Are Trump’s Appointments Meant as Revenge Against His Opposition?
We know that daily, Trump is seeking revenge against anybody who criticizes him or even corrects one of his numbers. Imagine the fear of Republican congressmen to ever cross Trump even in a minor way or vote, and end up with a label such as lazy, lyin’ or crooked, which they will never be able to shake. Those criticized by Trump are now routinely subjected to threats against them and their families by Trump trolls. By Trump standards, the threateners should lose their citizenship or spend a year in jail, since these threats are obviously more serious than burning a flag, which is the required way to dispose of a flag anyway. It’s amazing that Trump does not control his revenge, to prevent trolling from happening, or even promising to find and to arrest these threatening trolls.
But back to the point: Trump is a compulsive revenger, which neither he nor anybody around him can stop. The fact is that many of Trump’s cabinet nominees are the people most antagonistic to upholding the missions of the agencies which they will command. Since the agencies were carrying out partly Democratic agendas, and Trump wants revenge against Democrats who gave him a very tight race, he may just be nominating those who will make Democrats sick. Of course, it could also be that as a billionaire businessman, he is totally anti-regulation, anti-labor, anti-safety-net, anti-poverty-aid, and anti-housing-support. He also is siding with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell in opposing and now tearing down anything that President Obama instituted.
These appointments include Scott Pruitt to head the EPA, who has taken its regulations to court, and is a tool of the Oklahoma oil billionaire, Harold Hamm. It includes fast food Magnate Andy Puzder of Carl’s Jr. And Hardee’s , who opposes the new overtime rules and livable minimum wage increases, becoming Secretary of Labor. Then there is Ben Carson, who grew up in the projects, but doesn’t believe in aiding poor minorities, becoming Secretary of HUD, Housing and Urban Development. Trump promised to aid his self-described decrepit inner cities. Those afraid that Trump will crush his protesters, note that he has appointed a marine corps general to head Homeland Security. Then he has a General heading the Department of Defense, just four years after his leaving the military, rather than the seven years required by law. Trump is draining the Democratic swamp and replacing them by three Republican Goldman Sachs gators. Apparently, Trump is having trouble finding someone upsetting enough to head the Department of State, since puppets Bridgegate Christie and foreign-entangled Rudy would have trouble getting approved.
The danger in appointing anti-agency zealots to head agencies, is first that they stock their managing positions with hundreds of similar political appointees. Second, while in the hectic two months of picking a cabinet, Trump hasn’t had time to consult with agency professionals, with Congress, and with any budget or academic analyses. After his administration starts up and Congress enters the plans, he will have lots of time to find out what is real and doable under law, and what he can negotiate. But with hundreds of zealots running each agency, he will never be able to change from a maximally destructive policy in each agency. It would be publicly embarrassing to change course and to change congressionally approved personnel. Trump never changes his first brief policy assertions. He doubles down on them, and then quadruples down on them.
There is fear that these agencies will attack programs in the Democratic West Coast and Northeast states, and some interior states which also backed Clinton. Will this be revenge or the just the self-interested outlook of a billionaire Republican businessman? Hard to tell.
One thing is for sure, the rich will be richly rewarded by tax cuts for themselves.
