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Trump Is Expected to Name Elaine Chao as Transportation Secretary

Chao, who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, could become the first Asian American woman to ever hold a cabinet position.
Lauren Messman
Former US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao in NY. Photo via Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP/Getty Images

It looks like Donald Trump will tap former labor secretary Elaine Chao to head the US Department of Transportation in an announcement on Tuesday, Politico reports.

Chao, who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, served under George H.W. Bush as the deputy secretary of transportation and led the Department of Labor under George W. Bush for all of his eight years in office. She was also a member of Trump's Asian Pacific American Advisory Council on the campaign trail.

Chao could wield a lot of power in the Trump administration, as the president-elect has made infrastructure a top priority. According to the New York Times, he's aiming to spend $1 trillion on ramping up the country's roads, bridges, and public transportation.

The official announcement is expected to come at 1 PM Tuesday afternoon. If she gets the gig, Chao will be the first Asian American woman to ever hold a cabinet position.

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Tagged:VICE USNewsDonald TrumprepublicanGeorge W. Bushasian-americanWomanvgtrnnews-cyclegovernment & politicscabinetinfrastructureMitch McConnellGeorge HW Bushtrump administrationElaine ChaoDepartment of Transporationtransition teamsecretary of labor
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