Trump Names Entrepreneur, Terrorism Expert as Army Secretary

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Vincent Viola (shown) as secretary of the army on Monday, saying: “Whether it is his distinguished military service or highly impressive track record in the world of business, Vinnie has proved throughout his life that he knows how to be a leader and deliver major results in the face of any challenge.”

That’s a good thing because “Vinnie” is going to face plenty of them, including some from others Trump has already picked for his administration. While most of the mainstream media has focused on Viola’s business success — ownership of a hockey team and a high-frequency trading firm — it’s clear that Trump is more interested in his expertise as an expert in terrorism. Trump’s endorsement of Viola added that he “will combine a deep background in national security affairs with an impressive track record of leading and managing high-performing teams [both] within the military and the private sector.”

Starting his career following graduation from West Point in 1977 and obtaining a law degree afterwards, Viola began trading commodities (oil, gas, wheat, etc.) at the New York Mercantile Exchange, known as the “Merc.” Soon he was in charge of trading, and then in charge of the exchange itself, serving as its chairman for four years. By then he was wealthy enough to enjoy some of the finer things in life, like buying the Florida Panthers, a National Hockey League team in Sunrise, Florida.

 

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