Trump makes first cabinet pick, eyes Putin talks

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday made his first cabinet appointment after his decisive election win, signaling his intent to diverge from the outgoing administration's policies by indicating a desire to speak with Vladimir Putin.

Trump's campaign manager, Susie Wiles, will serve as his White House chief of staff, making her the first woman to be named to the high-profile role and marking Trump's first appointment to his incoming administration.

Trump's crushing defeat of Democrat Kamala Harris is already shaking up U.S. and world politics, just two days after Election Day and two-and-a-half months before he returns to the White House.

Putin, the Russian president, hailed Trump as "courageous" for the way he handled himself following an assassination attempt at a rally in July and said he was "ready" to hold discussions with him.

Billionaire Trump later told NBC News that he had not yet talked to Putin, the authoritarian leader he has repeatedly praised over the years, since his victory, but "I think we'll speak."

This marked a seismic shift from the icy silence that has existed between Biden and Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and underscored Trump's criticism of U.S. support for Kyiv.

The president-elect has previously stated he would push for a peace deal in that conflict—but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke to Trump on Wednesday, said calls for a ceasefire were "dangerous."

Chinese President Xi Jinping had earlier joined the list of foreign leaders congratulating Trump, who was criticized by Harris during the election campaign for being too friendly with autocrats.

Trump doubled down on his plans for mass deportations of undocumented migrants, telling NBC he had "no choice" and that there could be "no price tag" that was too much.

'Orderly' 

As Trump began to work at his Florida resort on his transition team, Biden pledged a peaceful and "orderly" transfer of power.

Biden, 81, urged Americans in a solemn televised address to "bring down the temperature," in stark contrast to Trump's refusal to accept his 2020 election defeat.

The Democrat has invited Trump for talks at the White House. But Biden's spokeswoman said Trump's team had not yet signed key documents allowing the legal transition process to start.

In his speech from the Rose Garden of the White House, Biden called for unity while urging Democrats not to lose hope, saying: "Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated."

Yet finger-pointing has already erupted in the party over Biden's initial decision to run for a second term despite his age, before dropping out at the last minute in July and handing the reins to Harris, his vice president.

The White House denied Biden had any regrets. "He believed it was the right decision to make at that time," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Trump's election, in the face of a criminal conviction for fraud, two impeachments, and the fact that he is the oldest-ever elected president at 78, reflected voters' desire for change from the Biden years.

Voter concerns over the economy and migration propelled Trump's victory.

Trump 2.0 

Trump's first cabinet pick, Wiles, enjoys wide support within his team and was notably called on stage during his victory speech on Wednesday morning.

"Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again," Trump said of the steely 67-year-old Florida native.

The other frontrunners for positions in the Trump 2.0 administration reflect the disruptive shape it is likely to take.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading figure in the anti-vaccine movement for whom Trump has pledged a "big role" in health care, told NBC News on Wednesday that "I'm not going to take away anybody's vaccines."

However, the former independent candidate reiterated that the Trump administration would recommend removing fluoride—a mineral U.S. authorities say aids dental and skeletal health—from public water supplies.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, could also be in line for a job auditing government waste, after the right-wing SpaceX, Tesla, and X boss enthusiastically backed Trump.

Trump is expected to reverse many of Biden's signature policies. He returns to the White House as a climate change denier, poised to dismantle Biden's green policies with his pledge to "drill, baby, drill" for oil.

He may find it challenging to dismantle some of Biden's investment legislation, which allocates funds to many Congressional districts where members would be reluctant to see it withdrawn.