Rubber Stamp
Trump orders the Senate to fall in line
If we were watching a reality TV version of America, the plot twist of a president appointing Matt Gaetz as Attorney General would be viewed as an exercise in shark-jumping, signaling the show has run out of ideas and is on its last legs. As repellent as Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr may have been, at least they were qualified for the job.
But Trump is sending a serious message with Gaetz’ appointment, and how it is received will go a long way toward telling us whether in fact it is America that’s on its last legs.
The nominations of Gaetz, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, and Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence signal that Trump’s second act will prioritize personal loyalty over everything else, and while that may be sending shockwaves through careerist circles like those in the Pentagon who view Hegseth as a dangerous neophyte, it is exactly what Trump said he would do.
However, these appointments require Senate confirmation, and that is where we will get our first look at whether Madisonian democracy is a match for a determined autocrat and his petty enablers.
