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Howard Lutnick

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Howard Lutnick
Howard Lutnick square.png
Basic facts
Education:• Haverford College
Prior Experience
Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald

Howard Lutnick is the secretary of commerce in the second term of the President Donald Trump (R) administration.

Lutnick was co-chair of President Donald Trump's (R) 2024-2025 presidential transition. On November 19, 2024, Trump announced that he had selected Lutnick as his nominee for secretary of Commerce.[1] The Senate voted 51-45 to confirm Lutnick on February 18, 2025.[2]

In announcing Lutnick's nomination, Trump said, "He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative."[1] Lutnick has said that "tariffs are an amazing tool for the president to use — we need to protect the American worker."[3] At a Trump rally in 2024, Lutnick said, "When was America great? … 125 years ago. We had no income tax, and all we had was tariffs."[4]

Lutnick was born in Jericho, New York, in 1961. He received a bachelor's degree in economics from Haverford College in 1983.[5][6] He began working at Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services firm, that year.[7] Lutnick was president and chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald from 1991 until 1996, when he became chairman and chief executive officer.[6]

On September 11, 2001, 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees, including Lutnick's brother, died in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Lutnick, who had taken his son to his first day of kindergarten, was at the doors of the North Tower when the South Tower collapsed. He survived by hiding himself under a car.[8][9]

According to The New York Times, "It was during that era that Mr. Lutnick’s friendship with Mr. Trump, a fellow businessman, was forged ... as they grappled together with the effect of the attacks on their home city."[10]

Biography

Lutnick received a bachelor's degree in economics from Haverford College in 1983 and began working at Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services firm, that year.[11][12] From 1991 to 1996, Lutnick was president and chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald, and he was chairman and chief executive officer from 1996 to 2025. He was also chairman and chief executive officer of BGC Group and chairman of Newmark Group during that time.[6]

Nomination for U.S. secretary of commerce

See also: Donald Trump presidential transition, 2024-2025 and Confirmation process for Howard Lutnick for secretary of commerce
Donald Trump's Cabinet
(second term)
Candidate: Howard Lutnick
Position: Secretary of Commerce
ApprovedaAnnounced:November 19, 2024
ApprovedaHearing:January 29, 2025
ApprovedaCommittee:Commerce, Science, and Transportation
ApprovedaReported:Favorable (16-12)
ApprovedaConfirmed:February 18, 2025
ApprovedaVote:51-45

Donald Trump (R) announced on November 19, 2024, that he had selected Lutnick as his nominee for secretary of Commerce. This appointment requires Senate confirmation. In a statement, Trump said, "I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce. He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative."[1]

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a confirmation hearing for Lutnick on January 29, 2025.[13] The Senate voted 51-45 to confirm Lutnick on February 18, 2025, with 51 Republicans voting in favor. All 43 Democrats and both Independents who caucus with Democrats voted against his nomination.[14] Click here to read more about the confirmation process.

Summary of Senate vote on Howard Lutnick's nomination for secretary of commerce (February 18, 2025)
Party Votes for Votes against Not voting
Democratic Party Democrats 0 43 2
Republican Party Republicans 51 0 2
Grey.png Independents 0 2 0
Totals 51 45 4



Recent news

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Howard Lutnick - Google News

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 4President, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Howard Lutnick as the United States Secretary of Commerce," November 19, 2024
  2. ↑ NY Times, "Senate Confirms Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary," February 18, 2025
  3. ↑ CBS News, "Trump will nominate transition adviser and billionaire Howard Lutnick for commerce secretary," November 19, 2024
  4. ↑ CNN, "Elon Musk wants Trump to disrupt Wall Street with his Treasury pick," November 16, 2024
  5. ↑ The Real Deal, "Howard Lutnick," archived September 1, 2015
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 LinkedIn, "Howard W. Lutnick," accessed January 16, 2025
  7. ↑ Forbes, "Briefing Book: Howard Lutnick," July 13, 2012
  8. ↑ NPR, "CEO Howard Lutnick Remembers Sept. 11: How His Company Survived After Great Personal Loss," September 11, 2016
  9. ↑ The New York Times, "AFTER THE ATTACKS: THE TRADING FIRM; Flinty Bond Trader Leads His Firm Out of the Rubble," September 15, 2001
  10. ↑ The New York Times, "A Banker Is Scouting Trump’s Nominees. Some Will Oversee His Interests," November 9, 2024
  11. ↑ Haverford College, "Family and Friends Weekend Keynote: Howard Lutnick '83," November 2, 2015
  12. ↑ Forbes, "Briefing Book: Howard Lutnick," July 13, 2012
  13. ↑ Senate.gov, "Hearings & Meetings," accessed January 27, 2025
  14. ↑ NY Times, "Senate Confirms Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary," February 18, 2025
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