Trump begins to make appointments
The first one was his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, who had helped him make this year’s presidential campaign more effective.
Then there’s Elise Stefanik as UN ambassador. Personally, I’d rather we leave the UN, but until then, she’s a good choice – although it’s important to make sure that appointments coming from Congress not threaten the GOP’s majorities there. In Stefanik’s case there will be a special election. Her district’s election history can be found here, and from the look of it it seems that beginning in 2016 it became strongly Republican after having been Democrat. Interesting. I hope that holds.
Trump has also announced that he won’t be appointing either Pompeo or Haley to posts in his administration.
Stephen Miller, one of [Trump’s] longest-serving top immigration advisers, [will be] deputy chief of staff for policy in the incoming White House. …
Tom Homan, the former head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, will become a “border czar” overseeing deportation policy.
This time Trump knows a lot more about DC and about who his friends and enemies are, compared to 2016. He doesn’t know everything, of course. But he’s a great deal more aware of the depth of the swamp.
And then there’s the race to replace McConnell as Senate Majority Leader, which is between Thune, Cornyn, and Scott. There’s a ton of scuttlebutt about it (see this sort of thing, for example). Who knows what’s really going on and more importantly what will be the result, but I think it’s safe to say that at the moment it’s Byzantine. I prefer Scott, but I have a hunch it will be Thune. I’d be happy to be proven wrong about that.
These are happy dilemmas, though, compared to the alternative, an election loss. Then we’d be facing many disastrous prospects, such as the end of the filibuster, and the passage of HR1 and DC statehood and court-packing.
Last time Trump followed those “Online” advisors off the cliff – especially that MAGA “Online” advise for Jeff Sessions. Let’s see if Trump can get it right this time w/o following the “Online” crowd…
I was disappointed that Pompeo will not be part of the government.
There may have been some conflict between he and Trump that I was unaware of, because his support in the election cycle was lukewarm–at best.
Someone suggested that Trump did not want to elevate anyone who would be a threat to Vance next time. I wanted Pompeo for President this time, but from what I have seen, I think the country would be well served by Vance.
We will probably never know what drove the decision.
So far it appears that Trump knows who he wants, and he wants hard liners on key issues.
I think the next four years will be tough, and he needs all of the real fighters he can get. It would be a gross understatement to say that they are facing a massive resistance.
Within in the last hour Lee Zeldin announced as EPA Administrator, which, good.
Oldflyer, here is an article touching on why no Pompeo. If true, don’t think I like the idea of Tucker being a heavy influence on foreign policy.
https://www.thefp.com/p/trump-foreign-policy-pompeo-haley-carlson
pompeo was marginally better than tillerson, but he failed to stop the sabotage of administration priorities, including swamp players like brennan
not to mention his dreadful behavior on the documents case before the court,
people should thoroughly investigate such things before mouthing off,
Pompeo turned out to be unwise, is enough. Pass.
I wrote to both of my senators to say that the leader should be Rick Scott. I also wrote to the RNC saying that they need to start working on 2026 election to make sure that we hold on to the House and Senate. I also mentioned that they need to visit some of the red states to ensure that they remain red.
I’m also concerned about him taking too many current senators and representatives when the majority is so tiny and by definition the ones he would be taking are his most ardent supporters and almost certainly would be replaced by someone at least a little less supportive.
Was glad to see Cotton and Schmidt reaffirm their commitments to remain in the senate.
They already have to replace Vance and DeWine is just about the most untrustworthy Republican governor so who knows who he will name.
Hope theae go better than in 2016. The Senate has to have someone to push through appointments. And if Congress isn’t under Republican control it will bog down real fast.
2 Way with Mark Halperin had a good discussion about the Senate Majority Leader contest, including Newt Gingrich. First half of the program. Whether or not it will make a difference to Trump’s agenda if Thune or Scott are leader.
Good insider talk.
Monday, 11/11/24 | Trump 47: Central Casting | The Morning Meeting (S3E4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twsJKcK7_oI
Miguel Cervantes at 4:19: “people should thoroughly investigate such things before mouthing off,”
Eh?
The new border czar seems like a real hardass…and I mean that as a compliment. I saw a 10 sec clip from him this morning. His short statement: “We’re going to clean up this shit.”
It would be a gross understatement to say that they are facing a massive resistance.
–Oldflyer
Certainly there will be resistance, but I doubt it will be like 2016.
Trump’s landslide victory shows that we are past Peak Woke. Democrats are gobsmacked, trying to figure out where things stand now and what they might do.
Their 2016 strategies of massive protests, constant media shrieking, celebrity hate, and non-stop lawfare aren’t going to work the same way this time They had the momentum then. Now they don’t.
Plus of course Trump has more support and is much better prepared.
I too think it will be RINO Thune. Same old, tried and true ploy by the GOP wing of the Uni-Party; pretend to support, undermine the conservative agenda as much as possible. Slow walk substantive reforms as much as possible, tie up in committee anything that threatens the status quo. When legislation does make it to a floor vote, a few ‘renegade’ Senators deep six the legislation for ‘principled’ reasons. Watch for how much legislation that Rand Paul and a few others votes for actually makes it to Trump’s desk.
In two years, congressional republican inaction will result in them losing their majority in at least one of the chambers. Then its back to, ‘if we only still had a majority… but now our hands are tied’…
“its the Potomac two-step, Jack”
pompeo was marginally better than tillerson, but he failed to stop the sabotage of administration priorities, including swamp players like brennan
I wonder why Trump appointed Pompeo as Secretary of State after he served as Dir. CIA?
Pompeo was on Pence’s side in kicking Trump out after he won last time, that’s why no Pompeo; Pompeo helped the steal.
I’m not thrilled about the Stefanik appointment. She strikes me as wasted material at the UN. (It’s not as if Haley’s stint there was such a wonderful resume-builder.) And there is, as Neo mentioned, the slight uncertainty around the outcome of the special election to consider. This being New York, I view it as all too easy for the GOP to lose even the few residual scraps of political power to which it still clings in this state. Stefanik is just coming off of a 60-37 win — why roll the dice yet again? Maybe the North Country really is that safe, but it still smells like gambler’s logic to me.
Besides, ever since the last redistricting which brought the part of Rensselaer County through which my daily commute runs into Stefanik’s district, I drive by the county office building, where I regularly see the notice about Stefanik’s office hours on the billboard. That will go away and I’ll be a bit disappointed.
Larger picture, with both Stefanik and Zeldin departing New York state politics, who fills those shoes for the state GOP now? Tedisco?
Stefanik, like Cotton and Schmidt, could have declined. She accepted, so maybe she wants the job?
It seems like Trump is choosing people who aren’t afraid to kick some rear and get their hands dirty cleaning out the Augean stables that is the federal bureaucracy – people with some fight in them who might actually get the job done, as opposed to career bureaucrats beholden to the fed gov more than the people. Trump went the nice Republican route the first time around and it bit him the butt.
Given the GOPe shenanigans any time we get R majorities in either or both houses, I’m not expecting much good this time around, either. Maintaining the status quo and the desire for reelection are powerful drugs, and Rs are no more immune to it than Ds.
DecisionDeskHQ calls the House for the GOP
WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) – Data provider DDHQ projected on Monday that President-elect Donald Trump’s Republican Party had won a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, which would signal that Republicans would hold a majority in both chambers of Congress.
See also Breitbart
https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1856123484708974593
Waltz was just reelected to represent Fl-6.
If he gives it a think, Gov. DeSantis just might be choosing Byron Donalds as Rubio’s replacement. Oughta be easy.
What is Rubio’s expertise in and experience WRT foreign affairs?
Cuba Cuba Cuba.
NYPost:
https://archive.is/Wcbu7
Also NYPost: “Ex-Defense official Kash Patel emerges as a top contender for CIA director”
https://archive.is/9EOSX
To those who are already pessimistic about the GOP majority in Congress, I am reluctant to point out that The Babylon Bee has an almost perfect score in
predicting political events.
https://babylonbee.com/news/congressional-republicans-say-theyre-working-hard-to-figure-out-how-to-squander-the-next-two-years
Barry Meislin:
From Wiki on Rubio’s relevant committee memberships:
– Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
– Select Committee on Intelligence (Ranking Member)
– Committee on Foreign Relations
– Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, – Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues (Ranking Member)
– Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy
– Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development
Thanks much.
(Seems to me he’s been flying quite a bit under the radar but it’s probably more likely that I just haven’t been paying attention…)
Oldflyer,
This article alleges that Pompeo undermined Trump, working with the woke General Milley and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2024/11/09/good-sign-president-trump-announces-no-position-for-nikki-haley-or-mike-pompeo-in-new-administration/#more-266080
RINOs gonna RINO, tho there are principle disagreements possible. Like Ukraine, it’s not clear that short term Peace, with Ukraine losing Crimea AND Donbas is better than more support for Ukraine, including allowing more strikes into Russia, and Moscow. So I disagree, maybe, with an Immediate Peace Trump appeasement—but I am open to seeing the deal and Ukraine’s level of acceptance of it before too much criticism.
Trump is Much Wiser now than in 2016, and also far far freerer to choose supporters/ bootlickers than in 2020 with Pence, again. It seems, tho I’m also hoping, that he chooses folks who support him in public, and raise doubts in private.
Pompeo seemed a mild fair weather supporter, and a subtle bootlicker. I’m sure he’ll be ok.
I’m interested in Gen. Mike Flynn, too. So, first time, looked him up:
https://x.com/GenFlynn/status/1856312844708348206
Finally, let me note how, much of last year, I consistently believed it would not be Biden on the ballot. I told you so!
Then I went far more to economics & psychology with Arnold Kling & Rob Henderson, and distractions on X, rather than Neo’s truthful but too often depressing politics (with fine commenters!). Plus my karaoke hobby now, and more family stuff including 30th anniversary celebration.
So, so glad we can talk about who, among many good choices, should Trump choose, or did choose.
Notice how few Dems are claiming Trump is a Threat To Democracy. Sometimes voting works!
Thanks to Neo for so much great work.
Trump selects puppy-shooting South Dakota governor Kristi Noem – as the head of Homeland Security
She shoots her own puppy—imagine what she’ll do to illegal border crossers. Guess she’ll never live that one down…
As I wrote on another thread here,Trump will have to decide whether and how widespread his Administration’s pursuit and prosecution should be of individuals who broke precedent and the law in their relentless persecution of Trump.
However, one incident, it seems to me, deserves particular, intense scrutiny, and the pursuit of everyone involved–up and down the chain–from those who OK’d, and gave the orders, to those foot soldiers who zealously carried them out, and that is the raid on Mar-a-Lago.
A raid in which, it has been reported, the use of “deadly force” was actually authorized. *
* See https://nypost.com/2024/05/21/us-news/fbi-was-authorized-to-use-deadly-force-in-mar-a-lago-classified-docs-search/
he who laughs last, lasts bests,
She will never live it down, sort of like “Squirrel!” for a NPA.
How old was the “puppy,” Kermit?
That is “Shaping a Narrative” for the easily led.
GC™ continues to instigate & initiate on neo’s blog – whilst ignoring the plea/s of other commenters, e.g.,:
The “couple of commenters” apparently meaning GC™ and humble me.
Tit Tit Tit Tat
“…Notice how few Dems are claiming that Trump is a Threat To Democracy…”
Is it really “few”? I hope so, though I would have thought that that claim—Trump is a “Threat To Democracy”—still actively resonates strongly amongst “the faithful”. (Or are you saying that that general refrain has died down, post-election—drowned out at least temporarily by the noisy circular Democratic Party firing squad?)
To be sure, Trump is certainly a “Threat To OUR Democracy”(TM), in which case, GRRRREAT!!
HOWEVER, as Lee Smith warns, Obama has MOST DEFINITELY NOT retired from the scene.
IOW, the—insidious—gloves are STILL OFF:
“Obama Isn’t Going Anywhere;
“The former president lost big on Nov. 5. But he doesn’t seem interested in leaving D.C., or American politics.”—
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/obama-not-going-anywhere
H/T Powerline blog.
Key graf:
Tats are really a bad idea on t*ts.
I’d that what you are talking about Kermit?
Eyebleach.
Stay tuned today folks — GC™’s *HATRED* has been percolating for a couple of days now (GC™ has already got snarky ‘n name callish today w/ two commenters).
Remember that infamous night when GC™ exploded and started foaming at the mouth here? Someone best get him into some intervention program before he reverts back to that night—here—again…
The RINO component of the party leadership needs to have their actions and intentions to be clearly identified on a daily basis and made clear to the public. That way those “collaborators” might slink back into their corners. I have seen what they have done here in MT.
The easiest way to get rid of the Dept. of Education would be to take the budget for that department and divide it by the number of children in school in each state and send that money to each state according to the number of children. Should we allow the bellowing and crying that would arise over sending equal money to private schools subvert the intent–I don’t think so. Let the states decide that one also. However, the number of students in private schools should be included in the state’s headcount.
LOL, Projection personified.
Notice that the “H8” charge gets thrown about, almost asvweak as the other “…ist” labels.
Weak, really weak.
LOL
Time for a lunchtime walk.
Enjoy the fall.
Notice that the “H8” charge gets thrown about, almost asvweak as the other “…ist” labels.
om:
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far. far away, there was a comic published by Gold Key — not DC nor Marvel — Magnus, Robot Fighter
For an off-brand comic it was compelling. Magnus was a human raised by a self-aware robot named “1A “and Magnus’s chief opponent was the insidious, damaged robot named “H8.”
Just sayin’. 😉
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus,_Robot_Fighter
H8red is a thing especially in hats, as in they hate red hats. I like my black Red Cross hat particularly.
@ Anne > “The easiest way to get rid of the Dept. of Education would be to take the budget for that department and divide it by the number of children in school in each state and send that money to each state according to the number of children.”
How about the Federal Government doesn’t take any money FROM the states in the first place?