These Louisiana leaders could snag roles in Trump's Cabinet
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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Video: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
As President-elect Trump builds his Cabinet, a handful of Louisiana names are in the mix for consideration.
Why it matters: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson are already tight with Trump, but the fraternity of Louisiana leaders at the national level could grow.
Between the lines: It's always helpful to have friends at the top.
- "The benefit of having the speaker of the House as your member of Congress is that, obviously, your district gets the most attention, and we're in a position where we can direct the policy for the country," Johnson said in a campaign season press conference, according to The Advocate.
- "What I say in Washington all the time is that when we advance Louisiana's values, we advance American values. The values of our district, the needs of our district are those of the whole country," he said.
The latest: One of Trump's closest allies in Louisiana is its top leader, Gov. Jeff Landry. The president-elect tapped him as an early contender for attorney general — but Landry says he's not going anywhere.
- "We had this conversation a couple of different times and I told them that I would be more than willing to help them find the best attorney general for president of the United States, and I will stay right here in Louisiana," Landry, who served as the state's attorney general prior to being elected governor, told WDSU.
State of play: Here are the other Louisiana names reportedly in the running for jobs in Washington, D.C.
- State Treasurer John Fleming, who held multiple roles in Trump's administration, told The Times-Picayune he's been talking with the transition team and is interested in a "senior position."
- Former Gov. Bobby Jindal is considered a possible candidate for Health and Human Services secretary, Politico reports.
- Rep. Garret Graves, who declined to run for the retooled 6th Congressional District that went to Cleo Fields last week, is a possible contender for Transportation secretary, Politico says.
The intrigue: Trump has said he plans to eliminate the federal Department of Education, but he'd still need to pick someone to lead it in the interim.
- For that job, state superintendent Cade Brumley is considered a frontrunner.
Go deeper: Tracking Trump's Cabinet, White House picks