Trump’s picks to reward top donors who helped him win, watchdogs say

President-elect taps allies to roll back rules and cut taxes in nakedly transactional' ploy critics call unprecedented'

Donald Trump has quickly tapped big donors and political allies for top posts to roll back environmental and health regulations, cut taxes and government spending in ways that will benefit key backers, say government watchdogs.

Armed with blueprints to expand presidential power in aggressive ways and backed by a bevy of billionaire donors and ultra loyalists who helped him win, the president-elect's transactional style of awarding powerful posts to backers such as X owner Elon Musk, or allies of others such as fracking mogul Harold Hamm, is seen as unprecedented", and will likely boost their bottom lines, say critics.