Trump seeking "qualified Latinos" for cabinet after denigrating Mexicans in his campaign

Following criticism that his cabinet lacks diversity, President-elect Donald Trump is desperately searching for a Hispanic American to serve in his cabinet, Politico reported Wednesday — even after consistently disparaging Mexican immigrants throughout his presidential campaign.

"I can tell you now I have spoken to numerous folks on the transition, and they say that he's absolutely looking for qualified Latinos for a Cabinet post," Mario Rodriguez, a member of Trump's Hispanic advisory committee, told Politico.

With the majority of his cabinet positions filled, Trump is focused on finding a Hispanic official to serve as Secretary of Agriculture — one of the few remaining cabinet-level positions still open.

Trump is under pressure from his own supporters, including Newt Gingrich, to name a Hispanic cabinet member — something that's happened in every presidential administration since Ronald Reagan's second term, according to Politico.

"There has to be more Hispanics in the administration," Gingrich told Politico earlier this month. "I've been having conversations with them about it."

But because the cabinet nominations are almost fully complete, finding a Hispanic official for the remaining roles — which include the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Veterans Affairs — is proving to be challenging. 

A top donor told Politico that the search for an appointee to head the USDA has been expanded to include "part-Latino" officials who have "no experience in agriculture."