Trump's cabinet so far - NBC News

President-elect Donald Trump is building out his Cabinet with allies, old friends, and even some former rivals. Here's a look at who Trump has picked so far:


Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. speaks to media at Trump Tower in New York. Carolyn Kaster / AP
Sen. Jeff Sessions, Attorney General — The Alabama senator became the first member of the upper chamber to endorse Trump in February. As the chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Sessions helped Trump craft a hardline immigration plan that he touted would prevent people from entering the country illegally.
Though respected by his Republican colleagues in the Senate, Sessions will likely face Democratic opposition during his nomination hearing for past controversial remarks. Sessions was appointed by President Ronald Reagan for a federal district judgeship in the 1980s, but was blocked by the Senate after being accused of making racially insensitive comments about a former colleague. Thomas Figures, an African-American, said Sessions told him to be careful what he said to "white folks" and once made a comment sympathetic to the KKK. Sessions claimed he had been joking.


General James Mattis served as Commander of U.S. Central Command until his retirement in 2013. YURI GRIPAS / Reuters
Retired Gen. James Mattis, Secretary of Defense — Mattis, a former commander of U.S. Central Command, is known for his blunt, outspoken style and his selection likely signals Trump will take an increasingly hardline stance with Iran. U.S. officials told NBC News that Mattis' philosophy clashed with the Obama administration when it came to handling Iran and U.S. adversaries around the globe.
Mattis, known by the nickname "Mad Dog," aggressively led a Marine division into Baghdad during the 2003 invasion in Iraq. He has openly talked about enjoying war and "brawling." But he is also considered a "warrior monk" with a deep understanding of military strategy and planning.
Mattis, who retired in 2013, will need a Congressional waiver before he can be confirmed. A 1947 law requires a seven-year wait before an active general can head the Pentagon.


Gen. John Kelly has been nominated to head homeland security. Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
Retired Gen. John F. Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security — The retired four-star general led the U.S. Southern Command and commanded Marines during some of the most intense fighting in Iraq. Kelly's son, Robert, was killed in combat in Afghanistan, making him the highest-ranking military officer to lose a child during the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. As head of homeland security, Kelly will be responsible for overseeing Trump's controversial immigration plans. As Southern Command chief, Kelly oversaw U.S. military operations in South and Central America -- including the southern border. He, like Trump, has expressed concerns over drug trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border.


Chairman of the House Budget Committee Tom Price (R-GA) has been nominated to head the Department of Health and Human Services. JOSHUA ROBERTS / Reuters
Rep. Tom Price, Secretary of Health and Human Services — Georgia Rep. Tom Price has been one of the fiercest opponents of the Affordable Care Act and his nomination signals Trump intends to make major changes to Obama's signature legislative accomplishment. The six-term Congressman is an orthopedic surgeon and has written a proposal that would drastically alter the health care law by offering tax credits to purchase insurance based on age.
Price describes himself as a member of the Tea Party and opposes both abortion and gay marriage. His nomination drew swift rebuke from advocates of those causes in addition to proponents of Obamacare.


Ben Carson was nominated as HUD secretary. STEVE MARCUS / Reuters
Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Trump's former rival finally accepted Trump's offer to run the Department of Housing and Urban Development after first being approached about the position before Thanksgiving. Carson rivaled Trump at the top of the polls for a time during the GOP primaries, but he ultimately fell short and endorsed the eventual nominee despite the heated rhetoric Trump directed his way.
Before his 2016 run, Carson was best known for his work as a neurosurgeon. At 33 years old, Carson became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. He gained international fame for his role in helping to separate infant conjoined twins.


President-elect Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos pose for a photo after their meeting at Trump International Golf Club in Bedminster Township, New Jersey. Drew Angerer / Getty Images
Betsy DeVos, Secretary of the Department of Education — DeVos, a 58-year-old billionaire philanthropist, heads the American Federation for Children. Her group advocates for charter school education and she has been an advocate for school vouchers.
DeVos donated to Carly Fiorina and Jeb Bush during the Republican primaries, though she ultimately endorsed Marco Rubio. Bush praised Trump's pick, saying in a statement she has, "a long and distinguished history championing the right of all parents to choose schools that best ensure their children's success."
Groups like the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers have opposed her nomination, arguing her work promoting charter schools has undercut public education and corporatized the nation's school systems.
The Michigan native is married to Dick DeVos, an heir to the Amway fortune, and is the sister of Erik Prince, founder of the government-contracted security company formerly known as Blackwater.


South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has been nominated by Trump to lead the U.S. delation to the United Nations. KEVIN LAMARQUE / Reuters
Gov. Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley quickly accepted Trump's offer to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations after the two spent much of 2016 in a tiff. Haley endorsed Marco Rubio in the lead up the Palmetto State Primary back in February, and at one point called Trump "everything a governor doesn't want in a president." She then backed Ted Cruz after Rubio ended his run, and only tepidly endorsed Trump at the Republican National Convention in July.
Haley became the first woman Trump appointed to his Cabinet, though the 44-year-old's nomination to lead the U.S. delegation to the UN raised some eyebrows since her foreign policy experience is limited. Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, served three terms in the South Carolina State House before becoming governor in 2010.


Former US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao has been nominated to head the Department of Transportation. EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ / AFP - Getty Images
Elaine Chao, Secretary of Transportation — Trump tapped Chao, a former labor secretary, to head the Department of Transportation. Chao became the first Asian-American woman to hold a Cabinet position when President George W. Bush appointed her labor secretary. She stayed in the post for eight years, becoming the only Cabinet member to serve during Bush's entire time in office.
Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and has served as director of the Peace Corps, CEO of the United Way of America. She was the deputy secretary of transportation under President H.W. Bush.


Steven Mnuchin, the national finance chair for Trump's campaign, has been nominated as Secretary of the Treasury. ANDREW GOMBERT / EPA
Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury — Mnuchin served as the Trump campaign's national finance chair and was largely considered the frontrunner for the job. He began his career at Goldman Sachs, where he spent 17 years and rose to become a partner. He left to start his own hedge fund and went on to become a financier of Hollywood films like "Avatar" and "American Sniper." Throughout his career, Mnuchin showed only a limited interest in politics and remained mostly behind the scenes during Trump's run.


Billionaire Wilbur Ross was selected to head the Commerce Department. Drew Angerer / Getty Images
Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce — The 79-year-old billionaire made his fortune by buying up and restructuring companies in industries like steel and coal, the kinds of jobs that Trump has pledged to bring back. He also has been an outspoken critic of free trade agreements, which was a hallmark of Trump's campaign. His relationship with Trump goes back decades. Ross helped Trump keep control of his failing Taj Mahal casino in the 1990s by persuading investors not to push out the real estate mogul.
Ross is expected to face questions during his confirmation about his role in the 2006 Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia. Twelve miners were killed after an explosion there shortly after his company purchased the mine. Ross said he was aware of the mine had multiple violations but said he felt comfortable sending workers into what he thought was a safe situation.
Still Outstanding
Secretary of State: Trump is believed to be considering Rudy Giuliani, John Bolton, Bob Corker, Mitt Romney, David Petraeus for the high-profile post.
Secretary of the Interior: Mary Fallin is believed to be a finalist and Sarah Palin has expressed interest.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Palin expressed interest in the position, and Rick Perry is a potential pick.
Secretary of Agriculture: Perry and Sid Miller are believed to be under consideration.
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Energy

ANDREW RAFFERTY

Donald Trump says he is not bothered by comparisons to Hitler - Independent

Donald Trump says he is not bothered by comparisons to Hitler

The comparison between Donald Trump and Hitler is being made more and more frequently — including on the cover of Tuesday's Philadelphia Daily News — but the Republican front-runner said Tuesday that the comparison doesn't bother him.

“You're increasingly being compared to Hitler,” ABC News' George Stephanopoulos said during an interview with Trump on “Good Morning America” Tuesday. “Does that give you any pause at all?”

“No,” Trump responded, “because what I am doing is no different than what FDR — FDR's solution for Germans, Italians, Japanese, you know, many years ago.”

Stephanopoulos jumped in as Trump kept talking: “So you're for internment camps?”

“This is a president who is highly respected by all,” Trump said of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. “He did the same thing — if you look at what he was doing, it was far worse.”

Trump's answer was confusing and meandering but he seemed to be making the point that during times of war, more extreme measures must be used.

“We are now at war,” Trump said. “We have a president that doesn't want to say that, but we are now at war.”

“I've got to press you on that, sir,”Stephanopoulos said. “So you're praising FDR there, I take it you're praising the setting up of internment camps for Japanese during World War II?”

“No, I'm not,” Trump responded. “No, I'm not. No, I'm not.”

Trump then rattled off the numbers of some of the presidential proclamations Roosevelt issued “having to do with alien Germans, alien Italians, alien Japanese.”

“They went through a whole list of things — they couldn't go five miles from their homes, they weren't allowed to use radios, flashlights,” Trump said. “Take a look at what FDR did many years ago, and he's one of the most highly respected presidents... They named highways after him.”

Stephanopoulos responded: “You want to bring back policies like that?”

After a pause, Trump responded: “No, I don't to bring it back, George. At all. I don't like doing it at all. It's a temporary measure until our representatives, many of whom are grossly incompetent, until our representatives can figure out what's going on.”

Stock Market Rally Continues as Indexes Close at Record Highs - TIME Business

Stock Market Rally Continues as Indexes Close at Record Highs

Posted: 08 Dec 2016 01:37 PM PST

Major U.S. stock indexes climbed again on Thursday and set fresh record highs as a month-long rally following the presidential election of Donald Trump rolled on.
Investors have driven up equities since Trump’s Nov. 8 election over optimism about domestic economic stimulus and reduced corporate taxes and regulations.
Supporting the upbeat sentiment on Thursday was a report that showed the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell from a five-month high last week, pointing to labor market strength that underscored the economy’s momentum.
“This is just a continued melt-up post-election. The path of least resistance has been higher,” said Jason Ware, chief investment officer with Albion Financial Group in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Seasonally, you have a strong period. You have money coming out of the bond market … so that money has to go somewhere,” Ware said.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 65.19 points, or 0.33 percent, to 19,614.81, the S&P 500 gained 4.84 points, or 0.22 percent, to 2,246.19 and the Nasdaq Composite added 23.59 points, or 0.44 percent, to 5,417.36.
All three indexes set new records, a day after they each posted gains of at least 1 percent. The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks, which has soared 15 percent since the election, also hit a new high.
Financials, among the major gainers since the election, led the way again on Thursday, rising 0.9 percent. Industrials, another post-election beneficiary, fell back 0.5 percent, weighed down by defense stocks.
While investors are still adjusting to the economy’s outlook under a Trump administration, “generally speaking, the idea that taxes will be less and regulations will be dialed back seems to be creating not only optimism but laying the groundwork for economic expansion,” said Bucky Hellwig, senior vice president at BB&T Wealth Management in Birmingham, Alabama.
“So if you own stock, you want to hold onto it. If you don’t, you want to buy it,” Hellwig said.
The Dow Jones Transport index rose 0.5 percent, a day after setting a new closing record high for the first time in two years. The fresh high triggered a bullish sign for some investors who look for parallel performance for both the Dow industrial and transportation averages.
Adding to positive sentiment for equities has been recent positive economic data, as well as S&P 500 companies poised to end a streak of declining profits with their third-quarter results.
Investors on Thursday were digesting the European Central Bank’s decision to trim back its asset buys but also its vow of protracted stimulus to aid a still-fragile recovery.
Next week’s Federal Reserve meeting, at which the U.S. central bank is widely expected to raise interest rates, is also coming into focus as market participants seek clues about the future pace of any rate hikes.
In corporate news, Lululemon soared 15 percent after the yoga and leisure apparel retailer reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit.
Express Scripts shares tumbled 6.7 percent after short-seller Citron Research called the pharmacy benefit manager the “real culprit” in drug price gouging.
About 8 billion shares changed hands in U.S. exchanges, just above the 7.8 billion daily average over the last 20 sessions.
Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 1.69-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 2.06-to-1 ratio favored advancers.
The S&P 500 posted 112 new 52-week highs and 4 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 481 new highs and 28 new lows.

Donald Trump’s Harassment of a Teenage Girl on Twitter Led to Death and Rape Threats - New York Magazine

Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump

The arrogant young woman who questioned me in such a nasty fashion at No Labels yesterday was a Jeb staffer! HOW CAN HE BEAT RUSSIA & CHINA?

In October 2015, then-18-year-old Lauren Batchelder asked Trump a question at a political forum in New Hampshire. “So, maybe I’m wrong, maybe you can prove me wrong, but I don’t think you’re a friend to women,” she said. Trump defended himself, and Batchelder took the mic again, asking if she’d get equal pay and access to abortion with Trump as president. Trump answered: “You’re going to make the same if you do as good of a job, and I happen to be pro-life, okay?”

Batchelder thought that was the end of it, but when she woke up the next day, she realized that the current president-elect had sent out a series of tweets about her. “The arrogant young woman who questioned me in such a nasty fashion at No Labels yesterday was a Jeb staffer!” he tweeted. (Batchelder is not, and has never been, a staffer for Jeb Bush, though she did volunteer for his campaign.) His followers replied with screenshots of Batchelder and posted her phone number and other personal information online.

Within hours, her phone began to ring, and her email inbox and Facebook account filled with threatening messages. “I didn’t really know what anyone was going to do,” Batchelder, now 19, told the Washington Post. “He was only going to tweet about it and that was it, but I didn’t really know what his supporters were going to do, and that to me was the scariest part.”

She said the abuse has continued, prompting one Trump supporter to send her a Facebook message five days before the election that read, “Wishing I could f—ing punch you in the face. id then proceed to stomp your head on the curb and urinate in your bloodied mouth and i know where you live, so watch your f—ing back punk.”

Batchelder’s case illustrates what happens when Trump, who has more than 17 million Twitter followers, goes after a private citizen online. And far from showing restraint as his following has grown, Trump has continued the pattern. On Wednesday he attacked Chuck Jones, a union leader, who wrote in the Washington Post Thursday that his office is now receiving threats, too By Claire Landsbaum -

David Cameron on Brexit, Donald Trump and why he does not regret calling a referendum - Telegraph

David Cameron on Brexit, Donald Trump and why he does not regret calling a referendum

Harriet Alexander, greencastle, indiana

9 DECEMBER 2016 • 6:58AM

David Cameron has used his first major speech since resigning in June to explain why he felt people voted for Brexit – and defend his decision to hold the referendum.

Mr Cameron, speaking at DePauw University in Indiana, also spoke of similarities between the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump – and he used his platform in the United States to urge Mr Trump to respect the “incredibly precious” American values of freedom, tolerance and outward-looking policies.

In a wide-ranging address – funded by former students Sharon and Timothy Ubben, who since 1986 have invited Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Benazir Bhutto and Mikhail Gorbachev to speak - the former prime minister warned against being seduced by “so-called strongmen” leaders, such as Vladimir Putin.

And he said that he did not think other European countries would follow Britain’s lead and leave the EU – although he had deep fears for the future of the euro.

“It’s kind of you to have this ex prime minister here tonight,” he told the crowd inside the sports hall, 40 miles from Indianapolis.

“Because of course, the last time the British had a prime minister my age was about 202 years ago, and that ended up with the British invading North America and burning down the White House.”

The audience laughed, as he added: “Watching your politics recently, I wondered whether you might do it yourself.”

On the decision to hold the referendum

Mr Cameron insisted that he had no regrets in holding the referendum – despite acknowledging that it would be remembered, unfairly in his view, as his lasting legacy for the country.

The 50-year-old said told the students and alumni that he felt British politics was becoming “poisoned” by not having had a referendum on the EU for 40 years, despite the EU having changed significantly from when it was founded.

“I believed and I still believe that the fact we hadn’t had a referendum on this issue for 40 years – in spite of the fact that the European Union was changing and changing – was beginning to poison British politics,” he said.

“It was certainly poisoning politics in my own party. And I think, more importantly, people were feeling they had been promised a referendum - but people were beginning to get very frustrated about this issue.

“In the end, we had to decide.

“As we try and build the globalisation that works for all our countries and all our people – as we do that, we have to listen to what people want. And people do want a say on these issues.”

On why Britain voted to leave

Mr Cameron said that he say the Leave vote as being motivated for economic and cultural reasons.

“We have seen a vast increase in wealth and prosperity, and people in the poorest countries lifted out of poverty through globalisation. But let’s be clear: the rising tide has not lifted all boats. There are many people in our own countries who feel, rightly, economically left behind through globalisation,” he said.

“There is a second phenomena: a cultural phenomena.

“In some of our countries the pace of change has been too fast for people to keep up with. People are concerned that the country they are living in is not the country they were born into. And they see that change as happening too fast."

Describing himself as “pro globalisation, pro immigration, pro market economics” he said that leaders needed to understand the calls for change.

“The simple truth is this; if we don’t address the problem of those who are economically left behind, we open up our politics to the parties of the extreme left. And if we don’t address the concerns about the pace of cultural change, we open up our politics to the parties of the extreme right.”

However, he cited political analysts who had discovered that if people said they were concerned about the changing makeup of Britain, and the fact that it was “going in the wrong direction,” that was a stronger indicator of a Leave vote than if you asked them about their salary.

He said it was now the job for politicians to acknowledge those feelings, and work to resolve them.

“If they put their heads in the sand and say this will pass, and we will just carry on the way things are – then 2016 will be seen as a real watershed,” he said.

“But if, as I believe will happen, our democracies are flexible enough, and our leaders are aware enough, then they will course correct – as I put it.”

On whether other European nations will follow suit

Mr Cameron said he did not think other EU countries would leave the EU.

Marine Le Pen would be defeated in France, he predicted, and the elections in the Netherlands would not force their country out of the EU either.

He said Britain was uniquely uninspired by the EU – something he credited with Britain’s long history of being strong and independent.

“I think Britain particularly never loved the institutions of the EU,” he said.

“Even those of us who wanted to remain certainly felt no affection for the way the organisation worked. We knew needed to be there for trade and cooperation and working together, but the affection for the institutions – particularly as Britain has had such a successful history with our own independent institutions – simply was not there.”

On Brexit and Donald Trump

During the US election campaign, Mr Cameron, then prime minister, criticised some of Mr Trump’s rhetoric as being “divisive and wrong”.

But he acknowledged that his supporters and the Brexit voters shared similar concerns – about being left behind in an increasingly globalised world, and not feeling the benefits of economic successes.

“I think the similarities are: we are both successful economies. You have seen in the United States a growth, and a big fall in unemployment – just like you have in the United Kingdom.

“I think that economic concern, that somehow globalisation isn’t working for everybody, was at the heart of the Brexit decision and also a very big issue in your election.

“But I don’t think it is enough to explain the results.

“If you ask someone in Britain if the country is going in the wrong direction, or if Britain isn’t as great as it used to be, or uncertain about change in your community – that is a better indicator that you’d be a Brexit voter, rather than is your income at this level or that level.

“So I would say you need to understand this political phenomenon through both the issues – and that is the same in both situations.”

On the Special Relationship

Mr Cameron described himself as having a “very strong” relationship with President Barack Obama, noting how, in his opinion, they worked well as a team – despite being from different political sides.

“In any international gathering, or any subject that came up, even though I was a Conservative and Barack Obama was a Democrat, we basically had so much shared language and knowledge and approach about how we would tackle these problems, that we would communicate very quickly, see each other’s arguments very quickly, and see how to work together,” he said.

He expected, he said, Theresa May and Mr Trump to continue to have a fine working relationship.

But he stressed that the Special Relationship was about more than the individuals involved – that it was military, security, and intelligence links, and shared culture and values.

He said he did not expect the Special Relationship to change, with Mr Trump in the White House and Mrs May in Number 10.

On Donald Trump’s presidency

Mr Cameron did not provide any specific recommendations for Mr Trump. But his words could certainly be taken as meant for the incoming president.

He backed his calls for border enforcement, saying that having a defined policy on immigration is key – “we may not need a wall, but we do need borders that work and are seen to work. We need that in Europe, just as you need that in the United States,” he said.

The former Conservative leader urged against being bewitched by “so-called strongmen leaders, in places such as Russia” – insisting that the American values of democracy, freedom and tolerance were its greatest strength.

He also said that, to survive in turbulent times, the US must remember its principals and values, and not seek quick fixes.

“This is still the most successful country on earth,” he said. “You are at the cutting edge of all the industries of the future.

“You have an educated and trained workforce, and I am sure you will do even more to do that in the future.

“And this is the country that people aspire to. People want to be like the United Kingdom, or the US People want to live in our countries. They believe in our values, they believe we have the keys to unlock the progress they want to see.

“And you don’t need a former British prime minister to tell you this – but I would say: have confidence in the values that made this country so great and you won’t go far wrong in the future.”

On Syria

Mr Cameron said his worst moments as prime minister had been watching the videos of Jihadi John beheading American and British citizens – but one of his best moments was when the terrorist was “put a stop to.”

And he said that he believed the West had been too slow to respond to Syria, and drew parallels with Rwanda.

He insisted that President Bashar al-Assad remained part of the problem, but said that first Isil had to be defeated militarily, as Mr Trump has maintained.

The former prime minister said that the fundamental problem was having governments which did not represent their people – Sunni, Shia, Kurd or Alawites included.

“We need a government that is going to represent Sunni, Shia, or whatever else.

“They don’t have to be perfect democracies. We can’t be perfectionists. The road to democracy is a long one – and can be a messy and difficult one.

“The basic requirement is look after their people, and that is the same in Iraq and Syria and Yemen and elsewhere.”

On his life after politics

Mr Cameron joked, when asked how he was spending his time, that he was “available for weddings and Bar Mitzvahs.”

He also made the audience laugh when he told them that his son had remarked, as he was leaving for his flight: “Dad, why are you wearing a suit? It’s not like you have a job or anything.”

But he said that he was writing his book, speaking to audiences, and doing pro bono work for the National Citizen Service.

He sounded a somewhat wistful note, however, when asked about his departure from the frontlines of British public life.

“I am writing a book about my time in politics,” he said. “Rather sad to be doing it at the age of 50, but there we are.”

Top Posts on TIME Business: Donald Trump’s Pledge to Withdraw U.S. From TPP Opens the Door for China - TIME

Top Posts on TIME Business: Donald Trump’s Pledge to Withdraw U.S. From TPP Opens the Door for China

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Top Posts on TIME Business: Donald Trump’s Pledge to Withdraw U.S. From TPP Opens the Door for China

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Donald Trump’s Pledge to Withdraw U.S. From TPP Opens the Door for China Posted: 22 Nov 2016 12:38 AM PST As a former reality-TV star who sent more than 7,000 tweets over his campaign, it was somewhat fitting that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump took to social media Monday to outline the plan for his Administration’s first 100 days. And there was clear showmanship to his pledge, made during that 2.5-minute YouTube video, to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade deal on his “first day” in office — remarks that provoked consternation among economists while presenting opportunities to rival superpower China. The TPP, which was signed in 2015 between a dozen countries that comprise 40% of the global economy but has yet to be ratified, was “a potential disaster for our country,” said Trump, adding that he would instead “negotiate fair bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry onto American shores.” Read More: How Donald Trump Could Remake Global Trade With a Pen Trump’s remarks will be especially disappointing for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who last week become the first foreign leader to sit down with the President-elect during a 90-minute meeting in New York City. Just hours before Trump’s YouTube clip Abe warned that TPP would be “meaningless” without the U.S. Economists were also downbeat about Trump’s announcement. Simon Rabinovitch, Asia economics editor at the Economist, told the BBC that “though Trump has called it a horrible deal, [TPP] was actually very good for the U.S.” Deborah Elms, executive director at the Asian Trade Center, said the decision was “very depressing news” and “means the end of U.S. leadership on trade and the passing of the baton to Asia.” That baton would be gleefully received by China, which was never a TPP signatory. Beijing instead advocates the rival Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade pact, which includes Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and 12 other Asian countries — but not the U.S. Read More: Donald Trump Outlines Policy Plans for First 100 Days in Office While RCEP is essentially an extension of free trade under existing parameters, TPP included a raft of regulations that stood to bolster U.S. competitiveness. Proponents of the deal claimed it would enhance labor rights, install minimum wages, put state-owned enterprises and foreign and domestic private companies on an even keel, allow the free transfer of information and safeguard intellectual property rights. “TPP [would be] a good thing in the long run because it sets high standards for international trade and investment,” says Professor Larry Qiu of Hong Kong University’s School of Economics and Finance. He adds that what the world needs is not “more trade and investment … but higher-quality and better-ordered trade and investment.” The risk is that protectionist policies under Trump will allow China to supplant the U.S. as a key market, given the overall trend of ascendant Asian economies is for more free trade rather than less. Read More: Donald Trump Details Plan to Rewrite Global Trade Rules That said, economists in China were more confident than their peers elsewhere. “Trump’s isolationism is a challenge and opportunity for China and Chinese companies,” says Zhang Yansheng, chief researcher for the Institute for International Economics Research at China’s National Development and Reform Commission. “Maybe under the new economic polices issued by Trump, more Chinese companies will enter American market.” Certainly, the end of TPP sounds the death knell for outgoing President Barack Obama’s “pivot” or “rebalancing” to Asia. TPP was to be the economic element to a strategy to counter China’s rise through enhanced military, political and economic cooperation with regional allies. Speaking at a meeting of the APEC bloc in Lima, Peru, on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need “to continue our involvement in economic globalization … bringing about an Asia-Pacific economy with greater openness.” Read More: Donald Trump’s Victory Is Some of the Best Foreign News China Could Have Hoped For But the question remains over how far Trump’s protectionism goes, with the Republican’s stump pledge to impose 45% trade tariffs on Chinese goods raising the potential of U.S. trade wars with the world’s second largest economy. Zhang says that the 45% tariff is unlikely because the U.S. has a trade surplus with so many countries. “If Trump charges 45% on Chinese goods, what about the tariff for European countries, for Russia, and for Japan?” asks Zhang. “I don’t think Trump would do it. [And] of course, China would fight back. The world would be in chaos.” — With reporting by Yang Siqi / Beijing