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Following the failure of the Matt Gaetz selection, President-elect Donald J. Trump is standing firm in his decision-making and has chosen Kash Patel as the new F.B.I. director. This shows that Trump is not backing down in the face of opposition in Washington and is continuing to appoint individuals with strong ideological beliefs, conspiracy theories, and even family members to key positions.
Written by Peter Baker
Peter Baker holds the position of chief White House correspondent and has reported on the activities of the previous five presidents, which also includes Donald J. Trump.
Despite facing criticism for his previous appointments, President Trump has continued to show defiance in his selection of officials for his next administration. Instead of opting for individuals with strong credentials and reputations that would have an easier time getting confirmed by the Senate, Trump has been appointing more individuals who are known for their strong ideological beliefs, promotion of conspiracy theories, and even family members to fill senior government roles at a rapid pace.
One notable decision made by him was to remove the F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, who he had appointed in his first term and replace him with Kash Patel, who describes himself as a fighter against the alleged "deep state." Patel, known for causing trouble and considered a risky choice by other Trump advisors, was often kept away from positions of authority 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 his intention to nominate Charles Kushner, who is the father of Jared Kushner (who is married to Ivanka Trump) and was pardoned by Mr. Trump in his previous term for a felony, as the ambassador to France. Additionally, he selected Massad Boulos, who is the father of Michael Boulos (Tiffany Trump’s husband), to serve as his White House senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern matters.
Mr. Trump’s insistence on making non-traditional appointments shows his strong commitment to surrounding himself with loyal supporters who will help him accomplish his goals, including seeking revenge against those he sees as his enemies. Mr. Trump has claimed that President Biden is using government agencies to target him, but there is no proof that Biden has been involved in any investigations against Trump in recent years.
Mr. Trump’s controversial choices are also a challenge to Senate Republicans to test their limits in opposing nominees they believe are unfit for the position, especially after they played a role in blocking Matt Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general.
Gregg Nunziata, a former chief nominations counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, stated that the president’s choice of nominees who lack traditional qualifications but show strong personal loyalty and eagerness for confrontation is pushing the Senate to see if they are willing and able to fulfill their constitutional duty of checking the president’s power.
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