By Carol Lucas
I have had every intention to try and back away from writing about politics, at least until the beginning of next year. “Give it a rest,” I admonished myself. “You are making yourself crazy or at least more so than you already are.”
But we all know that the road to hell is paved with those good intentions. Furthermore, as 2024 careens to the finish line, the fodder on the political front is ever growing and truly difficult to ignore.
I find myself especially intrigued by the choices president-elect Trump is tossing out for approval, and at one point I had to ask myself if he is playing some kind of bizarre game or has he totally lost his senses. You can determine that one for yourself, dear reader.
Me? I’m toying with the notion that Trump is making a concerted effort to bring the country to its knees. That doesn’t preclude his loss of all that is sensible, nor does it exonerate him from the possibility that he sees this as a game, one of revenge, if you will.
And yet, I have to give him this much credit: he told the country what he was going to do, so there is no element of surprise.
Every nominee that has come forth, and heaven knows there has been a continuum of them, starting almost immediately after the election, has generated controversy. While I often question Donald Trump’s cognitive skills, I have to wonder whether or not these picks are made to purposely create chaos and fear.
For starters, let’s recognize and accept that many of these choices lack the qualifications to successfully tackle the job for which they are nominated. I will address that deficiency later.
For now, simply accept Trump’s own words: he demands loyalty, and he seeks revenge and retribution. And, yes, he aspires to be a dictator (the first day, if you really believe this), thus the loyalty clause. By the way, I heard his dictatorial ambition statement with my own ears, despite disclaimers previously stated.
I believe what the president-elect is striving to accomplish is the creation of an infrastructure of people who support authoritarianism, he being the authority, and this is best done by demanding total support from them, first and foremost. Qualifications be damned!
So let’s parse some of these suggested appointees from the tsunami of names submitted.
Of course, we cannot forget the first volley, that of Matt Gaetz, previously the subject of a federal sex-trafficking investigation. I must ask if those of you who feel Trump can do no wrong, do you approve of Gaetz? Because if you do, I have to question your sense of morality as well. Sorry, but as my Mom used to say, you are judged by the company you keep.
Moving on, let’s consider the nation’s health, which certainly is, or should be, of primary import.
Trump was “thrilled” to announce his nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the former independent presidential candidate and prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Add Dr. Oz as cohort with Kennedy. In a statement announcing his pick, Trump said Dr. Oz would “work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake.” Trump also noted that Dr. Oz had “won nine Daytime Emmy Awards hosting “The Dr. Oz Show,” where he taught millions of Americans how to make healthier lifestyle choices.”
Well that certainly clarifies any questions regarding expertise. Feeling better already about your future health scenario?
This past week, Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, came under scrutiny as well as fire. It seems the Fox News host (there is expertise at its finest) feels that women aren’t fit for combat roles. Did he come to that conclusion before or after the allegation of sexual assault? Didn’t she put up enough of a fight? Even Mama says she’s ashamed of him and his abuse of women for many years. Good grief! If your own mother doesn’t support you, why does Donald? Oh, that’s right … birds of a feather!
Kash Patel for Director of FBI? That merits a complete article on its own. Let’s just state that proof has been brought forth regarding his coordination in the 2020 attempted coup.
William Barr, initially a Trump cohort, stated, “Patel had virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency.”
Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee for Education Secretary, has already been caught in a lie which should exclude her from consideration. She claimed to have a degree in Education, which she does not. She is a billionaire professional wrestling mogul who served for one year on the Connecticut Board of Education. Wrestle that one around.
I fail to address Elon Musk or Vivek Ramaswamy; this is material for another day. I will toss into the final mix, however, Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for Attorney General. It seems that as Florida’s attorney general, her office opted not to pursue a fraud investigation into Trump University. Furthermore, in 2016, news emerged that Trump had paid a $2,500 fine because his foundation improperly donated $25,000 to Bondi’s political election committee. Hmmm.
The president-elect has proposed bypassing the traditional Senate confirmation process, as well FBI background checks. I wonder why?
But as I often say, “I digress.”
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
