Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Incompetent Sycophants and There Will Be Plenty More of Them

 


President-elect Donald Trump has already named several people for top positions in his administration. His latest picks include: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) for secretary of state; Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic representative from Hawaii, for director of national intelligence; and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) for attorney general.

It’s early in the transition-planning process, but Donald Trump and his team are rapidly announcing key Cabinet and White House roles. Loyalty to the president is a top consideration for Trump and his team, and in some instances, they are also taking an unorthodox approach to filling positions, creating “czar” positions to oversee broad policy portfolios and picking people with little relevant policy experience.

Secretary of State

Marco Rubio

Requires Senate confirmation

The secretary of state is America’s lead diplomat and will be the face of Trump’s foreign policy abroad. They are charged with being the principal interlocutor as the president reshapes alliances such as NATO, presses on Iran and seeks to encircle China. This secretary of state will inherit a far more dangerous world stage than existed in Trump’s first term, with raging conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Trump has vowed to resolve both in his first days in office.

The Florida senator is a hawk on China and Venezuela and has previously supported robust aid for Ukraine and advocates a robust U.S. presence in the world. Rubio ran for president in 2016 and clashed bitterly with Trump in the Republican primary, though they repaired their relationship and Trump considered Rubio as a potential running mate earlier this year.

The Attorney General

Matt Gaetz

The attorney general heads the nation’s massive federal law enforcement agency, with more than 100,000 employees. The FBI is its principal investigative arm; other agencies that fall under the Justice Department include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Prisons, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The department leads federal investigations and prosecutions, including criminal, civil and civil rights cases. Trump and his allies have vowed to reduce the agency’s independence from the White House and use its investigative powers to go after his political enemies.

Matt Gaetz, a Florida representative, has been named to one of the most consequential positions in the Trump administration. Gaetz, who has served in Congress since 2017, has been a loyal and outspoken supporter of Trump, defending the former president after a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to overturn the election results on Jan. 6, 2021. Gaetz is a divisive figure even within his party and could face a tough confirmation battle... 

-The Washington Post

Furthermore,

“…It would be childish in any other context, but here, we have the next president, squarely telling senators that they must abandon the Constitution and give him their loyalty if they want to hold on to power.

“How bad is it going to be? Perhaps there will be a few brave senators who will take a stand on a nomination or two. But no one stays opposed to Trump and sticks around for long. The new Republican Senate leader, South Dakotan John Thune, voted to acquit Trump following the second impeachment trial, but said "My vote to acquit should not be viewed as exoneration ... What former President Trump did to undermine faith in our election system and disrupt the peaceful transfer of power is inexcusable.”

“Unless something changes, Senate Republicans are unlikely to stand up to Donald Trump as the Constitution obligates them to do. They will have to choose whether to do the right thing or be complicit in Trump’s malfeasance. No serious president would suggest that a TV pundit with no experience running a major executive branch agency could run the Department of Defense. But Donald Trump has. This is exactly why the Founding Fathers gave the Senate the responsibility for advice and consent. If they abdicate, the can never again claim to be constitutionalists.”

-Joyce Vance


1 comment:

  1. "Gaetz, who has alienated many members of his own party, had been facing a House ethics probe over allegations of sexual misconduct, illegal drug use and accepting improper gifts. He resigned from Congress on Wednesday. House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), whose committee typically ends inquiries when members resign from Congress, told reporters on Wednesday that the panel would not rush out a report on Gaetz, who has denied any wrongdoing." -Washington Post

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