Transition of Power
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After the failure of the Matt Gaetz selection, President-elect Donald J. Trump is showing even more defiance by appointing Kash Patel as F.B.I. director. This move demonstrates that Trump is not backing down in the face of opposition in Washington, as he continues to appoint individuals with strong ideological views, belief in conspiracy theories, and even family members to key positions.
Authored by Peter
Peter Baker is a journalist who serves as the main correspondent for the White House and has reported on the activities of the last five presidents, including Donald J. Trump.
Despite facing criticism for his previous appointees, President Trump is sticking to his defiant approach as he selects members for his new administration. Instead of opting for more qualified and reputable candidates who would have an easier time getting confirmed by the Senate, Trump continues to choose individuals with strong ideological views, belief in conspiracy theories, and in some cases, even family members for important government roles.
One of the most notable moves he made was to remove the F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, who he had appointed during his first term, and hand control of the agency to Kash Patel. Patel, who portrays himself as a crusader against the alleged "deep state," was viewed as a troublemaker and potentially harmful by many of Trump’s advisors who worked to prevent him from gaining influence during the previous administration.
While everyone was paying attention to Mr. Patel, Mr. Trump also appointed the fathers of two of his children’s spouses to significant positions over the weekend. He revealed that he planned to nominate Charles Kushner, who is the father of Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner and had been pardoned by Mr. Trump in his previous term for a felony, to serve as ambassador to France. Additionally, he selected Massad Boulos, the father of Tiffany Trump’s husband Michael Boulos, to be his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs in the White House.
Mr. Trump is determined to appoint unconventional individuals who are loyal to him and can be trusted to support his agenda, which includes seeking revenge against those he sees as his enemies. He has accused President Biden of using government agencies like the Justice Department and FBI to target him, despite no evidence linking Biden to any investigations in recent years.
The controversial picks made by Mr. Trump are challenging Senate Republicans to test their limits in opposing nominees they believe are not qualified. This comes after they successfully blocked former Representative Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general.
According to Gregg Nunziata, a former chief nominations counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, the president is deliberately choosing nominees who may lack traditional qualifications but show strong personal loyalty and a willingness to confront, in order to test the Senate’s ability and readiness to fulfill its constitutional duty as a check on the president.
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