Trump claims that Obama helped him pick his Cabinet full of homophobes
President-elect Trump has claimed that Barack Obama is helping him make his Cabinet appointments, after filling his top team with homophobes.
Unlike President Obama, whose cabinet included long-time LGBT rights and civil rights champions, nearly every member of Donald Trump’s new team is overwhelmingly opposed to LGBT rights.
President-elect Trump recently confirmed Fox News pundit Dr Ben Carson as his Housing and Urban Development Secretary.
Dr Carson is known for his endless font of surreal views about homosexuality – comparing gay people to paedophiles, and insisting that prisons ‘prove’ being gay is a choice. He previously insisted that same-sex marriage is a Marxist plot from the New World Order, claiming gay weddings are part of a plan “to destroy unity [and] bring America down”.
Trump’s Attorney General is Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, who fought vocally against equal marriage and discrimination protections for LGBT people, and opposed lifting the ban on openly gay people serving in the military.
His Secretary of Health and Human Services is Tom Price, a Republican lawmaker who co-sponsored a law which would legalise discrimination against LGBT people on the grounds of religion.
Speaking to TIME Magazine after being named Person of the Year, President-elect Trump claimed that Barack Obama was actually helping advise him on his picks.
He said of his recent meeting with the outgoing President: “We talked about some of the potential appointments that I would make. I wanted to get his opinion. And he gave me some opinions on some people that were very interesting to me, and that meant something to me. I believe in asking people.
“We have different views but he loves our country. And he wants what’s good for our country. So I did talk to him about certain people that I’m thinking about. Got his ideas.”
Trump added: “He really cares about the country, I have to say. I mean I differ with him in numerous things. But he really cares about the country. I had a great conversation with him.
“I had a great meeting with him and a couple of great conversations. He – you know he’s very committed. And you hear all different – I will tell you, I really liked him, I think he liked me. I think he was surprised also.”
We will add an update once President Obama has issued the inevitable denial.
