As the president-elect rolls out his appointments (Musk, Ramaswamy for “government efficiency”) and nominations (Zeldin-EPA, Hegseth-SecDef, Gabbard-DNI, Gaetz-AG, Kennedy-HHS) it is clear that his promises to exact retribution and expel expertise and blow up the professional administration of government were not empty promises, but clear and present dangers. It seems that each choice is worse than the preceding. The collective weight of the bunch crushing to the spirit.
And it is clear that, despite their reticence to comment, the audacity of some of these picks – well, really most if not all of them – has surprised even the few non-MAGA Republicans still around.
And the rapid-fire timing seems to be strategic, with several intended effects.
- First, to project power, strength, and inevitability through sheer “shock-and-awe.”
- Second, to follow one so closely with another so as to distract attention from the preceding one.
- Third, to create a psychological dynamic whereby the withdrawal of one dreadful nominee paves the way to acceptance of a barely-less-dreadful nominee in their place.
And that’s not all that’s going on.
Before the president-elect started rolling out these names, he tried to bully Senate Republicans into foregoing the Senate’s constitutional privilege and responsibility for “advice and consent” on his nominations. Instead he demanded that the new Majority Leader (John Thune won the title) recess the Senate upon its January opening to clear the way for recess appointments (which last until the end of that Congress), thus avoiding messy hearings that might result in 4 or 5 Republican senators growing enough backbones to reject these nominees. (And darned if I haven’t heard objections from self-styled “Constitutional conservatives” like Mike Lee of Utah or Ted Cruz of Texas railing against this attempt at an executive power grab. Who woulda thunk it?)
Another theory being circulated about both these outrageous appointments and the demand that Republican senators allow the nominations to fly through without hearings is that the president-elect is administering a loyalty test to confirm his absolute supremacy over the Republican Congress, and identify any “weak links” for punishment from his base.
I can’t stress strongly enough the resulting chaos and the degradation of our economy, our military, our intelligence services and the rule of law that will occur if the wannabe dictator gets his way. These are profoundly unqualified people who would drive the US into a ditch. Just as Putin bargained for when he helped put the guy in office in 2016.
Why these people? Are they qualified by subject area experience and knowledge? Nope, not a factor.
Track record of managing a complex organization? Nope, not important.
All that matters is vocal and public loyalty to the cult leader and a willingness to burn it all down.
The resentment and lack of regard for expertise inherent in these picks are painfully apparent. And – unfortunate but true – probably what a large percentage of his supporters want. Why govern with the benefit of expertise when you can govern by feelings and impulse? Why take the time to study an issue and seek out actual facts when I can go with my gut prejudices? The real mission is to own the libs, after all.
We don’t have to sit by passively while this is going on. What can you do? First, don’t be afraid to discuss this travesty very publicly. Then, call the office of our Representative in the US House, John Joyce. Demand that he advocate for the Ethics committee to release its report on Matt Gaetz, whom the committee was investigating for sex trafficking and drug use. Yes, the nominee to be our Attorney General – the chief law enforcement officer in the land – was being investigated for sex trafficking and drug use. This is not parody, but reality in the Age of Trump,.
Joyce’s DC office number is 202-225-2431. You can also email him at https://johnjoyce.house.gov/.
Do it today. And again tomorrow. And again the next day, until it happens.
Kevin McDonald spent more than 40 years in healthcare administration in strategic planning and communications roles for hospitals and health systems in several states, as well as in public agencies that regulated health care, He retired from the Maryland Health Care Commission in 2021 and moved to Gettysburg in 2022. On the side, he ran marathons and wrote a weekly column for the Bennington (VT) Banner, and also served on Bennington-area school boards for nine years.