With another Cabinet nominee on the brink of collapse we're learning that there is no vetting among Trump's team while he acts on impulse. The kind of chaos Democrats can exploit.
This is completely spot on. Trump is all ID, to wax psychological. NO impulse control, and he really is a moron. The person to pay attention to is Susie Wiles, his chief of staff and former confidant of DeathSantis. I suspect she is "strategically leaking" to the media, with her boss's approval. Hegseth is a violent drunk, who maybe too sick to see that he's done. I expect similar shit shows with Gabbard's and Patel's nominations. They are idiots, who are actually too stupid to survive scrutiny of any kind.
And Trump really has f-cked over the House GOP. Last year, Speaker Johnson could ONLY get bills passed with the help of Democrats. Now, what is he gonna do with an impossibly narrow majority and the lunatic caucus thinking they can tear up New Deal??? Good luck with that. I hope the Dems play bean ball--keep AIMING for the head with that fast ball. Seriously.
Great analysis Catherine, and wily Wiles is definitely a major player bc she seems to be someone Drumpf feels has loyalty to him. And yes, Dems must keep the pressure on full speed.
All impulse- that's tRump-wih bootlicking sycophants all around him. We must press the Democrats to call out every reckless action for the next 4 years and make them amplify the impulsivity and lack of experience in what will be a cabinet of ghouls. Maybe those that voted for this disaster will begin to have buyers remorse and start tuning into what is going on
We all need to keep those local and state reps’ phone numbers, email addresses and snail mail addresses handy to contact each and every one, especially during the first two years.👍
Good grief. I see the “wonderful” human ? Hegseth is from Minneapolis. Just when glad the spinning eyes cray-cray evangelical Michelle Bachmann is out of picture but that dang also cray “My Pillow” guy is still a stain on the good state. Some member of local small town RNC wrote opinion in local newspaper, “Drumpf is picking dream team”. Arrrrgh. SO much delusion that side, living in an alternate Fox propaganda un-reality.
It is a good point that Democrats can make over and over, though: "This isn't Trump's first rodeo; he's been president before and his team went through a transition to get folks appointed! Why are they still so bad at this?!"
I Googled the LONNNNGGGG List of Trump’s pardons. Some are obvious like Roger Stone, Mike Flynn etc… but I can’t help and wonder how many pardons were actually sold or given quid pro quo… it just looks odd. So many pardons!
Trump is already acting like he is dictator and can name anyone on a whim, and to repay favors. But, I am truly hoping that will be his downfall. I have plenty of friends who worked at various levels of federal and state governments (I worked with the feds for 12 years), and many of them are saying that Trump won't be able to accomplish nearly as much as he wants. Yes, he has the courts, yes, his appointees are particularly dangerous, yes, Project 2025 is frightening. But to get anything accomplished, he and his minions still have to understand how government works. And you still have to learn how to do the business of government (which can take years to master, as Biden has shown). Trump can't turn the Titanic around no matter how much power he has or thinks he has, and he doesn't care enough about his own policies to see the through.
He can still do a ton of damage, but they are all predicting that within a year, he will be floundering and blaming everyone else for his shortcomings.
As a Biden supporter for many years, I am disgusted and embarrassed that he did this pardon, after saying he would not. I think he was banking on he or Harris winning, and dealing with it later. Sure, Trump will do what he will do regardless, but this gives him more ammunition to call us hypocrites and the dissembling among Democrats has already begun. I am not a parent, I know, but neither is Hunter a child. He has caused much needless anguish for this administration and given Republicans another talking point about the nonsensical Biden crime family. He may even have cost us some votes. Compare with Al Franken, who took one for the team by resigning,unfortunately, and Biden here, putting personal concerns above the big picture. Dems will be harmed by this down the line in future. This pardon is a blanket one, going back a decade, and the guy has not even been sentenced yet. Terrible, and this misuse of pardons now has gone back several administrations, mostly by Reagan, both Bushes, and Trump. The Founders did not intend for this kind of use of the pardon.
Gaetz nomination didn't collapse, and thus pundits on an and off the internet who claim credit are engaged in wilfull deception.
The whole thing was planned with Gaetz stepped aboard Trumps plane. The ethics committee report would have sunk his career. Of all the Freedom Caucus, Gaetz has been the most loyal.
Trump appointed him AG, to give him an excuse to resign from congress (no other congress critter has resigned because of a signal like that). Then Gaetz withdraws his name, sits and waits a month and a half, until Jan 3rd when the 119th Congress is sworn in. Gaetz gets sworn in and is nominated by the Freedom Caucus backed by Trump as Speaker.
Gaetz said that he would not be in the next congress, and only a self deluded fool will believe him, He has nothing to fall back on in civilian life, Congress is his only meal ticket, well maybe a lobbyist.
Gaetz will rest quietly and let the controversy disappear into the memory hole that is the media and America, and then after the New Years announce that he has changed his mind and will in fact be sworn in as a member of the 119th Congress, after all he won his re election bid, and there has been no attempt in Florida to replace him, has there?
Don't you find it super ironic that the Trump mob forced to find Hegseth s behavior “unacceptable” for his confirmation to work in the Trump’s administration …perhaps they should use the same “critical criteria” to exempt Trump from the Presidency!! …
This is completely spot on. Trump is all ID, to wax psychological. NO impulse control, and he really is a moron. The person to pay attention to is Susie Wiles, his chief of staff and former confidant of DeathSantis. I suspect she is "strategically leaking" to the media, with her boss's approval. Hegseth is a violent drunk, who maybe too sick to see that he's done. I expect similar shit shows with Gabbard's and Patel's nominations. They are idiots, who are actually too stupid to survive scrutiny of any kind.
And Trump really has f-cked over the House GOP. Last year, Speaker Johnson could ONLY get bills passed with the help of Democrats. Now, what is he gonna do with an impossibly narrow majority and the lunatic caucus thinking they can tear up New Deal??? Good luck with that. I hope the Dems play bean ball--keep AIMING for the head with that fast ball. Seriously.
Hope you’re feeling well Catherine.
Excellent analysis!
Agree that the Dems need to be in lockstep and NOT work with Mike Johnson.Period.
Great analysis Catherine, and wily Wiles is definitely a major player bc she seems to be someone Drumpf feels has loyalty to him. And yes, Dems must keep the pressure on full speed.
our country descends in to madness, but we won't join them, and believe me, we will be in a much better place.
All impulse- that's tRump-wih bootlicking sycophants all around him. We must press the Democrats to call out every reckless action for the next 4 years and make them amplify the impulsivity and lack of experience in what will be a cabinet of ghouls. Maybe those that voted for this disaster will begin to have buyers remorse and start tuning into what is going on
We all need to keep those local and state reps’ phone numbers, email addresses and snail mail addresses handy to contact each and every one, especially during the first two years.👍
Good grief. I see the “wonderful” human ? Hegseth is from Minneapolis. Just when glad the spinning eyes cray-cray evangelical Michelle Bachmann is out of picture but that dang also cray “My Pillow” guy is still a stain on the good state. Some member of local small town RNC wrote opinion in local newspaper, “Drumpf is picking dream team”. Arrrrgh. SO much delusion that side, living in an alternate Fox propaganda un-reality.
It is a good point that Democrats can make over and over, though: "This isn't Trump's first rodeo; he's been president before and his team went through a transition to get folks appointed! Why are they still so bad at this?!"
I Googled the LONNNNGGGG List of Trump’s pardons. Some are obvious like Roger Stone, Mike Flynn etc… but I can’t help and wonder how many pardons were actually sold or given quid pro quo… it just looks odd. So many pardons!
Trump is already acting like he is dictator and can name anyone on a whim, and to repay favors. But, I am truly hoping that will be his downfall. I have plenty of friends who worked at various levels of federal and state governments (I worked with the feds for 12 years), and many of them are saying that Trump won't be able to accomplish nearly as much as he wants. Yes, he has the courts, yes, his appointees are particularly dangerous, yes, Project 2025 is frightening. But to get anything accomplished, he and his minions still have to understand how government works. And you still have to learn how to do the business of government (which can take years to master, as Biden has shown). Trump can't turn the Titanic around no matter how much power he has or thinks he has, and he doesn't care enough about his own policies to see the through.
He can still do a ton of damage, but they are all predicting that within a year, he will be floundering and blaming everyone else for his shortcomings.
I hope they are right.
Excellent points All today, and will reStack ASAP 💯👍
An Open Letter to My Gloating MAGA Neighbor
You Know Who You Are: Your House Still Draped in MAGA Banners, Red Hat Firmly on Your Head, and Truck Plastered with Trump Stickers
https://open.substack.com/pub/patricemersault/p/an-open-letter-to-my-gloating-maga-450?r=4d7sow&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
https://substack.com/home/post/p-152592632
AN OPEN LETTER TO MY GLOATING MAGA NEIGHBOR
You Know Who You Are: Your House Still Draped in MAGA Banners, Red Hat Firmly on Your Head, and Truck Plastered with Trump Stickers
As a Biden supporter for many years, I am disgusted and embarrassed that he did this pardon, after saying he would not. I think he was banking on he or Harris winning, and dealing with it later. Sure, Trump will do what he will do regardless, but this gives him more ammunition to call us hypocrites and the dissembling among Democrats has already begun. I am not a parent, I know, but neither is Hunter a child. He has caused much needless anguish for this administration and given Republicans another talking point about the nonsensical Biden crime family. He may even have cost us some votes. Compare with Al Franken, who took one for the team by resigning,unfortunately, and Biden here, putting personal concerns above the big picture. Dems will be harmed by this down the line in future. This pardon is a blanket one, going back a decade, and the guy has not even been sentenced yet. Terrible, and this misuse of pardons now has gone back several administrations, mostly by Reagan, both Bushes, and Trump. The Founders did not intend for this kind of use of the pardon.
Gaetz nomination didn't collapse, and thus pundits on an and off the internet who claim credit are engaged in wilfull deception.
The whole thing was planned with Gaetz stepped aboard Trumps plane. The ethics committee report would have sunk his career. Of all the Freedom Caucus, Gaetz has been the most loyal.
Trump appointed him AG, to give him an excuse to resign from congress (no other congress critter has resigned because of a signal like that). Then Gaetz withdraws his name, sits and waits a month and a half, until Jan 3rd when the 119th Congress is sworn in. Gaetz gets sworn in and is nominated by the Freedom Caucus backed by Trump as Speaker.
Gaetz said that he would not be in the next congress, and only a self deluded fool will believe him, He has nothing to fall back on in civilian life, Congress is his only meal ticket, well maybe a lobbyist.
Gaetz will rest quietly and let the controversy disappear into the memory hole that is the media and America, and then after the New Years announce that he has changed his mind and will in fact be sworn in as a member of the 119th Congress, after all he won his re election bid, and there has been no attempt in Florida to replace him, has there?
https://substack.com/home/post/p-152592632
AN OPEN LETTER TO MY GLOATING MAGA NEIGHBOR
You Know Who You Are: Your House Still Draped in MAGA Banners, Red Hat Firmly on Your Head, and Truck Plastered with Trump Stickers
Don't you find it super ironic that the Trump mob forced to find Hegseth s behavior “unacceptable” for his confirmation to work in the Trump’s administration …perhaps they should use the same “critical criteria” to exempt Trump from the Presidency!! …
Tulsi Gabbard -- Shouldn't one be required to have an actual IQ, in order to be in charge of National Intelligence?!
All he needs to do is shed a tear or two Kavanaugh-style and he's in.
How many Biden nominees failed? We should keep score