What Trump said when he signed the executive order on Betsy DeVos, his education nominee
Shortly after Donald Trump took the oath of office and become the 45th president of the United States on Jan. 20, he signed a series of executive orders, many of them formal nominations for his Cabinet and other positions.
One after one, Trump signed nomination papers, frequently — thought not always — making a comment about the person he had tapped for a specific job.
For Nikki Haley, the South Carolina governor tapped by Trump to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, he said while signing, “I think Nikki is going to do a good job. A great job…”
For Rick Perry, the former Texas governor he picked to run the Energy Department, he said, “He did very well yesterday,” referring to Perry’s confirmation hearing before a Senate panel.
For Terry Branstad, a former Iowa governor who will serve as Trump’s ambassador to China, he said, among other things, “China loves him, and he loves China. Good man.” And he noted more than once that Branstad was the longest-serving governor in American history.
Trump said that Tom Price, a surgeon picked to head the Department of Health and Human Services, was going to do “a terrific job.”
For Betsy DeVos, the Michigan billionaire he chose for education secretary (who had a contentious hearing on Jan. 17 before the Senate education committee), he said, while looking around: “Ah, Betsy. Education. Right?”
