This author and blogger is so disillusioned at the lack of principle and guts of so many Republican Senators, as it seems more likely by the day that there will be little, if any, opposition to any of the most controversial Donald Trump Cabinet nominees.
By all reasonable judgment, the nominations of:
Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
Kash Patel, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services
should be rejected for a multitude of reasons.
And this does not include another objectionable nominee, Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security.
But at least four Senators would have to be willing to gamble their future and vote against, and that seems now highly unlikely.
Those most considered possible to oppose some, if not all, of these nominees, would include:
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Susan Collins of Maine
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
John Curtis of Utah (newly elected to succeed Mitt Romney)
Some other Republican Senators are also seen as possible holdouts, but not as likely as these four.
And even among these four, the truth is that Susan Collins is unreliable, and Mitch McConnell, despite his plans to retire, and his contempt for Donald Trump, cannot be considered in any way likely to vote against any of these nominees, when push comes to shove.
Murkowski and Curtis seem more likely, but the pressure on them and other Republicans is intense. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who first seemed likely to oppose Pete Hegseth, is now receiving blowback with her reelection race coming up in 2026, and Collins also faces reelection two years from now.
So the odds are that Trump will get all of his controversial Cabinet appointments confirmed, and the nation will face a Presidential cabinet with a number of ill qualified, and in some cases, totally terrifying, and reprehensible individuals who will undermine America and its population for the next four years at a minimum.
So this blogger and author is taking a break, escaping from the morass we are in, and will be back near the end of the year!
Trump says he’ll pull vaccines if he finds they’re unsafe.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/12/12/congress/trump-open-to-pulling-vaccines-00194060
Trump is a nutjob!
Kennedy’s Lawyer Has Asked the F.D.A. to Revoke Approval of the Polio Vaccine
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/13/health/aaron-siri-rfk-jr-vaccines.html
Sounds like Rand Paul may be a thorn in Trump’s side. He is balking at at Trump GOP’s big-dollar border agenda.
https://www.axios.com/2024/12/13/rand-paul-trump-thune-border-immigration
Trump is considering naming RFK Jr.’s daughter-in-law as deputy CIA director.
Daniel Penny, who was acquitted in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, is set to attend an Army-Navy football game Saturday as a guest of Vice President-elect JD Vance.
https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/jd-vance-daniel-penny-army-navy-game-rcna184148
I’m ashamed of this country. I’m at the point where I don’t recognize it anymore.
I’m rather disappointed that some Democrats are paying lip service to Trump and his extremist cabinet picks.
https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-democrats-billionaires-democracy-rcna184168
Elon Musk is threatening to financially back a primary challenge to any Republican senator who opposes Trump’s nominees.
https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-elon-musk-primary-republican-ethics-rcna184139
South Korea’s President Yoon has been impeached.
https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-martial-law-yoon-impeach-6432768aafc8b55be26215667e3c19d0
This is what should have happened in the US after 1/6/21. But thanks to Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans, it didn’t. Disastrous.
Half of Americans have no confidence in Trump’s Cabinet picks.
https://www.axios.com/2024/12/13/trump-confidence-cabinet-military-spending-ap-norc-survey
Revoking the polio vaccine is going to lead to people being killed.
Those drones that have been in the Northeast are starting to show up here in Virginia.
I wonder who it is? Russians? Iran? Chinese? Aliens from Mars?
Trump’s solution is to shoot them down.
https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/drone-sightings-new-jersey-trump-shoot-down-rcna184247
ABC agrees to give $15 million to Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle defamation lawsuit.
https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68
ABC “News” surrenders in advance. Disgraceful.
Trump eyes privatizing U.S. Postal Service, citing financial losses.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/12/14/trump-usps-privatize-plan/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzM0MTUyNDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzM1NTM0Nzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MzQxNTI0MDAsImp0aSI6IjgyYzBlYTQ3LTNjNzktNDQ5Ny1iYmI5LTVkZTNlODY2ODZmMiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9idXNpbmVzcy8yMDI0LzEyLzE0L3RydW1wLXVzcHMtcHJpdmF0aXplLXBsYW4vIn0.HRrFzjx5DnYHUZ9Vc9EKTfFi28fvV7NfdhoIU794ZUE
The Post Office is in the US constitution, not that Trump cares. Also, this will be totally corrupt.
Trump taps Truth Social CEO Nunes to lead intelligence board.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-names-truth-social-ceo-nunes-lead-intelligence-advisory-board-2024-12-14/
This administration is going to be HORRIBLE beyond imagination.
There have been some drone sightings over military bases overseas.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/16/us/us-air-force-base-closes-airspace-drone-sightings-hnk/index.html
Some Americans are stockpiling goods before Trump’s tariffs go into effect.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/16/economy/stockpiling-fear-higher-tariffs/index.html
Why you shouldn’t try to shoot down a suspected drone.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/16/us/shooting-flying-drones-us-sky/index.html
Trump’s border czar is threatening to prosecute any local officials who do not cooperate with the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/problems-trumps-border-czar-threatening-prosecutions-rcna184400
Ukraine killed a Russian general. The dude sounds like he was pure evil.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyx4kvz4l0o
First reported deaths of North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine
White House says North Koreans are on the ‘front lines’ of Russia’s war after Ukraine’s claim of fatalities among the estimated 12,000 troops sent over by Kim Jong-un
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/16/first-reported-deaths-of-north-korean-soldiers-fighting-against-ukraine
U.S. Fears Military Buildup by Turkey Signals Preparations for Incursion Into Syria
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-fears-military-buildup-by-turkey-signals-preparations-for-incursion-into-syria-1c2e88e9?mod=hp_lead_pos8
Trump allies float extreme ideas, including Trump third term, at gala.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/16/trump-allies-extreme-policies-third-term
Trump’s First Press Conference as President-Elect Went Exactly How You’d Expect
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a63206737/trump-press-conference-polio-vaccine-tarrifs-inflation/
It’s going to be a long four years.
Trump’s Retribution Tour Begins
On Monday evening, Trump sued Ann Selzer, the respected pollster who incorrectly predicted a Harris victory in Iowa.
https://puck.news/trump-sues-iowa-pollster-ann-selzer-for-being-wrong/
WTF? Over a FUBAR poll??? This is pure intimidation of the news media by Trump.
Senate Democrats push plan to abolish Electoral College
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5043206-senate-democrats-abolish-electoral-college/
That would be nice, but it’s going nowhere.
House GOP members want to prosecute and jail Liz Cheney.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/18/politics/jan-6-house-gop-trump-liz-cheney/index.html
Israel seems to be expanding their borders into Syria since Assad has fallen.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-borders-history-syria-gaza-war-golan-5fdf8fdbe2ec2cee7b9cf7f78fbb1c8c
Trump wants to get rid of the FDIC.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/12/17/trump-fdic-banks-deregulation/
Trump planning to target progressive non-profits, US watchdog warns.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/18/trump-non-profits-watchdog
Trump wants to fire federal employees who work from home.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-says-federal-employees-who-dont-work-in-the-office-will-be-fired