Can They Do It?


The top Republicans in Guam and the CNMI have been given a proverbial seat at President Trump’s transition table, where it is hoped the four leaders will be able to influence the incoming administration’s policies to benefit the Marianas.

By invitation from Mr. Trump’s incoming special assistant for legislative affairs James Baird, CNMI Congresswoman-elect Kimberlyn King-Hinds, Guam Congressman James Moylan, and American Samoa’s congresswoman formed the Pacific Transition 47 Committee with Republican incoming legislative speaker Frank Blas, Jr., and the now-Republican governor of the CNMI, Arnold Palacios. The committee also includes the incoming governor of American Samoa, and the chairpersons of the Republican parties of American Samoa, Guam, and the CNMI. According to a news release from the committee, part of their push will be to influence both policies and Trump appointments.

These matters could influence who becomes the next federal judge in Guam if the U.S. Senate does not confirm Frances Tydingco-Gatewood’s nomination by President Biden by the time it adjourns in January. The U.S. Attorney for Guam and the NMI post also might be under consideration, as the current office holder has not been confirmed. Other Justice Department issues could include a long-sought separation of the U.S. Attorney’s office so that the CNMI has a top federal law enforcer of its own, and an increase or decrease in federal law enforcement resources to combat corruption, drug trafficking, human trafficking, counterfeiting, and national security threats in America’s so-called “tip of the spear.”

There are questions of agreement, especially between the CNMI’s incoming delegate and its governor, who have sparred previously on the issue of CCP-backed Chinese investment and military investment into the northern Marianas.

Kimberlyn King-Hinds

As the nation unfurls its $34 billion Pacific Deterrence Initiative to combat Chinese aggression, Ms. King-Hinds has cautioned her constituents about increased “federal handouts” and militarization while promoting less regulation on the ability of Chinese tourists and businesses to enter the CNMI. Mr. Palacios, in a phone interview with Kandit, expressed his optimism that the CNMI will be in a better position to advocate for increased military presence and investment under the Trump administration.

Federal investment in both the CNMI and Guam has become more crucial in the post-pandemic reality that both territories have failed to convince Korean and Japanese travelers to choose Guam and Saipan over other resort destinations in the Indo-Pacific region. Several Guam retailers have told Kandit they have kept their businesses open and employees on staff as they await the arrival of the Marines to offset losses from a market that is not seeing as many tourists spending as much money locally as balance sheets can benefit.

In the CNMI, Ms. King-Hinds has advocated for tourism rebound through the Chinese market, however, global reports throughout the past year have shown more Chinese travelers choosing domestic destinations and causing a $134 billion retraction in global tourism outside of China.

The opportunity to be a closer part of the political dialogue under a federal government that will be run by double Republican majorities in the U.S. Congress and the Presidency is what drove the governor to brush the dust off his red roots and realign himself with the Republican National Committee. Mr. Palacios, who for the majority of his political career was part of the CNMI Republican Party, ran and won as an independent candidate in 2022, segregating himself from the scandal-laden former governor, Ralph Torres. There is no indication yet that the governor will be returning to the local party’s ranks.

CNMI Governor Arnold I. Palacios earlier this year met with military officials, federal partners, and CNMI departments and agencies as part of the CNMI Stakeholders’ Meeting which was held recently and was conducted by Indo-Pacific Command. The event is a recurring meeting between CNMI stakeholders and INDOPACOM that is held quarterly. During the meeting, military leaders provided updates with regard to construction projects, upcoming military training events, and the CNMI National Guard Initiative. Also in attendance at the meeting was Rear Adm. Gregory C. Huffman (Joint Region Marianas, INDOPACOM), Major General Mark A. Hashimoto (INDOPACOM), Maj. Gen. Reginald G. A. Neal (USARPAC), and Brig. Gen. Christopher K. Faurot (Guam National Guard).

“I was elected to serve the best interests of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands above all else, and that commitment remains unwavering,” Mr. Palacios said in a Pacific Transition 47 news release issued earlier this month. “It is clear to me that President Trump and the Republican Party’s message of freedom, opportunity, and strength at home and on a global stage best aligns with the vision and priorities of improving the economy and creating better opportunities for every family in the Northern Mariana Islands. I look forward to working with fellow Republicans on our shared work ahead!”

Part of the committee’s work will be to field candidates for appointments to federal positions. Previous federal office holders from Guam include Ginger Cruz, Anthony Babauta, and Juan Carlos Benitez.

The committee announced that people from the Pacific territories who are interested in serving in the Trump administration should send their resumes and letters of recommendation by email to [email protected], if they are seeking the endorsement of the committee.

“Committee members are not precluded from communicating directly with the Trump-Vance Transition to make policy and personnel recommendations,” American Samoa Congresswoman Amata Radewagen said in the news release, “but we expect that recommendations will be given greater weight if submitted by the committee, which consists of the most prominent senior Republican leaders in the American Pacific.”

Ms. Radewagen is the most senior member of Congress from the territories.

“Having been in the House for 10 years now,” Ms. Radewagen said, “I have served in the majority and the minority, served with Senate Republicans in majority and minority and with each party controlling the White House. This is the first time Republicans will control both houses of Congress and the presidency at the same time. I’m very much looking forward to that.”

“It’s exciting to have an all-Republican group of territorial House members from the Pacific,” said Ms. King-Hinds, “and I will look forward to working together on common issues.”

Jim Moylan

“The three of us are spread out over a number of committees, where most of the legislative preparation work is conducted,” Mr. Moylan said. “Because of that,” he explained, “I hope we will be able to look out for each other on important bills affecting all of us.”

Among those federal issues of mutual concern to Guam and the CNMI are Trump’s foreign policy related to China, North Korea, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, and the Freely Associated States of Micronesia.

In 2023, Mr. Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Kelly, told The Atlantic that during the North Korean missile crisis years earlier, Mr. Trump said that “Guam isn’t America,” as he weighed the country’s options against the bellicose threats by Kim Jong Un against the Pacific territory. Mr. Trump’s team has since denied the accusation.

Chinese premier Xi Jinping’s Biden-era threat to invade Taiwan in 2027 has increased tensions in the region, strengthening the call for greater U.S. involvement in the Pacific. Powerful House Republicans – with the blessing of Mr. Moylan – last year voted to authorize a study on the possibility of moving some of the $34 billion anti-CCP Pacific Deterrence Initiative to projects in southeastern states in the U.S. mainland. The possible movement of some of that funding against the wishes of the Defense Department along with Mr. Trump’s isolationist tendencies could be cause for concern as 2027 approaches.

Other issues that can directly affect Guam and the CNMI include Mr. Trump’s proposed tariffs and tax cuts, which could increase prices and drastically reduce government revenues, respectively, in the western Pacific territories.

The literature so far from the Pacific Transition 47 Committee has not yet addressed these matters, or if and how its members will negotiate these issues with the Trump administration.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement