s “law and order” platform and could change how civil rights laws are enforced.

During the first day of his hearing, Mr. Sessions said that the law “absolutely” prohibits waterboarding, and he offered no hints about a workaround to reinstate it. On the second day, testimony from Representative John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and civil rights leader, highlighted the racial undertones of Mr. Sessions’s nomination.

Question 6

Who is Interior Secretary?

Answer 6

Ryan Zinke

The representative from Montana and onetime Navy SEAL commander would decide the fate of Obama-era rules that stop public land development; curb the exploration of oil, coal and gas; and promote wind and solar power on public lands. Read more »

When asked about climate change during his hearing, Mr. Zinke broke with Mr. Trump, saying that he did not believe it was a hoax.

Question 7

Who is Agriculture Secretary?

Answer 7

Sonny Perdue

The former governor of Georgia would run a department that oversees America’s farming industry, inspects food quality and provides income-based food assistance. He would also have partial responsibility to carry out Mr. Trump’s positions on trade.

Question 8

Who is Commerce Secretary?

Answer 8

Wilbur Ross

The investor, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at $2.9 billion, has said the United States must free itself from the “bondage” of “bad trade agreements,” and has advocated threats to impose steep tariffs on China.

During his hearing, Mr. Ross said he would prioritize making sweeping changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement, one of Mr. Trump’s campaign promises.

Question 9

Who is Labor Secretary?

Answer 9

R. Alexander Acosta

Mr. Trump chose Mr. Acosta, a Florida law school dean and former assistant attorney general for civil rights, as his second labor secretary nominee, the day after Mr. Puzder withdrew from consideration. Mr. Acosta is the only Hispanic in Mr. Trump’s cabinet.

During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Acosta vowed not to allow partisanship to shape the department. A 2008 report found that a Justice Department division run by Mr. Acosta had violated federal law by taking political affiliations into account in hiring employees.

Question 10

*Who is Health and Human Services Secretary?

Answer 10

Acting Eric Hargan

FORMER Tom Price

(born June 3, 1968) is an American lawyer and the acting United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and the current United States Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, assuming office on October 6, 2017.[1] Hargan previously acted in this role from 2003 to 2007 in the George W. Bush administration.

On October 10, 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Hargan as acting United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.[

Question 11

Who is Secretary of Housing and Urban Development?

Answer 11

Ben Carson

The former neurosurgeon would oversee fair-housing laws, the development of affordable housing and access to mortgage insurance. He has stressed individual effort, not government programs, as the key to overcoming poverty.

During his hearing, Mr. Carson faced pointed questions about past remarks on the dangers of federal assistance. “Safety net programs are important,” he said. “I would never advocate abolishing them without having an alternative for people to follow.”

Question 12

Who is Transportation Secretary?

Answer 12

Elaine L. Chao

Ms. Chao, who was labor secretary under President George W. Bush, would oversee Mr. Trump’s campaign pledge to increase funding to rebuild America’s transportation infrastructure.

Ms. Chao’s nomination has faced little opposition from lawmakers. She spent most of her hearing promising to further study the issues she will oversee.

Question 13

Who is Energy Secretary?

Answer 13

Rick Perry

The former Texas governor, who in 2011 proposed scrapping the Energy Department while he was seeking the Republican nomination for president, would be responsible for protecting and managing the nation’s arsenal of nuclear weapons. Read more »

During his hearing, Mr. Perry said that he regretted suggesting that the Energy Deparment be abolished, and he reversed his previous comments denying human-caused climate change, saying, “I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is also caused by man-made activity.”

Question 14

Who is Education Secretary?

Answer 14

Betsy DeVos

The former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party and an activist for school choice would oversee a department that Mr. Trump has said he wants to drastically shrink by shifting responsibilities to state and local governments.

In her highly partisan hearing, Ms. DeVos was criticized by Democrats for wanting to “privatize” public education but praised by Republicans for her support of charter schools and vouchers.

Question 15

Who is Secretary of Veterans Affairs?

Answer 15

David J. Shulkin

Mr. Trump has chosen Mr. Shulkin, the current under secretary for health at the agency. Mr. Trump has argued that the Obama administration neglected the country’s veterans, and he has called improving their care a top priority.

Mr. Shulkin, an uncontroversial pick, promised during his confirmation hearing that he would not privatize veterans’ health care.

Question 16

Who is Homeland Security Secretary?

Answer 16

Acting Elaine Duke

FORMER John F. Kelly

Elaine Costanzo Duke (born 1958) is an American civil servant. On January 30, 2017, she was nominated by President Donald Trump to become the United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security under John F. Kelly. She became acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security on July 31, 2017 when John F. Kelly assumed the office of White House Chief of Staff.

Question 17

Who is C.I.A. Director?

Answer 17

Mike Pompeo

The representative from Kansas and former Army officer would have to decide whether to undo a new C.I.A. “modernization” plan, and how to proceed if Mr. Trump orders a resumption of harsh interrogation tactics for terrorism suspects.

Mr. Pompeo said that as C.I.A. director, he would pursue information about Russian interference into the American election. He said emphatically that he would not endorse torture, a reversal from past statements.

Question 18

Who is U.N. Ambassador?

Answer 18

Nikki R. Haley

The governor of South Carolina would be the primary face of America to the world, representing the country’s interests at the Security Council on a host of issues that include Middle East peace and nuclear proliferation.

Ms. Haley’s nomination has faced little opposition from lawmakers. During her hearing, she criticized the United Nations’ relationship with Israel and said that Russia was guilty of war crimes in Syria.

Question 19

Who is E.P.A. Administrator?

Answer 19

Scott Pruitt

The Oklahoma attorney general is a close ally of the fossil fuel industry and has taken on the E.P.A. directly in his current job. He would oversee an agency that the president has vowed to dismantle “in almost every form.”

During his hearing, Mr. Pruitt said he disagreed with Mr. Trump’s statement that climate change was a “hoax.” He criticized federal environmental regulations, emphasizing a states-based approach.

Question 20

Who overseas Small Business Administration?

Answer 20

Linda McMahon

The former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment would oversee an agency that guarantees loans for small businesses, helps them get government contracts and supports their interests on Capitol Hill.

Ms. McMahon, who was introduced and endorsed by two Democratic senators, faced a smooth hearing. She emphasized her entrepreneurial background and said she would fight against restrictive government regulations on businesses.

Question 21

Who is the Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Answer 21

Mick Mulvaney

The conservative representative from South Carolina, a proponent of deep spending cuts, would help provide guidance with several of Mr. Trump’s priorities, including a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, a tax overhaul and large investments in infrastructure.

During his hearing, Mr. Mulvaney promised to tackle wasteful government spending and the nation’s debt. His toughest questioning came from Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, who asked Mr. Mulvaney about his record of voting for cuts to military spending.

Question 22

Who is the Director of National Intelligence?

Answer 22

Dan Coats

Mr. Coats served on the Senate intelligence and armed services committees while representing Indiana. Some in Mr. Trump’s orbit believe that the job, overseeing the entire military and civilian intelligence apparatus, is superfluous.

During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Coats promised to continue examining Russia’s meddling in the election and to cooperate with investigations by Congress.

Question 23

Who is U.S. Trade Representative?

Answer 23

Robert Lighthizer

The international lawyer served as a trade official under President Reagan. He role would include opposing new trade deals, trying to rewrite old ones and bolstering enforcement of trade agreements that Mr. Trump sees as unfair.

Question 24

Who is Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers?

Answer 24

Kevin Hassett

The pro-immigration economist currently works at American Enterprise Institute and previously advised Senator John McCain and Mitt Romney. The head of the council advises the president on economic policy.

Question 25

Who is White House Chief of Staff?

Answer 25

John Kelly

FORMER Reince Priebus

(born May 11, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps general. He is the 28th and current White House Chief of Staff since July 31, 2017.[2] Kelly was the 5th and current United States Secretary of Homeland Security serving from January through July 2017.

He is the former commander of United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). Kelly last served as the commanding general of the Multi-National Force—West in Iraq from February 2008 to February 2009, and as the commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North in October 2009.

Question 26

*Who is Chief Strategist?

Answer 26

VACANT

FORMER Stephen K. Bannon

Mr. Bannon is a right-wing media executive who has been criticized as representing racist views as the former head of Breitbart News. Mr. Trump said that he would be “working as equal partners” with Mr. Priebus, the incoming chief of staff.

Question 27

Who are the Senior adviser to the president?

Answer 27

Jared Kushner
Stephen Miller

JARED: A major developer in New York, Mr. Kushner is married to Mr. Trump’s daughter Ivanka and has been a close adviser to the president. Mr. Kushner’s appointment to the senior White House role could test anti-nepotism laws.

STEPHEN: Prior to this, he was the communications director for then-Alabama senator, Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He also served as a press secretary to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Congressman John Shadegg. Miller has acted as Trump’s chief speechwriter and is credited with authoring the president’s “American carnage” inaugural address.

Question 28

Who is National Security Adviser?

Answer 28

Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster

FORMER Michael Flynn

President Trump appointed Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster as his new national security adviser on 2/20/17, picking a widely respected military strategist known for challenging conventional thinking and helping to turn around the Iraq war in its darkest days.
Mr. Trump made the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago resort, where he interviewed candidates over the holiday weekend to replace Michael T. Flynn, who
was forced out after withholding information from Vice President Mike Pence about a call with Russia’s ambassador.
Unlike Mr. Flynn, who served as a campaign adviser last year, General McMaster has no links to Mr. Trump and is not thought of as being as ideological as the man he will replace. A battle-tested veteran of both the Persian Gulf war and the second Iraq war, General McMaster is considered one of the military’s most independent-minded officers, sometimes at a cost to his own career.

Question 29

Who is Homeland Security Adviser?

Answer 29

Thomas P. Bossert

A top national security aide to President George W. Bush, Mr. Bossert now runs a risk management consulting firm and is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council research institution. The position will be equal in status to the national security adviser.

Question 30

Who is Counselor to Trump?

Answer 30

Kellyanne Conway

ALSO

Senior Counselor Dina Powel

Mr. Trump’s (Kelley) campaign manager, confidante and spokeswoman, Ms. Conway also has a background in polling and may rely on these skills to keep tabs on public sentiment as she helps set the president’s agenda.

**

Dina - born June 12, 1973)[1][2] is an Egyptian-American[3][4][5][6] and Coptic-American non-profit executive, philanthropist, and U.S. policymaker. She is the current U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy[7] to President Donald Trump.[8][9] She is also an Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor for Economic Initiatives,[10] a position that she continued in after her security appointment[11] and that she spends about 20 percent of her time on.[12]

Prior to accepting these White House positions, Powell was a managing director and partner at Goldman Sachs

Question 31

Who is White House Counsel?

Answer 31

Donald F. McGahn II

The Washington lawyer may have an unusually daunting job as the president’s adviser on legal matters, given Mr. Trump’s far-reaching business empire and potential conflicts of interest.

Question 32

*Who is Special Adviser on Regulatory Reform?

Answer 32

VACANT - NON-OFFICIAL

FORMER Carl Icahn

The billionaire investor and famed “corporate raider” will oversee Mr. Trump’s promised effort to unwind as many regulations on business as he can.

Question 33

Who is Director of Trade and Industrial Policy?

Answer 33

Peter Navarro

The professor, who has been a staunch critic of current Chinese economic policies, is the only credentialed economist in Mr. Trump’s inner circle. He will direct a new internal council overseeing White House trade and industrial policy.

Question 34

Who is Press Secretary and Special Assistant to the President?

Answer 34

Sarah Huckabee Sanders

FORMER Sean Spicer

born on August 13, 1982, in Hope, Arkansas, the youngest child and only daughter of Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, and Janet Huckabee.[2][3][4] She has two brothers, John Mark and David Huckabee, an Arkansas mortgage broker.[3] She attended Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.[5] She matriculated at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where she was elected student body president and was active in Republican organizations and other student groups, graduating in 2004.

Question 35

Who is Speaker of the United States House of Representatives?

Answer 35

Paul Ryan

54th and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

Ryan is a member of the Republican Party who has served as the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district since 1999. Ryan previously served as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, from January 3 to October 29, 2015, and, before that, as Chairman of the House Budget Committee from 2011 to 2015. He was the Republican Party nominee for Vice President of the United States, running alongside former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts in the 2012 election.[1][2] Ryan, together with Democratic Senator Patty Murray, negotiated the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013.[3][4][5]

On October 29, 2015, Ryan was elected to replace John Boehner as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives following Boehner’s retirement, becoming the first person from Wisconsin to hold this position.[6] He named lobbyist John David Hoppe as his Chief of Staff.

Question 36

Who is Senate Majority Leader?

Answer 36

Mitch McConnell - R

Kentucky - A member of the Republican Party, he has been the Majority Leader of the Senate since January 3, 2015. He is the 15th Republican and the second Kentuckian to lead his party in the Senate.[2] McConnell is the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Kentucky history.[3]

During the administration of President Barack Obama, McConnell was known to the left as being an obstructionist,[4] while opinion on the right was sharply divided. Some on the right praised him for tenacity and courage,[5] while others criticized him for being part of the political establishment and not keeping his promises to conservatives.

Question 37

Who is Senate Minority Leader?

Answer 37

Chuck Schumer - D

NY - Before his election to the Senate, Schumer served in the House of Representatives from 1981 to 1999, representing New York’s 16th congressional district, later redistricted to the 10th congressional district in 1983 and to the 9th congressional district in 1993. A native of Brooklyn and graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, he was a three-term member of the New York State Assembly, serving from 1975 to 1980.

Question 38

Who is House Majority Leader?

Answer 38

Kevin McCarthy - R

CA - A Republican, he was formerly chairman of the California Young Republicans and the Young Republican National Federation. McCarthy worked as district director for U.S. Representative Bill Thomas, and in 2000 was elected as a trustee to the Kern Community College District. He then served in the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2006, the last two years as minority leader. When Thomas retired from the House of Representatives in 2006, McCarthy ran to succeed him and won the election. The 23rd district, numbered as the 22nd District from 2007 to 2013, is based in Bakersfield and includes large sections of Kern and Tulare counties as well as part of the Quartz Hill neighborhood in northwest Los Angeles County.

Question 39

Who is Vice President?

Answer 39

Michael Richard “Mike” Pence is an American politician, lawyer, and the 48th and current Vice President of the United States. He previously served as the 50th Governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017. Wikipedia
Born: June 7, 1959 (age 57 years), Columbus, IN
Spouse: Karen Pence (m. 1985)
Children: Audrey Pence, Michael Pence, Charlotte Pence
Education: Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law (1986), More
Previous offices: Governor of Indiana (2013–2017)

Question 40

Trump’s Immediate Family?

Answer 40

Immediate family

Ivana Trump - Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric Trump
Donald Trump has eight grandchildren, five from his son Don Jr. and three from his daughter Ivanka.
Marla Maples - Tiffany Trump (born October 13, 1993)
Melania Trump - Barron Trump (March 20, 2006)
(Melania Trump (née Knavs), the third wife of Donald Trump, was born on April 26, 1970, in Novo Mesto, Yugoslavia (present-day Slovenia). She has had a lengthy modeling career and is the second foreign-born First Lady of the United States.)

Question 41

Who are the US Supreme Court Justices?

Answer 41

Chief Justice
    John Roberts 092905
Associate Justices
    Anthony Kennedy 021888
    Clarence Thomas 102391
    Ruth Bader Ginsburg 081093
    Stephen Breyer 080394
    Samuel Alito 013106
    Sonia Sotomayor 080809
    Elena Kagan 080710
    Neil Gorsuch 041017

Question 42

Who is governor of Oregon?

Answer 42

Kate Brown

Katherine “Kate” Brown is an American politician who is the 38th and current Governor of Oregon. Brown, a Democrat and an attorney, previously served as Oregon Secretary of State and as majority leader .

Question 43

Who are Oregon’s representatives?

Answer 43

Oregon 1st - Suzanne Bonamici (D) (2012–present)
Oregon 2nd - Greg Walden (R) (1999–present)
Oregon 3rd - Earl Blumenauer (D) (1996–present)
Oregon 4th - Peter DeFazio (D) (1987–present)
Oregon 5th - Kurt Schrader (D) (2009–present)

Question 44

Who are Oregon’s senators?

Answer 44

Ron Wyden (D)
Since 1996

Jeff Merkley (D)
Since 2009

Question 45

Who is the director of the FBI?

Answer 45

Christopher A. Wray

FORMER James Comey

(born December 17, 1967) is an American lawyer currently serving as the eighth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

From 2003 to 2005, Wray served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division in the George W. Bush Administration. From 2005 to 2017, he was a litigation partner with the law firm King & Spalding.

Question 46

Exited Cabinet Members

Answer 46

National Security Advise - MICHAEL FLYNN 2/13/17
Director FBI - JAMES COMEY 5/9/17
Press Secretary - SEAN SPICER 7/21/17
Chief of Staff - REINCE PRIEBUS 7/28/17
Chief Strategist - STEPHEN K. BANNON 8/18/17
Special Adviser on Regulatory Reform - CARL ICAHN 8/18/17
Health and Human Services Secretary - TOM PRICE 9/29/17

FLYNN - briefly served as the National Security Advisor for President Donald Trump, from January 20 to February 13, 2017.[7] He resigned after information surfaced that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature and content of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak.[8][9] Flynn’s tenure of just 24 days was the shortest in the office’s history. In December 2017 he pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI, a felony, about contacts he had with the Russian government during Trump’s presidential transition.

COMEY - In September 2013, Comey was appointed Director of the FBI by President Barack Obama. Dismissed by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017. Statements from Trump and the White House suggested that he had been dismissed to ease the “pressure” Trump was under due to the Russia investigation. On May 16 Comey made public a personal memo he had written after a February 14 private meeting with the president. It said Trump had asked him to end the FBI’s investigation into Michael Flynn, the former National Security Advisor. The dismissal, the memo, and Comey’s subsequent Congressional testimony were interpreted by some commentators as evidence of obstruction of justice and became part of a widening investigation by Robert Mueller, the Special Counsel appointed to probe Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

SPICER - Spicer was communications director of the Republican National Committee from 2011 to 2017, and its chief strategist from 2015 to 2017. During his tenure as White House press secretary, Spicer made a number of public statements that were controversial or false, and had developed a contentious relationship with the White House press corps.The first such instance occurred on the day following Trump’s inauguration. Spicer repeated the claim that crowds at Trump’s inauguration ceremony were the largest ever at such an event and that the press had deliberately under-estimated the number of spectators. After this statement was widely criticized, Trump aide Kellyanne Conway said that Spicer had presented what she called “alternative facts” regarding the inauguration’s attendance numbers. On July 21, 2017, Spicer announced his resignation as White House Press Secretary, although he remained at the White House in an unspecified capacity, until August 31, 2017.

PRIEBUS - On July 28, 2017, President Trump announced that he would make Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly the chief of staff, after Priebus submitted his resignation on July 27. Priebus had the shortest tenure of any non-interim White House Chief of Staff in American history.[4] Priebus’ last day in the position was July 31 when Kelly was sworn in. Priebus drew controversy for his management style as chief of staff.

BANNON - He served as the White House Chief Strategist (a newly created position) in the administration of US President Donald Trump during the first seven months of Trump’s term. In this capacity, he attended the Principals Committee of the U.S. National Security Council from January 28, 2017, to April 5, 2017. On August 17, 2016, in the later months of the campaign, Bannon joined Trump’s 2016 presidential bid, taking the position of chief executive officer. Bannon left his position in the Trump administration on August 18, 2017; he then rejoined Breitbart News.

ICAHN - In December 2016, incoming U.S. President Donald Trump asked Icahn to serve as a special economic adviser on financial regulation within his administration.[5] Icahn stepped down from the role in August 2017 in advance of an article in The New Yorker magazine highlighting his conflicts of interests. On November 8, 2017, Bloomberg News reported that the U.S. Attorney had issued subpoenas “for information on Carl Icahn’s efforts to change biofuel policy while he served as an adviser to President Donald Trump.”

PRICE - American physician and politician, who served as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. n September 29, 2017, he resigned as head of HHS following criticism of his use of private charters and military aircraft for travel.

Question 47

?ons?

Answer 47

Robert Mueller

born August 7, 1944) is an American lawyer and civil servant who was the sixth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 2001 to 2013. A Republican, he was appointed by President George W. Bush and his original ten-year term was given a two-year extension by President Barack Obama, making him the longest-serving FBI director since J. Edgar Hoover.

In May 2017, Mueller was appointed by Acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as special counsel overseeing an ongoing investigation into alleged foreign electoral intervention by Russia in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Question 48

Who is Director of the National Economic Council?

Answer 48

Gary Cohn

(born August 27, 1960) is an American investment banker who is currently serving as the Director of the National Economic Council and chief economic advisor to President Donald Trump. He was formerly the president and chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs from 2006 to 2017. Cohn is a registered Democrat, but has donated extensively to Republican politicians as well.