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Despite facing pushback from Washington, President-elect Donald J. Trump is standing firm in his decision to appoint Kash Patel as F.B.I. director. This move shows that Trump is unafraid to appoint individuals with strong ideological beliefs, conspiracy theories, and even family members to key positions in his administration.
Authored by Peter
Peter Baker is the main journalist who covers news from the White House and has reported on the activities of the last five presidents, which includes Donald J. Trump.
Despite facing criticism for his previous appointees, President Trump is continuing to show defiance as he puts together his new administration. Instead of choosing individuals with better qualifications and reputations that would have an easier time getting Senate approval, Trump is quickly selecting more individuals who align with his ideologies, promote conspiracy theories, and even members of his own family for important government roles.
His most notable move was to remove the FBI director, Christopher A. Wray, whom he appointed in his first term, and hand over control of the nation’s top investigative agency to Kash Patel. Patel, who portrays himself as a fighter against the alleged "deep state," was viewed as a troublemaker by many of Trump’s advisors during his previous term. They worked hard to prevent him from gaining significant influence due to his disruptive and potentially harmful behavior.
As the public’s interest was directed towards Mr. Patel, Mr. Trump made announcements over the weekend regarding the appointments of his children’s fathers-in-law to significant positions. Charles Kushner, Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner’s father who had been pardoned by Mr. Trump in the past, was nominated to be the ambassador to France. Additionally, Massad Boulos, the father of Michael Boulos who is married to Tiffany Trump, was chosen to serve as the White House senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern matters.
The continued push for non-traditional appointments shows how committed Mr. Trump is to surrounding himself with loyal supporters who will help him achieve his goals, including seeking revenge against those he sees as adversaries. Despite lacking evidence, Mr. Trump has accused President Biden of using government agencies to target him in recent investigations.
The controversial choices 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.
Gregg Nunziata, a former chief nominations counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, suggested that by nominating individuals who are more focused on personal loyalty and confrontation rather than traditional qualifications, the president is challenging the Senate to see if they will fulfill their constitutional duty as a check on his power.
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