Trump is clearly not happy with many of his key hires during his first term in office, regularly slamming former lackeys like Attorney General Bill Barr, Chief of Staff John Kelly, and National Security Adivser John Bolton. Axios reported in 2022 that Trump planned to ensure the loyalty not just of his high-profile appointments, should he win in 2024, but of thousands of mid-level staffers working throughout the government. Political views, rather than credentials or experience, are driving the process.
The outlet reported on Monday that the effort is well underway — and it’s sophisticated. The campaign is contracting “smart, experienced people, many with very unconventional and elastic views of presidential power and traditional rule of law,” according to Axios, to ensure new hires are fully onboard with the brutal policy proposals Trump has floated. It’s also using AI to vet potentail staffers, including by srubbing their social media.
Harnessing the power of AI to more efficiently install a facist totalitarian state. What an innovative and horrifying use.
And looks like any credentials or experience are going by the wayside again. It was fascinating just how bad all of his appointments were in the first term. Environmental protection agency? Put a coal lobbyist in charge. Department of Education? Grab that religious zealot who wants to abolish all public education. State Department? Get the former boy scouts president and CEO of ExxonMobil in here.
This is frightening though, the idea that Bill Bar and John Bolton sound reasonable in comparison to what he has in mind should be ringing off facist warning bells for any American. I fully expect Attorney General nominee Sidney Powell or someone similar. And for anyone expecting senate confirmations to stop this, it’s possible democrats lose the senate again with Joe Manchin out and a bad map this year with democrats and most of these positions don’t have any senate confirmation. He also routinely avoided issues with senate confirmation in his first administration, by appointing the facist he actually wanted to a “deputy” or “acting” role, and then leaving the actual role unfulfilled with all duties delegated to the deputy. Many of these people he never even bothered officially nominating to the senate.
https://www.npr.org/2020/03/09/813577462/how-trump-has-filled-high-level-jobs-without-senate-confirmation