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Following the failure of nominating Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald J. Trump has chosen to continue with his unconventional appointments by selecting Kash Patel as F.B.I. director. This decision shows that Trump is not backing down in the face of opposition from Washington, as he continues to appoint individuals with strong ideological beliefs, conspiracy theories, and even family members to key positions.
Written by Peter Baker
Peter Baker is a journalist who specializes in reporting on the White House and has followed the actions of the last five US presidents, including Donald Trump.
Despite facing criticism for his previous appointees, President Trump remains defiant as he selects individuals for his new administration. Instead of opting for candidates with stronger qualifications and better chances of Senate approval, Trump continues to choose those who align with his ideology, including conspiracy theorists and even family members, at a quick pace.
One significant move he made was to remove Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director he initially chose, and instead appoint Kash Patel, who is known for his strong opposition to the "deep state." Patel, viewed as a troublemaker, was not favored by many Trump advisors who worked to prevent him from gaining significant influence during the previous administration.
As people were paying attention to Mr. Patel, Mr. Trump made announcements over the weekend regarding the fathers-in-law of two of his children. He revealed his plans to nominate Charles Kushner, who is the father of Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner and was previously pardoned by Mr. Trump, as the ambassador to France. Additionally, he selected Massad Boulos, the father of Tiffany Trump’s husband Michael Boulos, to serve as his White House senior adviser focusing on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
The consistent effort to make non-traditional appointments shows how committed Mr. Trump is to filling his circle with loyal supporters he can rely on to implement his plans, including seeking revenge against those he sees as his enemies. Mr. Trump has claimed that President Biden is using the Justice Department and FBI to target him, despite there being no proof of Mr. Biden’s involvement in recent cases.
The controversial choices made by Mr. Trump are challenging Senate Republicans to show their commitment to opposing nominees they believe are not qualified, especially after they successfully blocked former Representative Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general.
Gregg Nunziata, a former chief nominations counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, stated that by selecting nominees who are more loyal to the president and eager for conflict rather than having the usual qualifications, the president is challenging the Senate to see if it will fulfill its constitutional duty to provide a check on his power.
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