Hell has no fury like that of a scorned and convicted politician returning to power. Donald Trump has been changing his name for four years. Now it's time for him to embark on a revenge tour, kicking some liberal ass and re-screening the classic Star Wars movie The Empire Strikes Back. Democrats must respond vigorously to stop the carnage with the limited means at hand.
The soon-to-be 47th president is really taking it seriously this time. He is armed with a docile Congress, a friendly Supreme Court, knowledge of where to bury bodies within the executive branch, and the Heritage Foundation's eulogistic agenda. project 2025. Since he cannot run for re-election in 2028, he can clean up his past performance without worrying about political repercussions. What more could a would-be dictator ask for?
The oppressive Roman Emperor Caligula wanted to appoint his horse to the Senate to express his disdain for the political system. Trump couldn't find a suitable horse, so in the great tradition of empire, he named Matt Gaetz to be the country's chief legal officer.
Mr. Gates withdrew his candidacy for attorney general, but Mr. Trump demonstrated his disdain for the criminal justice system that prosecuted and convicted him of his wrongful appointment. The attorney general should be someone Americans can respect. But with only one in five people having a favorable opinion of Gates, people had to look quite far down to see him.
lawyer told ABC News Two of his clients told the House Ethics Committee that the candidate paid them to have sex with him. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) opposed the release of the committee's report, worried that it could jeopardize Gaetz's opportunity to mislead the Justice Department.
Gaetz wasn't the only person Trump sought to give the establishment in general, and the Democratic Party in particular, a middle ground. Choosing the eldest son of a Democratic icon is a clear insult to those who admire his father, Bobby Kennedy. The nomination of anti-vaccination advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services is another blow to conventional wisdom and a blow to those in power. Unfortunately, Senate support for his nomination is more certain than Gaetz's. May God help us if there is another pandemic.
That's just the beginning of Trump's attempt to recreate Bizarroworld. He has signaled his desire to abolish the Department of Education by appointing former Small Business Administration Secretary Linda McMahon, who has no background in education. His choice to become Director of National Intelligence was determined by former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. expressed sympathy Because of anti-American thugs like Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Why did Mr. Trump go out of his way to antagonize his opponent in the first round of nominations, causing controversy? Because he can do it!
President Trump made these appointments confident that he could secure three of the four appointments. voters He used to think the country was heading in the wrong direction, but now he's willing to accept his unconventional and feeble efforts to solve the country's intractable problems. As impulsive and repulsive as these nominations are, Americans enjoy the sight of 47 people poking the status quo bear in the eye with a stick.
What can Democrats do to destroy Trump's death star before it destroys Earth and the universe? One worthwhile idea is that Democrats The Shadow Cabinet in the British Parliamentary Tradition It's about directly challenging President Trump on individual issue areas. Dissidents like Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) who are unafraid to speak truth to power and challenge the established order. Politicians of the same faction should also be included.
With Republicans controlling the Senate and the confirmation process, my party needs to pick its battles. But there are at least two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who have challenged him at times.
The first step is for Democrats to closely monitor the nomination of a new candidate to run the Justice Department after Gaetz leaves office. The nomination may have been a bid by Trump to put Gates in the firing line and then nominate a less controversial figure with similar antipathy to the rule of law.
Democrats' next target should be Russ Vought, the Office of Management and Budget Director-elect and one of the authors of the Heritage Foundation's infamous Project 2025 report. The OMB director's nomination will have significant influence over federal budget and personnel decisions. On the stump, President Trump claimed to have no knowledge of this disastrous proposal.. The fight against Vought will expose 47 lies and plans to destroy programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
There is an urgent need to challenge Russia's blatant aggression and President Trump's cavalier attitude toward autocrats like Putin. Which brings us to Gabbard's choice. Although she is a military veteran, she lacks the intelligence and managerial background to run a vast global American spy organization. She has a soft spot for dictators, which is reason enough for patriotic Democrats and Republicans to undermine democracy at home and abroad and prevent her from being elected. Former Republican presidential candidate and President Trump's ambassador to the United Nations. nikki haley He vehemently criticized her nomination.
Many Democrats are in shock after President Trump's victory. But the party must shake off its stupor and prepare to aggressively challenge President Trump's choices and the first wave of tough executive orders that are yet to come. Please wake up before it's too late.
brad bannon He is a Democratic pollster and CEO of Bannon Communications Research, which conducts polling for Democrats, labor unions, and progressive issue groups. He hosts a popular progressive podcast about power, politics, and policy. Deadline DC with Brad Bannon.
