@doug_hanks
Most wags didn't expect Donald Trump to win Tuesday, so there's catch-up game underway speculating about who in Miami might join his administration.
With Trump preparing to take over the executive branch on Jan. 20, buzz is growing around Miami International Airport director Emilio González getting tapped for a senior federal post, either at the Cabinet level or a layer below. Since González has already been part of a Republican administration, his possible move to Washington has been such an open topic of speculation that Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez joked after a press conference Wednesday that maybe González would be "secretary of something" under Trump.
Between 2005 and 2008, González served as director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under President George W. Bush, an under-secretary position within the Homeland Security department that required Senate confirmation. Before that, the retired U.S. Army colonel served as director of Western Hemisphere affairs on the National Security Council under Bush.
@realDonaldTrump departed @iflymia this afternoon. Florida is THE battleground state of 2016 & MIA is center stage pic.twitter.com/tXpYCnt80p
— Emilio T Gonzalez (@emiliotgonzalez) November 2, 2016
In his role as MIA director, González is often there to greet visiting dignitaries on the tarmac. On Nov. 2, González tweeted a photo of him talking to Trump, with the future president-elect's hand on the director's shoulder as he talked into his ear.
Honored to welcome @POTUS Obama to @iflymia with @MayorGimenez and @MayorLevine with @DWStweets. Busy times at MIA pic.twitter.com/0AXgc6MXcv
— Emilio T Gonzalez (@emiliotgonzalez) October 20, 2016
Gonzalez, who has presided over MIA at a time of record traffic and revenue levels, declined to be interviewed for this blog post on Thursday. Of all of Gimenez's department heads, Gonzalez's future is probably the mot discussed. Gimenez appointed him MIA director in 2013, and his name has been floated a possible candidate for Miami mayor once the seat opens up in 2017. González has said he has no interest in running for office.
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