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Scott Turner, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has been busy if his activity on social media platform X is any indication. And considering the ubiquitous use of the platform by multiple officials in the Trump administration, it most likely is.
Turner posted about several topics on X on Wednesday and Thursday. He revealed on Wednesday that his Trump administration predecessor Ben Carson had arrived for the unveiling of his official portrait at HUD headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“Today was a full circle moment for me and the whole HUD team as we unveiled former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson’s official portrait,” Turner wrote. “This man is a mentor to myself, a true leader to the Department, and a great American patriot. I will continue to advance the America First policies started at HUD in the first Trump administration under Dr. Carson.”
Later in the day, Turner posted a photo alongside Carson and the new portrait.
Turner also revealed that on April 1, he met with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Turner vowed to work with Kennedy to “Make American Housing Healthy Again,” referencing Kennedy’s own promise to “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) since being nominated by Trump to lead that agency.
Kennedy later posted to the platform about the meeting with Turner.
“[Secretary Turner] shares my commitment to promoting healthier living environments that reduce indoor air contaminants and create opportunities for community gardens and social interactions,” Kennedy said on Wednesday. “I look forward to working with [HUD] to MAHA American housing stock.”
Turner also weighed in on Wednesday’s news of the sweeping tariffs imposed on other nations, announced by the president in an hour-long press conference at the White House Rose Garden.
“Since 1979, manufacturing hubs across America have decayed as jobs were shipped overseas,” Turner said. “40% of Opportunity Zones contain former manufacturing hubs that were forgotten and left to waste for decades. [President Trump] is working to bring investment back to America and restore the 50% of jobs lost in our most hard-hit cities.”
Later in the day, Turner posted a video from his appearance on the talk show of a conservative influencer, repeating some of his contentions from the earlier post.
“After decades of bad trade policy, these manufacturing hubs have been left behind,” Turner said. “We will rebuild, revitalize, and restore our communities. [The president’s] announcement today is another step toward ensuring America thrives.”
Turner posted again ostensibly about the tariff news, saying that they will serve to bring more domestically sourced materials to U.S. homebuilders.
“Cement, lumber, steel. You can’t build a home without them,” he said. “For decades, we’ve bought these products from outside the United States. [The president] is working to make sure our homes are AMERICAN MADE (sic).”
He later added another post: “America is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. [The president] is ensuring we can tap into these resources, so the American Dream is Made In America Again! (sic)”
Turner later retweeted a post from the influencer, where he discussed a recent change to HUD policy that aims to restrict Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage financing to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
