Donald Trump Picks a Cabinet
Donald Trump has selected his cabinet nominees and other key appointments. Is it time to worry, celebrate or something in between?
Except for those waiting to be told what to think and how to criticize the incoming president’s choices, most can remember that it is customary for presidents to nominate people to help them execute their agenda. It’s like a return to normalcy.
Way back in 2020-2021, President Biden nominees received
unanimous support from Democrats. (Mr. Biden is accustomed to party-driven unanimity as his 2024 bid for president nomination also received zero party dissent, but that didn’t work out all that well for him or his party.) Bear in mind one of Mr. Biden’s appointees, Kristen Clarke, nominated as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, was confirmed with full party support. Clarke admitted to lying about her arrest, walked away from her own op-ed about defunding the police and even said she believed Jussie Smollett was assaulted in a hate crime - during a polar vortex. (While only a recent surprise ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court overturned convictions for the former Empire actor due to attempts to retry him after charges were dropped.)
The hallmark of Trump’s nominees shows his recognition of where the fights of his first term occurred, the causes of his recent election conflicts and the re-packaged source of future resistance. Naturally, Trump is loading up to take on the fading, but still vocal, established media ecosystem. You can find their takedowns, exaggerations and fearmongering regarding Trump’s nominees on the same outlets they published their takedowns, exaggerations, and fearmongering during the presidential campaign.
If you are not certain who I am referring to, it is the same media that lied about things like - Harris going to win, Biden is cognitively fine, Russian collusion, Charlottesville hoax, COVID response worked, etc.
The same people who bought the fear from the exaggerations and lies are still afraid, but the growing majority just roll their eyes at the whole show and move on. If America is really done with the same sorry techniques used pre-election seeking to stoke fear, this is very encouraging. The net is that Trump needs media-savvy cabinet secretaries.
Indeed, 22 of 28 nominees have significant media experience. While some of that understanding comes from government or legislative service, just 11 of 28 have served in an elected or appointed capacity.
Trump also nominated people without previous governmental experience-- people accomplished in other fields with a fresh look at government operations. Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk have significant achievements outside the constraints of government bureaucracy. If one had to bet on long overdue reforms from that duo, versus some Beltway experienced person, it isn’t even a close call. Let’s all hope they are wildly successful.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., might be the best pick yet. Had the DNC not again directed the nomination outcome, he may well have been elected president as a Democrat. Now he has his former party in a position of defending obesity, bad food, drug dependence, and if he gets on a roll, indefensible wars.
Looking for a Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the incoming president probably rejected the 51 “Intelligence Experts” who signed on to the Hunter Biden laptop as Russian disinformation scam. Tulsi Gabbard has long been objecting to war as a constant tool of foreign policy. The corrupt press is trying to say that since she doesn’t like the war in Ukraine, she is a Russian Agent. Where do those stories about cozying up to Russia begin? In the same place from the same people as other Russian hoaxes. At least this time around we have all been spared tall tales of kink in Moscow hotel rooms.
Marco Rubio understands the difference between authoritarianism of Cuba and Democracy. He is burnishing his international qualifications for a 2028 presidential run.
And where does Matt Gaetz, the Harriet Miers of this cycle, go now? May I suggest that he and fellow traveler Al Franken do a podcast together. Both had abrupt exits from their elected positions amid ethics committee investigations. Of course, their resignations terminated further inquiry. They’d be great together.
American voters knew what they were getting when they picked Donald Trump and the Republicans over Kamala Harris and the Democrats. When ticket splitters choose both Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Donald Trump, it seems that thoughtful people would be pondering what the message that we, the people, are sending to our government. It is not that hard to discern.
Onward
Editor’s Note: We hope you enjoy the video above. If you’d rather just listen to the podcast, click the button below to Apple Podcasts: The Common Bridge. It is also available on all other podcast platforms. We have included the transcript to this program below. We offer this program in it’s entirety to our paid subscribers, and welcome all to subscribe below.
You can also help the show by contributing in any of these methods:
• Shop. https://thecommonbridge.com/subscribe-shop/
• Zelle. rich@richardhelppie.com
• Buy Me a Coffee. buymeacoffee.com/RichHelppie
You can also send an email to Editor@TheCommonBridge.com
Thanks!
Rich, you cannot be serious with this take .... Trump has nominated a group of billionaires and largely unqualified narcissists! Definitely NOT people who are going to look our for the best interests of the middle and lower classes .... having said that, I also largely agree with your take on the media (especially), the Dems and their close minded process, and lack of touch with the average American .... But, RFK Jr. would never have been the nominee. Biden and the DNC messed up BIG time with not having an early open primary. But they would very likely have put forward one of the current governors IMO .... We are stuck in a time when both parties keep swinging to the fringes and over correcting with either too much government, or too little, while the rich keep exploiting us for more wealth. My fear is that this administration, while rightfully showing concern about the debt, will simply muck up the government, blow up the debt further, and not actually fix anything, but enrich themselves and cause more chaos.
So looking forward to a newer, better version of Washington-- and a safer, prosperous country. It wasn't democracy that was endangered, but bureaucracy.