Days before the Nov. 5 election, businessman Mark Cuban joined the ladies of “The View” to stump for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign. Cuban told the hosts: “You never see [Donald J. Trump] around strong, intelligent women. Ever.” According to Cuban, this was one of the reasons that Harris had the edge going into election day.
But as it turns out, he was wrong on all fronts.
Not only did President-elect Donald Trump win the election by 86 electoral votes and sweep the popular vote, but he has also named strong and intelligent women to top administration positions.
Trump has appointed Susie Wiles as chief of staff, the first woman to hold that position in U.S. history. As Trump said in his announcement: “Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected.”
With more than 40 years of experience in politics, working for presidents, mayors, governors and members of Congress, Wiles co-chaired Trump’s 2024 campaign with Chris LaCivita. A veteran of Florida politics, Wiles “has a master ability to manage multiple things of significance simultaneously,” LaCivita said. She is a brilliant political strategist whose professional management style helped, as Trump said, “achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history.”
Additionally, Trump has nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2014, when she became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. A native of upstate New York and graduate of Harvard University, Stefanik chairs the House Republican Conference and is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Intelligence Committee.
Trump’s statement announcing her nomination echoed Stefanik’s impressive career in Congress. “Elise is a strong and very smart America First fighter,” he wrote. “She will be an incredible Ambassador to the United Nations, delivering Peace through Strength and America First National Security policies!”
Trump has also appointed South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Rancher, farmer, small business owner and the first female governor of South Dakota, Noem has been committed to securing the U.S. border. As Trump pointed out in a statement announcing Noem’s nomination: “She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times.” As secretary of DHS, Noem will continue this effort and work alongside Border Czar Tom Homan to stem illegal immigration and fulfill Trump’s mission of Making America Safe Again.
Further, Trump has chosen Lt. Col. Tulsi Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence. A former Democrat with supporters on both sides of the aisle, Gabbard has had a remarkable career dedicated to serving the United States in uniform and in government. With more than two decades of military service in the Hawaii Army National Guard and the United States Army Reserve, Gabbard deployed to war zones three times in the Middle East and Africa. A four-term congresswoman for Hawaii, Gabbard brought her firsthand experiences of the cost of war to D.C. as she served as a member of the Armed Services, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees.
As Trump wrote in a statement: “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence community, championing our Constitutional Rights and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!”
Moreover, Trump has named Karoline Leavitt as the youngest White House Press Secretary at 27 years old. Leavitt worked alongside Kayleigh McEnany in the press office during the first Trump administration and served as Rep. Elise Stefanik’s communications director. In 2022, she ran for Congress in her home state of New Hampshire and won a 10-way Republican primary.
As press secretary for the campaign, Leavitt was a remarkably articulate defender of Trump. “Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” Trump said in a statement. “I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium.”
Also, Trump has selected Linda McMahon to serve as the secretary of Education. McMahon has a lifelong passion for education and is an ardent supporter of school choice and charter schools. She brings with her a wide range of experience. McMahon co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment, served on the Connecticut Board of Education, and led the Small Business Administration during the first Trump administration.
McMahon will spearhead the effort to “send education back to the states,” Trump said in a statement. “Linda will use her decades of Leadership experience, and deep understanding of both Education and Business to … make America Number One in Education in the World.”
Finally, President-elect Trump has nominated Pam Bondi as the next U.S. attorney general. Bondi has more than 18 years of experience as a criminal prosecutor. She served as Florida’s first female attorney general and worked to stop illegal drug trafficking. Bondi previously served on the President’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission. She is currently chair of the Center for Litigation and co-chair of the Center for Law and Justice at the America First Policy Institute.
As President Trump wrote in his announcement, “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime and Making America Safe Again. I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter.”
I encourage Mark Cuban to take a look at the growing list of strong, intelligent women with whom President Donald Trump surrounds himself. Each of these women will play a pivotal role in shaping the Trump administration and ushering in a new golden age for America.
Ambassador Callista L. Gingrich is president and chief executive officer of Gingrich 360, a multimedia production and consulting company based in Arlington, Virginia. She is a former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. For more commentary from Callista Gingrich, visit Gingrich360.com.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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