Will “Serious” Republicans Block Any of Trump’s Freak-Show Cabinet Picks?

May Be Interested In:Hegseth faces senators' concerns not only about his behavior but also his views on women in combat




Politics


/
November 19, 2024

Will they stand up to even the scariest of these nominees? I’m not optimistic.

President-elect Donald Trump at a House Republicans conference meeting on Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024.

(Allison Robbert / Getty Images)

Maine Senator Susan Collins said she’s “shocked” by Donald Trump’s nomination of accused sex trafficker Matt Gaetz to be attorney general, the nation’s top law enforcement official. At least a dozen GOP senators have declined to say whether they’ll support Gaetz. Others have raised questions about Trump’s stunning selection of politically inexperienced Fox News host and possible white nationalist Pete Hegseth as defense secretary. The fact that Gaetz, Hegseth, and proposed Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have all been credibly accused of sexual abuse probably won’t be disqualifying; their future boss, the president elect, is an adjudicated rapist.

I don’t know how much damage former Fox host and reality-TV star Sean Duffy can do at the Department of Transportation, but Trump says he’ll rid the department of those perilous “DEI” and “woke” pilots that have made our skies a nightmare. Really.

No, the real issue is all of these nominees’ utter lack of qualification for their momentous jobs—and the likelihood that, if confirmed, Gaetz and Hegseth will be foot soldiers in two crusades Trump is deadly serious about: mass deportation and prosecuting his perceived political enemies. (Kennedy will likely be too busy dismantling HHS vaccine guidelines and posing other dangers to public health.)

But for Trump, their lack of qualification might actually be a selling point. They possess no competence or expertise that could interfere with their being complete Trump toadies, in their roles to do his bidding and his bidding only. Add in anti-immigrant Stephen Miller as deputy chief for policy, “border czar” Tom Homan, utterly unqualified South Dakota Senator (and puppy killer) Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary, along with Hegseth, and you’ve got the makings of a deportation strike force. Trump has confirmed that he already plans to use the military to meet his goals—never mind that it’s unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, his transition team is discussing creating a list of generals and other military figures disloyal to Trump, with the possible goal of bringing treason charges against them. Montana GOP Senator Kevin Cramer, a tower of Jell-O, told Fox: “I like the idea of it.”

It’s like Trump is baiting “serious” Republican senators into butting heads with him, but who knows if they will? Susan Collins says she’s “shocked” by the Gaetz pick, but maybe she’ll say he’s “learned his lesson,” like she did about Brett Kavanaugh, after a tough confirmation grilling. And will he even get a tough grilling? Incoming Senate majority leader John Thune of South Dakota has pledged an “aggressive” schedule of confirmation hearings, but he still hasn’t taken off the table the option of giving Trump recess appointments, allowing his nominees to go without hearings, which would be one of the bigger blows to the Senate’s status—and our democracy’s.

Current Issue

Cover of November 2024 Issue

Then there’s the notion that Senate Republicans might be able to get away with rejecting one of Trump’s noxious picks—Gaetz is at the top of the list, as more witnesses come forward to say the former congressman had sex with a minor and participated in drug-fueled parties—but would then have to fall in line. I guess after all these years nothing should surprise me coming from Trump’s Republican Party. But responsible senators should take their responsibility to advise and consent seriously, and evaluate each nominee on his or her merits, or lack thereof. It’s not good enough to block one bad pick and wave the rest through.

A coalition of healthcare groups gathered more than 200 people on an organizing call Monday to launch the fight to block the RFK Jr. appointment. We shouldn’t assume that’s a done deal, either: Remember the success advocates had in protecting the Affordable Care Act in Trump’s first term. We’re going to need a comparable advocacy campaign against every Trump appointment.

We cannot back down

We now confront a second Trump presidency.

There’s not a moment to lose. We must harness our fears, our grief, and yes, our anger, to resist the dangerous policies Donald Trump will unleash on our country. We rededicate ourselves to our role as journalists and writers of principle and conscience.

Today, we also steel ourselves for the fight ahead. It will demand a fearless spirit, an informed mind, wise analysis, and humane resistance. We face the enactment of Project 2025, a far-right supreme court, political authoritarianism, increasing inequality and record homelessness, a looming climate crisis, and conflicts abroad. The Nation will expose and propose, nurture investigative reporting, and stand together as a community to keep hope and possibility alive. The Nation’s work will continue—as it has in good and not-so-good times—to develop alternative ideas and visions, to deepen our mission of truth-telling and deep reporting, and to further solidarity in a nation divided.

Armed with a remarkable 160 years of bold, independent journalism, our mandate today remains the same as when abolitionists first founded The Nation—to uphold the principles of democracy and freedom, serve as a beacon through the darkest days of resistance, and to envision and struggle for a brighter future.

The day is dark, the forces arrayed are tenacious, but as the late Nation editorial board member Toni Morrison wrote “No! This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”

I urge you to stand with The Nation and donate today.

Onwards,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

Joan Walsh



Joan Walsh, a national affairs correspondent for The Nation, is a coproducer of The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show and the author of What’s the Matter With White People? Finding Our Way in the Next America. Her new book (with Nick Hanauer and Donald Cohen) is Corporate Bullsh*t: Exposing the Lies and Half-Truths That Protect Profit, Power and Wealth In America.



share Share facebook pinterest whatsapp x print

Similar Content

Whistleblower: Secret Service not always providing Trump full protective assets
Whistleblower: Secret Service not always providing Trump full protective assets
White House downplays Israel rift after Woodward book details Biden's frustration with Netanyahu
White House downplays Israel rift after Woodward book details Biden's frustration with Netanyahu
Michael Grimm, former House member convicted of tax fraud, is paralyzed in fall from horse
Michael Grimm, former House member convicted of tax fraud, is paralyzed in fall from horse
Romania in shock after far-right populist enters presidential election's runoff with most votes
Romania in shock after far-right populist enters presidential election's runoff with most votes
Pollster Nate Silver calls on Biden to resign, let Harris serve final two months
Pollster Nate Silver calls on Biden to resign, let Harris serve final two months
Looking at Art Will Never Be the Same Again
Looking at Art Will Never Be the Same Again

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Global Pulse: Stay Ahead of the Curve | © 2024 | Daily News