President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Howard Lutnick as secretary of Commerce, the incoming president announced on Tuesday.
At Trump’s Madison Square Garden campaign rally last month, Lutnick said the U.S. was "most prosperous during the early 1900s, when there was “no income tax and all we had was tariffs.” Lutnick also came under fire recently for defending Robert F. Kennedy's view that vaccines are contributing to higher rates of autism in children.
Lutnick has served as Trump transition team's co-chair. Trump said in a statement that Lutnick would lead his administration's tariff and trade agenda.
Trump said he plans to boost U.S. manufacturing by imposing steep tariffs on all imported goods, at least 10% across the board, and up to 60% on products from China. The Peterson Institute for International Economics found that Trump's proposed tariffs could cost the typical American household more than $2,600 a year.
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Trump boasted about Lutnick's background on Wall Street, as he joined Cantor Fitzgerald in 1983. He was noted by the Trump transition for his philanthropy following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Nearly two-thirds of Cantor Fitzgerald's employees died in the attacks, including his brother.
Lutnick was among the survivors and subsequently donated $180 million to 9/11 relief efforts.
He was also a major contributor to Trump's presidential campaign, providing nearly $5.75 million in contributions in 2024 for Make America Great Again Inc., according to Open Secrets.
The post is subject to Senate confirmation.
