Why Trump is trying to outrage Washington with his controversial Cabinet decisions

CNN
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Donald Trump’s increasingly provocative Cabinet picks have horrified some Republican senators and left Washington in shock.

But they really shouldn’t. Because the outrage is the point.

The president-elect reached a new level on Wednesday when he announced Florida Republican Matt Gaetz – one of his most ardent agents of disruption, who, like him, was once under investigation by the Justice Department – as his nominee for attorney general.

Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic presidential candidate who now shares Trump’s belief that the intelligence community has been weaponized against him, will become America’s new top spy if she is confirmed as director of national intelligence.

The latest selection for Trump’s MAGA dream team caused such a stir that it nearly overshadowed Fox News host Pete Hegseth’s pick for defense secretary on Tuesday night.

But they are perfectly in line with Trump’s campaign promises and his political project. The dismay of established elites contrasted with the euphoria that soared among Trump fans on conservative networks and social media. The president-elect draws political strength from his position as an outsider and scourge of the establishment, and if his election is confirmed by the Senate – a strong possibility in Gaetz’s case – he will be tasked with his mission to overthrow and oust the government who Trump sees as enemies.

Trump won the election and has a mandate for change. And these and other tips are evidence that the president-elect is becoming increasingly powerful and cares little about critics who warn that his second term poses a threat to the rule of law.

Trump’s short-lived former first-term communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, told CNN’s Jake Tapper that the president-elect’s staff picks were intentionally aimed at “owning the liberals.” Paraphrasing Trump’s intent, he added: “‘Let’s pick some people to trigger the trigger.'” And those are the trigger people.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman agreed, telling CNN’s Manu Raju about the Gaetz selection: “It’s just kind of god-level, kind of trolling, just to cause a meltdown.”

Gaetz – who was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee – resigned from Congress on Wednesday following Trump’s announcement. The committee, which had investigated allegations that he “engaged in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, accepted improper gifts, granted special privileges and favors to people with whom he had a personal relationship, and attempted to avoid government investigations.” behavior” – CNN reported that he was scheduled to meet this week to vote on releasing a report, possibly as early as Friday. However, with Gaetz leaving, it is unclear whether the information will ever be made public. The Florida Republican has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, including ever having sex with a minor or paying for sex. The Justice Department, which had been investigating him for years for sex crimes, finally decided last year not to file criminal charges against Gaetz.

Millions of the president-elect’s voters agree that his own legal troubles are the result not of criminal wrongdoing but of years of harassment by the Justice Department. They assume that the Russia investigation during his first term in office was concocted by the secret services to destroy him. Trump voters want entire layers of government bureaucrats fired, believe regulations are contributing to their own economic woes, worry about millions of undocumented migrants crossing the border and oppose Pentagon diversity programs. Trump is their agent of change. And his lightning-quick picks for top government positions are his surrogates in this endeavor.

Hegseth, Gaetz and Gabbard raise questions about Trump’s motivations and the direction of his second administration, which begins Jan. 20, based not least on their professional, ethical or experiential qualities, or lack thereof.

Is Trump looking for an attorney general who will ensure a fair justice system? If so, would he have chosen Gaetz, who was under investigation? But the president-elect’s intentions were clear in his announcement of his nomination: “There are few issues in America more important than ending the partisan weaponization of our justice system.” Trump’s statement appears to be in line with his long-term ambition for an attorney general to find someone who will defend him and target his enemies.

Gaetz was a leading proponent of Trump’s attempts to steal the 2020 election, calling for the abolition of the FBI, DOJ and other agencies unless they “give in.” Against this background, the election of Gaetz seems more like a gesture of disregard for the Justice Department, the prosecutors who work there and the rule of law.

“This is an outrageous choice. There is no way around it,” CNN legal analyst Elie Honig, a former assistant U.S. attorney, said on CNN International.

The news that Hegseth was chosen to lead the Pentagon shocked Washington the evening before Gaetz’s election and sparked similar questions about Trump’s motives. The Fox News star has a military record of valor, having served in Iraq and Afghanistan. But he has little of the extensive experience in high-level strategy, international diplomacy and national security typically required of those in charge of the world’s most powerful military. He therefore runs the risk of being outgunned in a conversation with a grizzled Russian or Chinese defense minister when it comes to defusing a sudden crisis. But Hegseth’s years at Fox show he is highly qualified to wage a culture war within the Defense Department, as he condemns diversity programs, women in combat duty and his advocacy for Trump to release service members accused of war crimes.

Gabbard also has a distinguished military career. But she appears to have been chosen to lead the DNI because of her distrust of the covert community as Trump seeks to weed out what he calls “corrupt actors” he sees as disloyal. The former Hawaii congresswoman’s many arguments with U.S. intelligence include her doubts that Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad committed war crimes following a chemical weapons attack. And none other than Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney accused them of “parroting” false propaganda from America’s leading espionage adversary, Russia.

Not all Trump tips are controversial. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, nominated for secretary of state, expressed skepticism about his embrace of Trump’s “America Firstism,” but many of his fellow senators view him as a serious thinker on foreign policy, particularly on China. And the president-elect has earned the right to choose who he wants to help carry out his mandate.

But like most of Trump’s other associates, Gabbard, Hegseth and Gaetz have a lot in common. They are always loyal to the elected president. They are all enthusiastic supporters of the stunt politics that he launched as a social media provocateur. And if the 45th and 47th presidents seek, as he says, a second term of “retaliation,” they may seem willing to follow his orders.

There was a growing feeling in Washington on Wednesday evening that Trump may have gone too far, at least by electing Gaetz for the first time as president-elect, even among normally supportive Republicans.

One of his few GOP critics, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, called the Florida Republican a “rogue candidate” when CNN asked him about his chances of confirmation. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, another rare Republican Trump critic, said she was “shocked” to hear the news and noted that the FBI will be conducting a comprehensive background check on the upcoming nomination. Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said Gaetz “will have a lot of work ahead of him.”

Gaetz’s selection sparked an immediate crisis for South Dakota Sen. John Thune, just hours after he won leadership of the new Republican majority. The president-elect is sure to put a lot of pressure on Thune to ensure Gaetz gets a seat at the Justice Department.

The former and future president’s allies were already rallying around Gaetz, warning of consequences if he were blocked by the Senate from fulfilling his constitutional role of advice and consent. “I love Matt Gaetz,” Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said, warning that it would be risky for senators to vote against him. He added: “We have all 53 Republicans — are you telling me that one Republican will vote against one of Trump’s team? If that happens, it should blow us all up. It’s crazy,” Tuberville said. (CNN has not yet forecast the Pennsylvania Senate race, which faces a recount, leaving the GOP with 52 seats.)

A president-elect, feeling freed from all constraints after his election victory, may not be done rocking the boat with yet-to-be-announced positions, including Treasury and Health and Human Services secretaries. It’s no wonder Trump this week began calling on Republican senators to comply with his demands for nominee appointments during recess if they can’t get quick confirmation.

Trump has set up the first test of whether there will be resistance from a new Republican Senate majority to a president who believes he will be all-powerful once he is sworn in.