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
"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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