Trump picks Kelly Loeffler to lead Small Business Administration
CNN
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced former Sen. Kelly Loeffler as his pick to lead the Small Business Administration.
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced former Sen. Kelly Loeffler as his pick to lead the Small Business Administration. “Kelly will bring her experience in business and Washington to reduce red tape, and unleash opportunity for our Small Businesses to grow, innovate, and thrive. She will focus on ensuring that SBA is accountable to Taxpayers by cracking down on waste, fraud, and regulatory overreach,” Trump posted on Truth Social, also noting that she’s co-chairing his inauguration. There had been several discussions between Loeffler and the transition team regarding the role of Agriculture secretary, and CNN reported last month that Trump had been poised to offer her the position. But Trump held off from announcing his Agriculture pick as he issued a slew of others late last month, then eventually offered the role to Brooke Rollins. Loeffler, who briefly represented Georgia in the Senate, had fundraised for Trump during the 2024 race and raised several million dollars for his campaign over the summer when she hosted a debate watch party with Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley. Several of Trump’s other Cabinet picks — including Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Elise Stefanik — were at that party. Loeffler was among the wealthiest lawmakers during her short time in Congress. Her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, is the CEO of the Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange. When running for election in 2020, she announced she and her husband were divesting from individual stocks amid sharp criticism over trades she and other lawmakers made ahead of the market downturn caused by the coronavirus. Appointed to the Senate by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp over the wishes of Trump, Loeffler lost her seat in a 2021 runoff to Democratic now-Sen. Raphael Warnock.
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