Trump's Bad Picks Are Sending A Message To Congress (And The Country)

Donald Trump's picks for his administration are sending a message that he is serious about doing what he campaigned on - and serious about turning the presidency into an authoritarian institution.

His first picks (Homan/Miller/Noem) made it clear that he will be trying to deport millions of undocumented immigrants (and maybe even some with legal documentation).

His newest picks are even worse. They are totally unqualified and incompetent.

He has chosen a criminal and sex abuser to be Attorney General - Matt Gaetz. Gaetz immediately resigned from Congress upon being nominated in hopes of preventing the House Ethics Committee from releasing a scathing report on him. He has also said the federal policing agencies (FBI, ATF, etc.) should be defunded if they didn't stop "picking" on Trump. Now he will be in charge of all those agencies, and will likely turned them into a tool for retribution against Trump's detractors. His only qualification for the job is being a Trump sycophant - a person who will do whatever Trump wants (without regard to whether it's reasonable or legal).

For Director of National Intelligence, he has chosen Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard is known for opposing U.S. foreign policy. She is a Putin supporter and has been known to pass on Russian propaganda. She is a supporter of Bashar al-Assad (Syria's dictator). As DNI, she will be in charge of all of U.S. intelligence agencies. Intelligence officials don't trust her (both here and abroad), and it is likely our allies will now stop sharing intelligence with us. Like Gaetz, her only qualification is being a Trump sycophant who will do whatever he asks her to do.

Trump has to know neither of these two are qualified. But he doesn't care. He is using them to send a message to Congress (and the nation). The message is that he is in control and he's going to rule as an authoritarian (like his heroes - Putin and Hitler). With these picks, he is literally daring the Senate to try and stop him. They won't.

We are entering a dark time for our democracy. Can it survive? 

There Will Be No Guardrails This Time

Trump did some awful things in his first term, but he was prevented from doing his worst. He was prevented by GOP appointees who believed in the Constitution and the rule of law. He was prevented by Democratic control of part of Congress. And he was prevented by the court system.

In his coming second term, none of those guardrails will exist.

Trump learned from his first term. In the second, he will not surround himself with those who believe in the Constitution or rule of law. He will nominate only sycophants, who will do anything he wants - even things that are illegal, morally reprehensible, or damaging to our economy and democracy.

Congress will not stop him. MAGA Republicans now control the Senate, and it looks like they will also control the House of Representatives.

The courts will not stop him. The Supreme Court has ruled that he can do anything he wants (even break the law) because he has immunity.

Trump has told us what he wants to do. And he can now do all those horrible things because there is no one to stop him!

Texas GOP Platform Is MAGA's National Wish List

The Texas Republican Party just passed a terrifying platform. But don't think the nutty ideas contained in it are just for Texas. Crazy Texas GOP ideas have a way of becoming national GOP ideas. Andrea Grimes (at MSNBC.com) explains:

I covered my first Texas Republican Party Convention in 2010, during the Tea Party movement’s ascendance at the state and the national levels. My editors warned me ahead of time that I would see and hear some wild stuff, but cautioned me against taking any of it too seriously in my reporting. This was “red meat” for the base, not serious policy. I got the memo: my coverage, for the Dallas Observer alt-weekly, was full of snark and derision.

But 14 years later, many of the priorities for which I mocked the Texas GOP’s faithfulest-of-the-faithful have indeed been realized, both here in Texas and nationally. Now, their latest platform, which delegates voted on last weekend, endorses the conspiracist “great reset” theory, declares that “abortion is not health care, it is homicide,” and calls for a new election law requiring candidates running for statewide offices to win a majority of Texas’ 254 counties, effectively barring any Democrat from the position. And that’s just the start. . . .

 I would hope that, by now, we political writers have realized that the “fringes” of the Republican Party — in Texas or anywhere else — are the primary drivers of politics, policy and personnel. I would hope that we finally take seriously the idea that the Texas GOP platform is a statement of intent. 

As the Dallas Morning News’s Gromer Jeffers wrote after the party’s 2022 convention, “many proposals once thought too extreme are becoming public policy.” Of course they are; between the Tea Party and Trump, the farthest-right factions of the Texas GOP have amassed a tremendous amount of power and influence. From Gov. Abbott to Lt. Gov Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton on down, Texas Republicans now take their orders from the blathering, criminal bigot from New York City. 

American conservatism, bent as it always has been toward authoritarian rule, white supremacy and xenophobia, has long been ripe for this kind of takeover. For decades, even supposedly more moderate and mainstream Republican politics have been dominated by public pledges to do, well, exactly what Republicans are now doing: outlawing abortion, censoring free speech and terrorizing immigrants, queer people and religious believers (even Christians!) who fail to comply with the GOP’s vision for America as an evangelical Christian theocracy.    

There are many, many horrors to behold in the latest platform, and they must be taken seriously not in spite of how terrifying the document is, but because of how terrifying the document is. It is because the latest Texas GOP platform endorses “prohibiting the teaching of sex education, sexual health, or sexual choice or identity” that we should take it seriously. It is because the platform equates abortion and murder that we should take it seriously. It is because the platform aims to ban any Democrat — and indeed, any noncompliant Republican — from ever holding statewide office, that we should take it seriously.

This stuff cannot and should not be written off as outsider, fringe crankery. Because it isn’t. And the rightward, increasingly fascist swing in the GOP in Texas and nationally is far from complete. We have seen it amplified year over year in Texas, and with Trump’s takeover of the RNC, we are going to see much more of this across the country. We dismiss that fundamental truth at our peril.

Media Should Report Trump's Growing Dementia/Paranoia

The media loves to report on President Biden's age. But they need to report more on Donald Trump increasing dementia and paranoia (which is far more dangerous to this country's future). Here is part of what Robert Reich has to say about it:

What if Trump really thinks he’s being persecuted? What if he has a persecution complex? What if he believes his paranoid fantasies?

 

Trump is not facing nearly the same scrutiny for his age as is Joe Biden, yet Trump should be — especially as to increasing signs of dementia.

 

Biden is sane. He’s getting major bills passed. He’s negotiating with world leaders.

But Trump — who has a family history of dementia — is increasingly incoherent and unhinged. 

He has confused Biden with Obama so often that he’s had to put out a statement that the slips have been intentional.

 

In September, Trump suggested that the way to prevent wildfires in California’s forest lands is to keep them damp. Here are his exact words: 

“They say that there’s so much water up north that I want to have the overflow areas go into your forests and dampen your forests, because if you dampen your forests you're not gonna have these forest fires that are burning at levels that nobody’s ever seen.”

Hello?. . .

In October, Trump warned his supporters that Biden will lead America into World War Two.

He has also claimed that Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group, is “very smart.” That whales are being killed by windmills. That he won all 50 states in 2020. That he defeated Barack Obama in 2016. That the outgoing chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should be executed. That MSNBC’s parent company is guilty of treason, and will “pay.” And that he will only be a dictator on “Day 1” of a new term.

The most telling evidence of Trump’s growing dementia is found in his paranoid thirst for revenge, on which he is now centering his entire campaign.

On November 11, he pledged to a crowd of supporters in Claremont, New Hampshire, that: 

“We will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, that lie and steal and cheat on elections and will do anything possible — they’ll do anything, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America and to destroy the American dream.”

Are these the words of a sane person? Or of an aging paranoid megalomaniac? Even if it’s unclear to which category Trump belongs, shouldn’t this question be central to the coverage of his campaign for reelection? 

When I’ve asked members of the media why they’re not covering the increasing signs of Trump’s dementia, they say it’s “old news.”. . .

But just because Trump has shown mental instability in the past doesn’t make his mental problems any less relevant now that he is seeking reelection. They’re more relevant. He appears even more delusional and unhinged than before. 

If Biden’s age is fair game, why aren’t Trump’s age and apparent mental decline? 

Biden may appear frail at times, but he’s rational. The growing evidence of Trump’s dementia and paranoia, on the other hand, poses a potential danger to the future of America — if he’s reelected. At the least, the media should be investigating and reporting on it.

Another Trump Term Would Make The World More Dangerous

The world is a very dangerous place, and one of the biggest dangers is Putin's Russia. Putin did not like the breakup of the Soviet Union, and it is his fervent desire to re-establish control over the former Soviet states (and then ultimately the rest of Europe).

One only has to look at his aggressive moves -- first against Georgia, and then against Ukraine. Ukraine has proven to be a difficult task, but he hasn't given up. He's hoping to get some help from the United States after the next election if his protege (Donald Trump) can get elected to a second term.

Trump doesn't like Ukraine, because they refused to instigate a fake investigation into Hunter and Joe Biden. He wanted to use that to smear Biden and win the 2020 election. Now Trump would be happy to let Russia take part or all of Ukraine.

The only thing stopping Putin is NATO. The NATO nations have come to the defense of Ukraine by providing it with weapons and money. Putin would like to see NATO destroyed. He knows he could not defeat a united NATO.

That is another reason that Putin would love to see Trump elected. He knows that the biggest danger to NATO is Donald Trump. Trump doesn't care that NATO is the defender of all Western democracies. He only cares about himself, and would happily destroy NATO if it didn't kowtow to his wishes.

In his first term, he considered withdrawing from NATO. When he had some backlash (even from Republicans), he backed down. But he still threatened to refuse to come to the defense of any NATO nation that refused to bend to his will. 

He said it was only "fair" that other members of NATO budget more money to their militaries. He completely ignored the fact that article 5 of the NATO agreement ( that every NATO nation would come to the defense of any member nation that was attacked) has only been invoked once. That was when the U.S. was attacked on 9/11/2001. The NATO nations joined the United States in going after the attackers in Afghanistan.

True fairness would be to recognize that fact, and to assure the other NATO nations that the U.S. would reciprocate. But Trump doesn't care about real fairness, or about defending the Western democracies (which benefits all democracies, including the U.S.). He only cares about who is willing to kiss his ass and who is not.

A second Trump term would pose a danger to NATO, possibly even destroying it. And that would pose a danger to the world, as Putin (and other dictators) would feel free to attack and engulf their neighbors. 

Trump thinks the United States could stand alone in the world. He is wrong, and his re-election would be disastrous to the entire world. 

Second Only To Trump, Musk Is A Danger To Democracy

From former Labor Secretary Robert Reich:

On January 10, Elon Musk responded to a post about the recent influx of undocumented immigrants into America with a baldfaced lie. He claimed, on his platform X (formerly Twitter), that “illegals are not prevented from voting in federal elections.”

Rubbish. In fact, U.S. law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections — under threats of jail time and deportation. Which explains why instances of illegal voting by noncitizens are extremely rare.

A few days earlier — echoing the “great replacement” conspiracy theory that Trump and Tucker Carlson have been pushing — Musk suggested that Biden and the Democrats are lax on immigration because “they are importing voters.”

Again, utter baloney. There’s no evidence of it. 

And on January 8, Musk wrote that voters in the United States “don’t need government issued ID to vote and you can mail in your ballot. This is insane.” 

More rubbish. Most states require voters to produce some form of identification at polls. States that do not at least require signatures, affidavits, or birth dates. In addition, federal law requires all voters to verify their identity when they register.

These lies mimic Trump’s lies, but Musk has 170 million followers on X. 

Musk runs X and can manipulate its algorithm to give him millions more and reduce the influence of anyone he dislikes or disagrees with. 

He can and does disregard X’s policy barring posts that mislead about voting eligibility laws, “including identification or citizenship requirements.”

Musk doesn’t have to answer to anyone. He owns X. He bought it in a hostile takeover for more than $44 billion. 

He is the richest person in the world. 

And he is utterly unaccountable. 

X’s elections integrity team won’t stop him, because he’s the CEO. 

X’s shareholders can’t stop him, because he owns the majority of shares.

 

Consumers can’t stop him, because X has a monopoly on short-form communications due to “network effects” (with 556 million active monthly users, no other platform comes close). 

Advertisers can’t stop him, because with $232 billion of wealth, he can subsidize X forever. 

Lawmakers can’t stop him, because his wealth and ownership of X give him enough political power to prevent any incursion on his freedom to mislead Americans. 

Musk is living proof for why huge concentrations of wealth are dangerous to democracy. 

Trump may be the clearest present threat to American democracy, but Musk comes a close second.

An Election Year Unlike Any Other

The following is just part of an editorial by the editorial board of The New York Times:

At the outset of this election year, with Donald Trump leading the race to be the Republican presidential nominee, Americans should pause to consider what a second Trump term would mean for our country and the world and to weigh the serious responsibility this election places on their shoulders.

By now, most American voters should have no illusions about who Mr. Trump is. During his many years as a real estate developer and a television personality, then as president and as a dominant figure in the Republican Party, Mr. Trump demonstrated a character and temperament that render him utterly unfit for high office.

As president, he wielded power carelessly and often cruelly and put his ego and his personal needs above the interests of his country. Now, as he campaigns again, his worst impulses remain as strong as ever — encouraging violence and lawlessness, exploiting fear and hate for political gain, undermining the rule of law and the Constitution, applauding dictators — and are escalating as he tries to regain power. He plots retribution, intent on eluding the institutional, legal and bureaucratic restraints that put limits on him in his first term.

Our purpose at the start of the new year, therefore, is to sound a warning.

Mr. Trump does not offer voters anything resembling a normal option of Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, big government or small. He confronts America with a far more fateful choice: between the continuance of the United States as a nation dedicated to “the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity” and a man who has proudly shown open disdain for the law and the protections and ideals of the Constitution. . . .

Mr. Trump’s four years in the White House did lasting damage to the presidency and to the nation. He deepened existing divisions among Americans, leaving the country dangerously polarized; he so demeaned public discourse that many Americans have become inured to lies, insults and personal attacks at the highest levels of leadership. His contempt for the rule of law raised concerns about the long-term stability of American democracy, and his absence of a moral compass threatened to corrode the ideals of national service. . . .

Mr. Trump and his ideological allies have been planning for a second Trump term for many months already. Under the name Project 2025, one coalition of right-wing organizations has produced a thick handbook and recruited thousands of potential appointees in preparation for an all-out assault on the structures of American government and the democratic institutions that acted as checks on Mr. Trump’s power.

The project ties in with plans from Mr. Trump and his supporters to reclassify tens of thousands of federal workers so they can be fired if they do not buy fully into the Trump agenda. He also plans to strip the Justice Department of its independence in order to use it to wreak vengeance on those who, in his view, failed to concoct a victory for him in the 2020 election or otherwise didn’t support his unconstitutional demands. There is more, including threats by Mr. Trump to find ways to use federal troops against those who might protest his policies and practices. These ambitions demonstrate that the years out of office and the mounting legal challenges he faces have only sharpened his worst instincts. . . .

Mr. Trump has made clear his conviction that only “losers” accept legal, institutional or even constitutional constraints. He has promised vengeance against his political opponents, whom he has called “vermin” and threatened with execution. This is particularly disturbing at a time of heightened concern about political violence, with threats increasing against elected officials of both parties. . . .

Democracy in the United States is stronger with a formidable conservative political movement to keep diversity of thought alive on important questions, such as the nation’s approaches to immigration, education, national security and fiscal responsibility. There should be room for real disagreement on any of these topics and many more — and there is a long tradition of it across the American experiment. But that is not what the former president is seeking.

Re-electing Mr. Trump would present serious dangers to our Republic and to the world. This is a time not to sit out but instead to re-engage. We appeal to Americans to set aside their political differences, grievances and party affiliations and to contemplate — as families, as parishes, as councils and clubs and as individuals — the real magnitude of the choice they will make in November.