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.
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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.
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.
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Onwards,
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation
