The political world is in a state of strange confusion. After nine years of unrelenting panic and anger against Donald Trump, the Democratic Party has temporarily given up — or more likely, is taking a deep breath before starting again. One benefit of pausing this anger machine is that it gives us a chance to take a more measured view of the next president and his actions.
All the heat and light is focused on President Trump's immigration policies, but Elon Musk and pete hegsethPresident Trump is making four smart, under-the-radar moves that could have major political and policy benefits down the road.
First, his nomination, although isolationist conservatives may not like it. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) becomes Secretary of State This may be President Trump's sharpest transition move. Some people are dissatisfied with the MAGA world; Rubio's position As for Russia and Ukraine, he probably won't take the lead on those issues. This issue is too high-profile for the Secretary of State to control.
Rubio will be most useful when the crisis in Latin America deepens. While President Biden and his incompetent national security team slept, key countries in the Caribbean basin sank deeper into authoritarianism and dysfunction. Haiti is a completely failed state (no thanks to the unfortunate Bill Clinton and his president) his fumbling basics). Venezuela and Nicaragua became de facto dictatorships under Biden's watch.
But worst of all, Cuba is collapsing. Millions of people have been evacuated, power grids regularly collapse, and the economy has collapsed. It is not inconceivable that the Cuban government could fall into a “Lord of the Flies''-like chaos. Will Ortega (Nicaragua) or Maduro (Venezuela) land troops and create de facto puppet states to support their Marxist dictatorships?
A Biden administration, or even a Harris administration, is likely to be dismayed by domestic collapse and external invasion. Indeed, for the past four years, they have had no solution. But Mr. Rubio has a vested interest in the region and is likely more in tune. It is hoped that Rubio's appointment will make the Trump administration better prepared for trouble in the Caribbean.
The second point to note is President Trump. tariff gameit's dangerous. He will pay a steep political price if the tariff hikes lead to inflation. Since the purpose of tariffs is to raise the price of goods, prices must necessarily rise. Otherwise, what's the point?
But Trump is right to make threats now, especially regarding Mexico and Canada.
Both of America's neighbors have problems. Drug smuggling is rampant in Mexico. crime problem is increasingdoes not shrink. As for Canada, despite the left's fetishization of the country, it has been freeloading on the defense of the United States for decades, spending far less than NATO's goal of 2% of GDP. are. Furthermore, the army terrible condition.
By abandoning the challenge now, President Trump could begin the negotiation process and avoid disappointing tariff hikes. Only a fool (or Joe Biden) would think that a deal on controversial issues like immigration, drugs, and defense spending would yield good results. Trump is playing the first game right. That means letting people know you mean business now, not later.
The third is scheduled for break time. President Trump began pressuring Senate Republicans immediately after his victory. to allow him to bypass the Senate confirmation process. Because of his promise. Of course, he undermined his own credibility on this issue by making an abhorrent and highly unqualified proposal. Matt Gaetz is Attorney General. Either way, President Trump is pushing for more recess appointments.
This approval process is intended to simply vet the president's appointee and ensure that he or she is qualified to serve in the position. The recognition is not intended to be a rerun of the previous election. The people elected the president, and he should be able to staff his administration. If Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wants to staff the federal government, she needs to find a way to win the presidency.
Unfortunately, over the past three decades, the approval process has devolved into partisan battles. It's not just at the cabinet level, it's all the way down to deputy secretaries, directors, and any other office that's stalled before it passes the Senate. Woe to the Democrats who vote for candidate Trump. The senator is sure to face the wrath of the permanent partisan gang and various PACs that target all apostates for destruction.
A silent look at the entire process might bring about the necessary reforms to a broken system. The number of candidates subject to confirmation should be reduced and the process should be streamlined. The president needs a government – and that's the people's vote.
Finally, Mr. Trump has avoided getting involved in thorny and emotionally charged social issues. So far, he's avoided trouble by leaning into what's popular and avoiding what's not.
Is it popular? End DEI and end transgender surgery on children. Not popular? Abortion restrictions.
For Trump, abortion always seemed like a transactional issue. In 2016 he I tried my best, Because as a Republican candidate, he needed to win over hardcore pro-life voters and keep evangelicals in the fold through the general election.
after that dog caught the car.
This has always been a troubling concern for some pro-life activists. What happens if the law is flipped? So what? Well, they already know. The result was a massive backlash, and pro-choice constitutional amendments were passed across the country. conservative nation states such as Missouri and Montana. One of the few “victories” was the Florida referendum. failed to obtain the necessary supermajority — still received more than 57 percent of the vote.
Mr. Trump has struggled with this issue, spinning around like a weather vane, trying to appease pro-life voters without alienating them completely. Perhaps he wishes this very issue would go away so he can focus on the issues he really cares about (which, coincidentally, most voters care about): immigration, trade, the economy, national security. I hope so.
So far, President Trump has wisely avoided talking about or making any commitments about abortion policy. Maybe he can't keep this up forever. The pro-life lobby will certainly try to push pieces of its agenda at the federal level, such as restricting access to contraceptives and regulating abortion.
Mr. Trump would be wise to condemn their bluff.
keith nortonHe is a co-founder of Silent Majority Strategies, a public and regulatory affairs consulting firm, and a former Pennsylvania political campaign consultant.
