Trump taps Wall Street, Washington veterans for top jobs

WASHINGTON -- President-elect Donald Trump is enlisting a trio of nominees with deep ties to Washington and Wall Street to fill out his Cabinet, including former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as secretary of the Treasury Department.

On Tuesday, Trump also chose Georgia Rep. Tom Price to oversee the nation's health-care system, picking a fierce "Obamacare" critic who has championed efforts to privatize Medicare.

And he selected another veteran Republican, Elaine Chao, a former labor secretary and the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to lead the Department of Transportation.

Mnuchin's official announcement was expected as early as today, according to a person familiar with the decision who insisted on anonymity to confirm the pick ahead of time.

Mnuchin, 53, led Trump's finance operations during the presidential campaign and became close with the president-elect and his family.

But he has no government experience, which could prove a hurdle in navigating the tricky politics of Washington.

If confirmed by the Senate, Mnuchin would play a central role in shaping Trump's tax policies and infrastructure plans.

He also would lead an agency tasked with implementing international economic sanctions.

Mnuchin is expected to be joined on Trump's senior economic team by another financier, Wilbur Ross.

The billionaire investor is considered the "king of bankruptcy" for buying beaten-down companies with the potential to deliver profits.

Trump spent much of Tuesday in his Manhattan skyscraper, racing through meetings with prospective administration hires as high-profile vacancies remain -- none bigger than secretary of state.

He emerged in the evening for a private dinner with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who is on the short list for the nation's chief diplomat.

A transition official said the president-elect and Vice President-elect Mike Pence will travel to Indiana for an event today with Carrier, the air-conditioning company.