Trump Taps Apple Exec Jonathan Morrison to Lead Transportation Safety Agency

President Donald Trump has nominated Jonathan Morrison, an Apple executive, to lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), according to a Senate filing.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will review Morrison's nomination before it is brought to a full Senate vote. If confirmed, Morrison will take charge of an agency currently investigating Tesla, a process that Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has affirmed will continue.

Morrison brings a diverse automotive and tech background to the role. According to his LinkedIn profile, he spent the past four years working at Apple. TechCrunch has reached out to Apple for details about his role. Before joining Apple, Morrison served as chief counsel for NHTSA during Trump’s first term and held leadership roles in automotive advocacy. These include serving as president of Auto Advisory Services and director of legal and regulatory affairs at the California New Car Dealers Association.

This combination of automotive expertise and tech industry experience could align with Trump’s vision for the transportation sector over the next four years.

Trump has already signaled a significant shift in policy by issuing an executive order to halt the development of federally funded EV charging infrastructure. Additionally, his administration has delayed updates to automatic emergency braking requirements and announced plans to roll back Biden-era fuel efficiency standards. Trump also aims to create a more streamlined path for autonomous vehicle (AV) development while discontinuing crash reporting updates from self-driving car companies.

With Morrison at the helm, NHTSA is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of transportation under Trump’s administration.