Policy differences. Demeanor differences. None of it stopped Donald Trump from picking Betsy DeVos as education secretary.
Before Donald Trump nominated Betsy DeVos to be his education secretary, what information did Trump’s team consider about the Michigan billionaire?
The news organization Axios said it obtained nearly 100 internal vetting documents from the Trump camp about dozens of people hired in the administration. They included John F. Kelly, former national security adviser and later chief of staff; Jim Mattis, former secretary of defense; Ben Carson, secretary of Health and Human Services; and DeVos.
According to the documents, Trump’s team knew that DeVos didn’t care much for him, at least not before she became education secretary. You can read the entire DeVos vetting document here, but here are some key takeaways:
- In July 2016, DeVos refused to back Trump because of “serious policy differences.” The document said she opposed his push to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and his proposal to deport millions of illegal immigrants, and his “warming” to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
- DeVos said she had reservations about Trump “as a person,” and also “doubted his demeanor.” It quoted DeVos as saying in May 2016, “Until we have a better reason to embrace and support the top of the ticket, and see an agenda that is truly an opportunity agenda, then we have lots of other options in which to invest and spend our time helping."
- DeVos attended the July 2016 Republican presidential convention and voted not for Trump but for Ohio CONTINUE READING: Policy differences. Demeanor differences. None of it stopped Donald Trump from picking Betsy DeVos as education secretary. - The Washington Post
