Trump says he's 'in no hurry' to name permanent Cabinet replacements

By Liz Stark and Devan Cole, CNN
Updated 1748 GMT (0148 HKT) January 6, 2019

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump said Sunday that he is "in no hurry" to name official replacements for several Cabinet-level positions in his administration.

"Well, I'm in no hurry. I have acting (administration officials). And my actings are doing really great," Trump told reporters at the White House before departing to a White House staff retreat at Camp David.

The President said that both acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who was former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's second-in-command at the department, and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney are "doing great."

Currently, there is also an acting secretary of defense, Patrick Shanahan, the former deputy to former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who resigned last month over differences with Trump's foreign policy views. In addition, there is an acting administrator of the EPA, Andrew Wheeler, and an acting US ambassador to the United Nations, Heather Nauert. Matthew Whitaker is serving as the acting attorney general, although former Attorney General William Barr has been nominated to be the the departments' permanent head once again.

Trump added that having "acting" officials gives him "more flexibility."

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