NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn tweeted on Tuesday that Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross, who are being considered as President-elect Donald Trump's treasury secretary and commerce secretary, "would be great choices" and "two of the smartest people I know."
Icahn, a supporter of Trump who was often praised by the Republican during the presidential campaign for his business acumen, said in the tweet that he had spoken with Trump.
Reuters had previously reported that Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) executive and Trump's campaign financechairman, was being considered among others for the treasurysecretary role. Ross, a billionaire investor, also stood behind Trump and is a part of his economic team. Calls to Ross were not immediately returned.
Mnuchin walked through the Trump Tower lobby in Manhattan on Tuesday morning. He would not comment on personnel decisions but said the Trump team is "making sure we get the biggest tax bill passed, the biggest tax changes since Reagan. So a lot of exciting things in the first 100 days of the Trump presidency."