Summary
Donald Trump’s second-term cabinet is criticized as a disjointed team unified only by loyalty to him, rather than qualifications or ideology.
The picks include controversial figures like Pam Bondi as attorney general, Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for an environmental role, raising concerns about conflicts and competence.
While some selections, like Marco Rubio for secretary of state, appear conventional, others reflect Trump’s focus on personal fealty and populist goals, including mass deportations and deregulation.
Critics expect chaos and impulsive governance similar to his first term.
Donald Trump’s second-term cabinet is criticized as a disjointed team unified only by loyalty to him, rather than qualifications or ideology.
Exactly as expected. 🎉
Our only hope is that they are truly as dumb as they seem.
Extremely stupid people are capable of massive damage. Especially with a congress so willing to enable them. They will Overlook legality and morality, bending over backwards to please him and his appointees.
Might be he did that on purpose… Either to cause them to fail, or do he can martial law shit when period revolt because it’s all fucked or…
He’s not the one making the plans
Former President Trump said the “biggest mistake” of his presidency was picking “bad, disloyal people” to join his administration.
(source)
Yup. This time his biggest mistake will be picking incompetent people. But I’m sure neither he nor his braindead cronies will understand that.
As far as Trump is personally concerned, his only true mistake in his last term was picking competent people who wouldn’t bow to his every command when it came time to coup himself into staying in power. He doesn’t give a shit about running the country. He only needs to protect himself and his own.
Maybe a bright side; filling the executive with inept sycophants might slow down project 2025. The reason he struggled to achieve a lot of his bullshit the last time was they didn’t have skilled people to navigate the legal system.
Of course, that legal system also made him a king so…all they have to do is make him say whatever they want to do. But maybe, hopefully, they’ll spend a lot of time fighting amongst themselves.
Someone noticed in a different thread that the people directly under Trump’s cabinet picks appear to be competent institutional people.
Which unfortunately is probably the perfect structure to break things efficiently - the people at the top with the most authority are those who will never question Trump’s will, and the person directly under is competent but can be easily replaced anytime they grow a spine.
Stephen Miller and Trump’s other ghoulish advisors aren’t letting this opportunity go to waste and I think we’re in for a rough ride.
and the person directly under is competent but can be easily replaced anytime they grow a spine
It’s the opposite really
Heads serve at the pleasure of the president, they can be fired on a whim for zero reason.
Everyone else though, well, it’s really fucking hard to fire a federal employee after the first year or two.
Even to just lateral them to a different position is a pain. Getting rid of a number isn’t just saying “you’re fired” like with an agency head.
And also:
anytime they grow a spine
If they’re in the federal government and don’t agree with trump they already have a backbone. The ones who didn’t are the ones getting out now and letting maga concentrate.
For fucks sake, why does everyone act like beurcrats can’t slow shit down intentionally?
That’s why one of the big parts of Project 2025 is reclassifying a ton of government employees so that they also are just appointed by the president
Hats… Why they are called beurocrats.
But the ones who are leaving are largely close to retirement and would rather not deal with bullshit to their own job, and I respect that. The ones who aren’t leaving probably see this as a great stepping stone for their career, as they get to enforce rules most previous position holders were unaware of.
Federal government is just like corporate jobs in that there is a game to play - the game is fundamentally different in that it’s based on law and office mission, rather than profit and deceit.
Calling RFK’s position “an environmental role” is total bullshit. It’s to head the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees everything in government related to healthcare.
That’s right, we’re likely getting a true believer in such classics as vaccines cause autism and HIV doesn’t lead to AIDS, as the Healthcare Boss.
cause its about keeping power, and not so much about keeping the lights on for the rest of the people.
Honest question…what if someone PRETENDED to be loyal? Then passed a bunch of bills, like help for homeless, easier immigration, gun control laws, legalized abortion, and then convinced trump they were HIS ideas, so he loves them.
The anti-Sinema
No, they could like movies.
It would be easier the believe one of them actually earned the position.
Dude clearly ran around with his scalp scar on fire during COVID expecting nothing major would pop up during his presidency.
It was chaos then it’ll be fucking chaos now.
surprisedpikachu.jpg
They’re nothing more then yes men, I hope they mess up so hard that he resigns in four years
Appointing people who will do what you tell them is basic effective governance. The alternative is people who will prevent you from doing what you were elected to accomplish.
Imagine if Biden appointed a head of the DEA who agreed to legalize cannibis, a head of the department of education who agreed to delete all student debt, a head of the DoJ who threw Trump in prison, etc.
This would be a good thing if the party was doing it to accomplish good things instead of Trump.
Competent, effective leaders are better than sycophantic yes-men to advise and lead government offices.
Only an incompetent or malicious leader would appoint people who will prevent them from doing what they were elected to do.
It’s not a virtue to let the system stop you from helping the people who elected you in the name of compromise or norms or whatever, it’s a betrayal of the voters.
I will say the same thing in 2028 if the dems somehow win with a centrist who immediately ties their hands behind their back by appointing future enemies to positions of power.
I disagree with you in general, but you’re right on target when it comes to that dipshit Merrick Fucking Garland.
Which is why the constitution gives Congress to power to approve or reject appointments.
Unless they go along with his recess appointment nonsense.
The Turtle is saying no way. He might do something halfway decent on his way out.
