John,
Now that a month has passed since the election and with Inauguration Day quickly approaching, the attention and scrutiny around Donald Trump’s cabinet picks has begun to ramp up.
And it’s not hard to see why. It’s clear loyalty — not competence — was the most important factor in Trump’s picks.
Read on below to learn more about some of these nominees, then consider chipping in $5 to a slate of grassroots orgs who will be instrumental in foiling Trump's agenda.
Incompetence aside, some of these cabinet picks are truly dangerous, John.
After running his own failed presidential bid, RFK Jr. decided to trade in his family’s Democratic bona fides for favor with the far-right. In addition to being a virulent anti-vaxxer, several public health experts and scientists have raised the alarm about the damage the science skeptic could cause to one of the federal government’s largest departments.
Another failed presidential candidate! Since 2020, Gabbard has reinvented herself into a far-right talking head. Gabbard comes to the job having no prior experience in national security. Even worse is that many in the wider intelligence community see her as “compromised” because she frequently parrots Russian state propaganda and meets with American adversaries.
Remember Project 2025, John? After claiming for months to have zero knowledge of the far-right playbook to destroy our democracy, Trump has nominated Vought — a Christian nationalist and one of the chief architects of Project 2025 — to lead this influential office. If confirmed, he has threatened to defund vital government agencies including the EPA and others.
If you recognize Todd’s name, you’re probably not alone. Blanche rose to prominence earlier this year as one of Trump’s lawyers during his Manhattan criminal trial — which resulted in Trump being found guilty on all 34 counts. Blanche has promised to carry out Trump’s pledge to use the Justice Department to go after his political rivals… definitely the qualities you want in a Deputy Attorney General.
Miller has been a long-time Trump ally, working in his first administration. Despite being a known white nationalist, Miller’s role is expected to expand in the second administration. Miller is best known for shaping the racist and draconian immigration policies like family separation that became emblematic of Trump’s first term. For this second term, Miller has turned his attention to “reinterpret civil rights law” — and given his record, we’re deeply concerned.
John, this is just the tip of the iceberg. If there's anything we know for sure, it's that Trump's second administration will be filled with loyalists and extremists.
Thank you,
LeftNet
