President-elect Donald Trump has tapped several Californians — including former San Joaquin Valley congressman Devin Nunes — for posts in his next administration.
Nunes, a Republican and former dairy farmer from Tulare, resigned his House seat after nearly two decades in 2022 to become chief executive of Trump Media & Technology Group, which is the parent company of the president-elect’s Truth Social platform. On Saturday, Trump announced on the platform that he had selected Nunes to serve as chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
The board “exists exclusively to provide the President with an independent source of advice” on intelligence matters, and “has access to all information necessary to perform its functions,” according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Its members do not require Senate confirmation.
Trump wrote that Nunes would use his experience as former chair of the House Intelligence Committee “and his key role in exposing the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax” to provide Trump with “independent assessments of the effectiveness and propriety” of actions taken by the U.S. intelligence agencies.
Nunes was a staunch ally of Trump throughout the House’s investigation into ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia, which Nunes helped lead given his intelligence committee post. He dismissed various connections between Trump campaign officials and Russian assets even as now-Sen. Adam B. Schiff — a Democrat from California on the intelligence committee — alleged Trump’s team had colluded with the Russians and the Justice Department pursued its own investigation.
Trump said Nunes would maintain his CEO position with Trump Media. Trump has also nominated other Trump Media officials to prominent posts in his administration — including pro wrestling mogul Linda McMahon, his pick for Education secretary, and Kash Patel, his pick for FBI director.
Patel is a former staffer on the House Intelligence Committee under Nunes, and a fellow Trump loyalist.
Nunes wrote on Truth Social that he was “looking forward to serving our great nation again” under Trump. On Fox News, Nunes sang Patel’s praises and said they would work together — with Trump’s other justice and intelligence nominees — to “restore integrity back into” the system.
“It’s critical to do what the president wants to do, what he promised the American people, [which] is to get these agencies focused on going after bad guys and keeping Americans safe,” Nunes said.
Trump also on Saturday named Richard “Ric” Grenell, another loyalist from California, as his “envoy for special missions” — a role that does not currently exist.
Grenell, who during Trump’s first term served as acting director of national intelligence and as ambassador to Germany, previously worked at the United Nations Security Council.
Trump said Grenell “will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea,” and “will continue to fight for Peace through Strength, and always put AMERICA FIRST.”
Grenell called working under Trump “an honor of a lifetime” in a post on X.
“President Trump is a problem solver who keeps Americans safe and prosperous,” he wrote. “We have so much to do. Let’s get to work.”
Grenell is a firebrand known for his caustic attacks on social media. He was heavily criticized by German officials while ambassador — one called him “a biased propaganda machine” — and his appointment as acting national intelligence director during Trump’s first term was met with scorn from Democrats, who said he lacked the intelligence experience necessary for the post.
Grenell, who has a home in Palm Springs and previously taught at the USC Annenberg School of Communication, has also drawn both support and derision from California lawmakers.
Grenell, who is gay, has been flagged as anti-LGBTQ+ by queer rights groups for railing against transgender youth rights and the Equality Act. When California Republicans honored Grenell on the California Senate floor in the name of Pride Month in 2023, several Democrats walked off the floor in protest — including gay state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who called Grenell “a guy who is truly a self-hating gay man, who takes tons of anti-LGBTQ positions.”
Trump on Saturday also nominated former Los Alamitos Mayor Troy Edgar to serve as deputy secretary of Homeland Security.
Edgar, an IBM executive, previously served in Trump’s first term as chief financial officer and as associate deputy undersecretary of management for Homeland Security.
In a Truth Social post announcing his selection, Trump credited Edgar with helping to lead a “revolt” against sanctuary cities as mayor of Los Alamitos, a tiny Orange County city.
“I am very excited to have Troy on our team, as he will help us Make America Great Again!” Trump wrote.
The California Values Act, which took effect Jan. 1, 2018, restricts local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration officials in many cases. Edgar and other Los Alamitos officials approved an ordinance that tried to exempt the city from the state law — galvanizing support from other conservative officials in the state and drawing the attention of Trump, who invited Edgar to the White House.
The Trump administration sued to block the California law, but the Supreme Court rejected the challenge in 2020, leaving the law intact.
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
