The media warned for months that Donald Trump would have “no guardrails” in a second time period, and would most likely hand out high positions to a bunch of right-wing crazies.
As a substitute, he picked Marco Rubio yesterday as secretary of State, a 14-year Senate veteran and son of Cuban immigrants who has been informally advising him on international coverage.
MEDIA LIBERALS SAVAGE KAMALA AS TRUMP PICKS EXPERIENCED HARD-LINERS
The president-elect has additionally tapped a variety of Hill veterans who’re typical conservatives, agree with him on key points and will simply as simply have been named by Mitt Romney.
Additionally yesterday, Trump chosen Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor, as Homeland Safety secretary, after she overcame the dog-shooting incident that knocked her out of the veepstakes.
Trump has been rolling out these appointments at hyper-speed, only a week after the election. He has stayed off TV and hasn’t made any inflammatory posts. He’s making an attempt to reveal a seriousness about governing, by hitting the bottom working.
Previously, presidents and presidents-elect have appeared on air, praising their nominee or perhaps two, and yielding to a brief, grateful speech by the chosen ones. However Trump seems to be skipping all that.
All the highest jobs haven’t been stuffed, clearly, however even some high Democrats are praising the selection of Rubio (whereas some within the MAGA motion are disenchanted). He’s unquestionably a hawk, and would be the face of American international coverage as he travels world wide.
President-elect Donald Trump is pictured in entrance of the White Home. (Getty Photos/AP Photos)
Certain, he stated some horrible issues about Trump, who derided him as Little Marco, when each ran in 2016. I watched Rubio on the path that yr and he’s a really charismatic speaker.
However the two have lengthy since mended fences. Rubio tried to push immigration reform a decade in the past as a part of varied Senate gangs, however has since distanced himself from the hassle.
I hold seeing tv chyrons that, virtually in accusatory trend, say Trump is hiring “loyalists.” Excuse me–do you suppose that Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Invoice Clinton didn’t rent loyalists? Presidents need aides who usually agree with them and received’t flip into troublemakers. Biden employed such longtime advisers as Ron Klain, Mike Donilon and Steve Richetti.
From a conservative perspective, when Biden employed high officers who wished to strengthen environmental guidelines, enhance labor unions and spend lots of of billions of {dollars} to dig out of the pandemic, that was a hard-line departure from Trump 1.0. Now Trump will reverse many Biden insurance policies with the stroke of a pen.
DEPRESSED MEDIA REACT TO TRUMP VICTORY: HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY HAVE HAPPENED?
The opposite picks to this point: Upstate New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a member of the Home management and impeachment defender, has been tapped for U.N. ambassador.
Trump additionally selected former Lengthy Island congressman Lee Zeldin to run the EPA. He’s a mainstream conservative who has crusaded in opposition to extreme environmental laws and gotten a lifetime rating of 14 % from the League of Conservation Voters. He informed Fox Information that the administration will “roll again laws” which are inflicting companies to “battle” and are “forcing” them to maneuver abroad.
After that, Trump tapped Florida GOP congressman Mike Waltz, a former Inexperienced Beret, as White Home nationwide safety adviser, which doesn’t require Senate affirmation. He’s a China hawk and Ukraine skeptic. “Stopping Russia earlier than it attracts NATO and subsequently the U.S. into conflict is the fitting factor to do,” Waltz wrote. “However the burden can not proceed to be solely on the shoulders of the American individuals, particularly whereas Western Europe will get a cross.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., attends a marketing campaign rally for former President Donald Trump on the Trump Nationwide Doral Golf Membership on July 9, 2024 in Doral, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Photos)
These are severe individuals who understand how Washington works.
By the way in which, Trump has shrunk what’s anticipated to be a really small GOP edge within the Home by choosing two members. However in Rubio’s case, Gov. Ron DeSantis can appoint a alternative who would serve till the midterm elections.
As I’m typing this, Trump simply named Mike Huckabee, the previous Arkansas governor and presidential candidate, as ambassador to Israel. Huckabee has led many delegations to the nation and is staunchly pro-Israel.
And after I filed this, Trump named Invoice McGinley, who labored on election integrity for the RNC and was common counsel for the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee, as his White Home counsel.
And after I filed the insert, one other announcement: John Ratcliffe being tapped for CIA director. The previous Texas congressman, identified for criticizing the FBI as biased in opposition to Trump, turned his director of nationwide intelligence in 2020.
Final evening, Trump made his first rent from Fox Information. Pete Hegseth, an Military fight veteran and co-host of “Fox & Associates Weekend,” has been named Protection secretary. Trump famous that Hegseth did excursions in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, was awarded two Bronze Stars, and simply revealed the best-selling “The Warfare on Warriors.”
Trump tried to get him confirmed the earlier yr, however Ratcliffe withdrew after GOP senators and ex-intel officers raised issues about him, amid media disclosures that he’d embellished his prosecutorial efforts in immigration and terrorism circumstances. So he definitely qualifies as a extremely partisan choose.
The 2 appointees who can pretty be described as aggressive hard-liners–critics would say extremists–are Stephen Miller and Tom Homan–each employed to cope with Trump’s high precedence, the border.
Miller, who spearheaded immigration coverage within the first Trump time period, has been promoted to deputy chief of workers, and even that title doesn’t seize the clout he’ll have as a trusted member of the interior circle. He pushed the household separation coverage that was extraordinarily controversial.
WHY THE MEDIA WAITED TILL NOW TO ADMIT HARRIS RAN A LOUSY CAMPAIGN
Homan, who ran ICE within the first time period, is being known as the border czar. When requested if there was a option to keep away from separating households, as occurred final time, he stated certain–deport all of them collectively.
He stated at a convention over the summer season: “Washington Publish can do all of the tales they need on me about ‘Tom Homan’s deportin’ individuals, he’s actually good at it!’ They ain’t seen s*** but! Wait until 2025!”
Miller and Homan will probably be answerable for finishing up mass deportations of the roughly 11 million unlawful immigrants residing in America, or not less than beginning the method so the president-elect can say he saved his promise. Critics name the aim totally unrealistic.
Now there are others who will even get pleasure from enormous affect. Elon Musk, who donated $119 million to assist Trump, is now probably the most highly effective non-public citizen ever–heading a waste fee, posting lots of of messages on X, sitting in on Trump name to Volodymyr Zelenskyy – all whereas searching for billions in federal contracts.
Trump stated final evening that Musk will head a Division of Authorities Effectivity – he promised to “ship shockwaves by way of the system” – with assist from former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Tom Homan, former appearing director of US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), speaks in the course of the Conservative Political Motion Convention (CPAC) in Nationwide Harbor, Maryland, US, on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. ( Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photos)
RFK Jr. will get some title, however Trump has to determine whether or not to associate with his hotly disputed concepts on vaccines and eradicating fluoride from water methods. He’s additionally threatened to fireplace FDA officers who’ve waged a “conflict on public well being,” saying the company has suppressed such merchandise as uncooked milk, ivermectin and nutritional vitamins.
And naturally J.D. Vance will probably be an unusually lively vice chairman and inheritor obvious.
Nonetheless to come back: the highest jobs of Treasury secretary and the terribly delicate publish of lawyer common. I additionally need to know who’ll be press secretary!
One purpose we’re in for weeks and weeks of skeptical to adverse protection is that each beat reporter on the planet should now do compulsory items on Donald Trump.
Whether or not they cowl sports activities, faith, labor, housing, leisure, courts, vitality, tv, faculties or crime, they should write in regards to the influence of the forty seventh president–retaining in thoughts that he weighs in on the whole lot.
From yesterday alone:
Washington Publish: “Trump Pledged to Shut the Schooling Division. What would that imply?”
New York Instances: “Trump’s ‘Drill, Child, Drill’ Cuts Two Methods for Oil Corporations.”
And: “Faculties Surprise if They Will Be ‘the Enemy’ Below Trump”
However my private favourite: “What a Trump Presidency Means for the Liquor Trade.”
(Trump doesn’t drink, however each business needs much less regulation.)
There’s additionally this Drudge headline: “Spouse Divorces Husband Over Vote.”
Because the Mirror reviews, “A person has stated he can’t consider his spouse was able to ‘throw away our complete life’ after submitting for divorce over his vote for Donald Trump.
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The distraught husband wrote on social media that he has been left with out phrases that the wedding might collapse over politics.”
I suppose a household separation coverage is available in many kinds.