Trump’s Labor Secretary Pick Withdraws

President Trump’s pick for labor secretary, Andrew Puzder, withdrew, after several Republicans in the Senate said they would not vote for him, making his confirmation impossible. This is Trump’s first setback in putting his cabinet together.

Puzder is the CEO of CKE Restaurants, which operates the fast food chains Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.

Though a Trump defeat, Puzder’s failure to get confirmed can be seen as a victory for Trump’s ideas. Puzder has a history of hiring illegal immigrants, both in his company and in his personal house-keeping. He has been an advocate for increased immigration and had been a supporter of the “Gang of Eight” style immigration reform with its amnesty provisions. As labor secretary, he would not seem to embody the interests of the American workers who have been casualties of globalism and who put Trump in office. See this for a conservative case against his confirmation.

From Andrew Puzder, Trump’s labor secretary pick, withdraws nomination – Washington Times:

President Trump’s nominee to lead the Labor Department withdrew Wednesday after it became clear he would struggle to win confirmation in the Senate, amid allegations of spousal abuse and employing an illegal immigrant as a maid.

“While I won’t be serving in the administration, I fully support the president and his highly qualified team,” Andrew Puzder said in a statement reported by the Associated Press.

It’s a major blow to Mr. Trump, who despite severe opposition from Democrats had managed to steadily get much of the rest of his Cabinet confirmed.

The chief of CKE Restaurants, which runs the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. fast-food chains, Mr. Puzder had been under fire from Democrats who said he wouldn’t be an advocate for workers. But it was defections among Republicans, after old allegations of abuse from his wife resurfaced, that sealed his fate.

Previous presidents have seen similar hiccups in their early days — President Clinton canceled his first attorney general pick, while President Obama saw several of his initial slate of nominees drop out, including two for the same secretary’s post — yet Mr. Trump’s stumble was being seen as more evidence of instability at the White House.

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