Photo via Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - Instagram
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
President-elect Trump didn’t waste any time pretending to choose cabinet members who were qualified to run the U.S. government. To please all his supporters who hate the federal government, he appointed the best possible choices to destroy the government departments they are leading.
There’s Matt Gaetz, the sleazy congressman investigated for sex trafficking and bribery as attorney general; Fox News host Pete Hegseth to run the defense department who could now lead us into wars; vaccine conspiracy theorist RFK Jr. to direct our national health policies and Tulsi Gabbard, the anti-intelligence former congresswoman as director of national intelligence who’s been investigated by those agencies as a possible Russian asset.
The real motive for Trump to pick the worst presidential cabinet in history may be to quickly prove he’s in absolute control of the Republican party. We’re cautiously hearing from some Senate Republicans that Trump’s choices are so unqualified they could face rough confirmation hearings from both political parties.
Believe that when you see it. Republican Senators have talked tough before about standing up to Trump’s worst impulses only to disappear when votes are called. Trump is betting that will happen again for him as the triumphant Republican president. Never mind that nearly half of Americans voted against him.
Driven by Hatred
Trump’s worst actions are driven by his hatred for anyone who opposes him. Trump announced that cabinet of horrors to retaliate against Republicans for choosing South Dakota Sen. John Thune, a longtime ally of former Senate leader Mitch McConnell, as Senate leader instead of his choice Texas Sen. John Cornyn.
None of the rest of us fighting for democracy can take very much comfort in that vote. Republicans had the courage to vote against Trump because it was a secret vote. Trump knows the hearings on his brazenly unqualified cabinet choices will be public. Republicans will be forced to cast unpopular votes to approve some if not all of those clearly unqualified nominees.
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That could create additional political problems for Republican Senators running for reelection in the 2026 midterms when Republicans as the party that just won the presidency will historically be at greater risk of losing even more Senators and House members. It’s also a reminder Trump can snuff out many Republican careers any time he wants by mean mugging anyone he wants. Vote against me if you dare.
Terrible Choices, Loyalty Test
Trump really doesn’t care which of the nominees hand-picked to do his bidding get through. There are plenty more where that came from. Putting out an all-star list of terrible cabinet choices is simply a loyalty test for any Republicans who want a future in Trump’s party. Most of them will pass it and get a sucker from Trump.
Democrats are learning there are no off-years in politics as long as the ideology of the Republican party is no longer conservatism but destroying democracy.
In Wisconsin, the presidential election is immediately followed in 2025 by the April Wisconsin Supreme Court race between Dane County Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha Judge Brad Schimel. State voters should remember Schimel. Their former attorney general tried to destroy their right to vote. Schimel led a lawsuit with Texas attorney general Ken Paxton to throw out the votes of his own state along with the certified election results in other states he didn’t like.
Preserving the Progressive Majority
Electing Crawford instead will be critical to preserving the progressive majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court that now issues decisions based on the Constitution instead of partisan Republican advantage. Protecting abortion rights and health care for women will once again be top issues in the race.
2026 will be just as important politically not only for the midterms to provide a check on Trump’s presidency, but in Wisconsin the elections of governor and attorney general and the possibility of flipping control of one or both chambers in the legislature.
Trump can always be counted on to do everything he can to draw attention to himself. It will become increasingly outrageous, but it will keep Americans engaged in protecting our Constitutional rights. We can’t count on many Republicans to ever stand up to Trump.
Texas Republican congressman Troy Nehls stated it simply. Trump wants total control of the government. No checks and balances: “Whatever that is, we need to embrace it. All of it. Every single word. If Donald Trump says jump three feet high and scratch your head, we all jump three feet high and scratch our heads.”
Not all Republicans are happy about approving an unfit nominee like Gaetz. “We’re all standing here wasting our time talking about approving a guy who is literally worse than the gum on the bottom of my shoe,” said Ohio Republican congressman Max Miller.
Trump’s extremists wildly overstate his mandate. When all the votes are counted, Trump and Harris could split 49-point-something of the vote. That’s not a roaring mandate for Trump to destroy the Constitution.
