JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said he’s optimistic about President-elect Donald Trump’s administration because of the group of people he’s assembled to fill his cabinet.

“If you want to win the game, put Tom Brady on the field,” Dimon, 60, said in an interview Thursday on CBS This Morning. Trump’s “hired a lot of professional people, people that are experienced, successful, smart and patriotic,” he said.

Dimon’s comments came amid this week’s marathon of Senate confirmation hearings. All of Trump’s picks are expected to win confirmation, barring unexpected revelations or major gaffes.

Dimon praised Steve Mnuchin, Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary, saying the former CEO of OneWest Bank Group LLC is “very qualified” and “wants to do the right thing.” Despite rumors last year that he was under consideration for the Treasury job, Dimon said Thursday he wasn’t offered the position, adding that he hasn’t finished his work at JPMorgan and at the Business Roundtable, an association of U.S. CEOs.

Rex Tillerson, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, is “respected by everyone he deals with around the world,” Dimon said. Tillerson, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil Corp., has faced criticism for his dealings in Russia in the run-up to his confirmation. He was pressed on U.S.-Russia relations during his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, responding that Moscow has acted against U.S. interests and urged an “open and frank dialogue” on areas of mutual concern.

“Rex Tillerson is a class act -- he’s smart, he’s patriotic,” Dimon said. “Almost every big company has dealings in Russia; that doesn’t mean he’s not a patriot.”

David Fuller's view

I maintain that Trump has assembled the strongest business team for his Cabinet that I have seen from any president in my lifetime.  That can only be good for the US economy, which is positive for global GDP growth generally.  I am obviously not alone in this view, which is widely reflected by Wall Street since the surprising election result on November 8^th.   Moreover, this is a team which can be very effective while Republicans also control both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

However, the problem is Trump’s other side, which is both discouraging and highly irritating for many people, even among those who support him.  He is not a fool, and there have obviously been attempts to undermine him.  The US presidential campaign was more contentious than any other which I have witnessed.  It is time to move on and the new president can set the tone for his administration. 

Trump aspires to two terms.  Fine, but to achieve that he will need to develop gravitas.  His inauguration speech will be the time to demonstrate that aspect of his character, along with the inclusivity seen in his brief statement immediately following his election victory.