Is Farage right that Trump's cabinet picks are not 'typical career politicians'?

Nigel Farage has claimed the people President-elect Donald Trump has appointed to cabinet positions are not "typical career politicians".

The former Ukip leader urged the British public to give Trump a chance when he is inaugurated on 20 January, reassuring them that his picks will achieve the best results for the American public.

Appearing on Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News, Farage said: "I know that people look at this guy [Trump] and from this side of the Atlantic, all they've seen is controversy, negativity.

"All I would say is this: he has appointed some absolutely first-class people to big positions. These are the people running America. They are self-made billionaires. They are successful generals in the US Army.

"They're not part of typical career politicians."

However, when Trump's cabinet picks are examined, it is evident they are not only made up of career politicians, they are made up of Wall Street bankers, chief executives, directors of big arms companies and people who have been accused of being kleptocrats – exactly the types of people Trump said he would reign in during his election campaign.

Here are Trump's cabinet positions to date:

Secretary of State – Rex Tillerson

Tillerson's relationship with one of the world's biggest oil companies, ExxonMobil, goes back to 1975 and he has been the company's chief executive from 2006 until 2016.

In addition to the company knowing about the "potentially catastrophic" and "irreversible" effects of increasing fossil fuel consumption, according to internal emails, Exxon purposefully misled the public and financed campaigns which denied climate change.

Earlier this month, it was also revealed Tillerson conducted business with Iran, Syria and Sudan despite those countries being under US sanctions.

Secretary of the Treasury – Steven Mnuchin

Despite Trump railing Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for her speeches to Goldman Sachs, he has now hired a former Goldman hedge fund investor with Mnuchin.

After working there for 17 years, he quit and bought his own bank – during the financial crisis, when many Trump supporters were undoubtedly struggling.

And although Trump has evoked an anti-establishment tone, Mnuchin was a member of the infamous Skull & Bones society of Yale University, whose other members include George W Bush and John Kerry.

Secretary of Defense – James Mattis

As it is illegal for someone to serve as secretary of defense for seven years after leaving the US military, the US Congress had to pass a law to allow the retired General Mattis to take up this position.

In addition to that, Mattis is a board member of General Dynamics Corp – one of the US's largest weapons contractors. And according to 2015 records, the firm received $14.7bn (£12.07bn) from the US government.

Attorney General – Jeff Sessions

Sessions has served in political positions from 1981, when was appointed as a US Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama by the then-president Ronald Reagan. That is a career of 36 years in politics and counting.

Secretary of the Interior – Ryan Zinke

After graduating from college on an American football scholarship, Zinke joined the US Navy SEALs and served from 1986-2008, before becoming a senator.

Recently disclosed documents reveal that he has lied about the ranks he held and the medals he received while serving in the military, and was reprimanded for using the Navy's time and money for carrying out personal affairs.

Secretary of Commerce – Wilbur Ross

Ross is an investment banker and worked in the New York office of Rothschild Investments for 20 years.

When Trump's three casinos failed and could repay its debts to Rothschild, the company let him keep his casinos.

Ross later earned enough money from Rothschild to be able to purchase his own division of the business. He is now a billionaire and has been listed in the Forbes Rich List of 2016.

Secretary of Labor – Andrew Pudzer

Pudzer is the chief executive of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of food chains Hardee's and Carl's Jr.

Fast food workers' pay is among one of the lowest in the US, according to Department of Labor statistics.

Secretary of Health – Tom Price

Price became a US senator in 1996, and then a Congressman in 2005, and has been in office since. That is a career of 21 years in politics and counting.

Secretary of Housing – Ben Carson

In November, Carson reportedly turned down a cabinet position under Trump. The former neurosurgeon's business manager, Armstrong Williams, said that: "Dr Carson feels he has no government experience… The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency."

Now Carson has accepted the politically charged position heading the department of housing and urban development (HUD).

The same Armstrong Williams told Business Insider has said that Carson is suited to the role, because while he "has no expertise in housing policy… he did spend part of his childhood in public housing".

Secretary of Transportation – Elaine Chao

Chao has been involved in politics since 1986. She is also married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of the most powerful men in the Republican Party.

Secretary of Energy – Rick Perry

Perry has been involved in politics since 1984. That is a career of 33 years in politics and counting.

Secretary of Education – Betsy DeVos

DeVos has been involved in politics since 1992. That is a career of 25 years in politics and counting. She is also the daughter-in-law of Richard DeVos who is the billionaire founder Amway.

She is also the daughter-in-law of Richard DeVos, the billionaire founder of Amway.

Secretary of Homeland Security – John Kelly

John Kelly is an advisor to DynCorp International – the company which was found to be misusing US government money in Baghdad, and was caught hiring "dancing boys" for tribal leaders in Afghanistan.