PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump has tapped another billionaire businessman for an administration job, naming Army veteran and fellow New Yorker Vincent Viola to be his secretary of the Army.
A West Point graduate, Viola adds to the list of former military men Trump has chosen for his Cabinet. His picks for defense secretary, homeland security secretary, national security adviser and deputy national security adviser are all retired military.
In a written statement, Trump praised Viola, the son of Italian immigrants, as “living proof of the American dream” and someone who has a lengthy history of engagement with national security issues. The Army secretary is the civilian head of the Army.
Viola grew up in Brooklyn, the first member of his family to attend college. He was trained as an Airborne Ranger infantry officer and served in the 101st Airborne Division. He is a lawyer who started multiple businesses and bought the Florida Panthers hockey team for about $250 million in 2013.
Trump made the announcement as electors in all 50 states were meeting December 19 to formally elect him president, paving his way to take office on Jan. 20.
Trump announced his choice for Army secretary from Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach, Florida, estate where he was spending the holidays with his family and continuing work on the transition.
Viola would join a circle of wealthy businessmen chosen for Trump’s administration, including fast food executive Andy Puzder to lead the Labor Department, billionaire investor Wilbur Ross for Commerce, financier Steven Mnuchin as Treasury secretary and Goldman Sachs President Gary Cohn as his top economic adviser.
