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President-elect Donald J. Trump is showing his determination by appointing Kash Patel as the new F.B.I. director, despite facing opposition in Washington. He is continuing to choose individuals who share his ideologies, including conspiracy theorists and even family members.
Written by Peter Baker
Peter Baker, the primary journalist responsible for reporting on the White House, has written about the actions and administrations of the last five presidents, one of whom is Donald J
Despite facing criticism for his previous appointments, President Trump is showing no signs of backing down as he continues to build his new administration. Instead of selecting more qualified and widely accepted candidates who would have an easier time getting confirmed by the Senate, Trump is choosing to appoint individuals with strong ideological beliefs, conspiracy theories, and even his own family members to key government roles at a rapid pace.
One noteworthy decision made by the individual was to remove the F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, who was appointed by him during his first term, and give control of the nation’s top investigative agency to Kash Patel. Patel, who describes himself as someone fighting against the so-called "deep state," was viewed as a highly controversial figure and a potential threat by other advisers of the individual during the previous administration, who worked hard to prevent him from gaining significant influence.
As people were paying attention to Mr. Patel, Mr. Trump made announcements over the weekend about appointing the fathers of two of his children’s spouses to significant roles. He revealed that he planned to nominate Charles Kushner, who is the father of Jared Kushner (who is married to Ivanka Trump) and had been pardoned by Mr. Trump in his previous term for committing a felony, as the ambassador to France. Additionally, he selected Massad Boulos, the father of Michael Boulos (who is married to Tiffany Trump), to serve as his White House senior adviser focused on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
Mr. Trump’s commitment to making unconventional appointments shows how strongly he wants to have loyal supporters around him who will help him achieve his goals, including seeking revenge against those he sees as his enemies. He has claimed that President Biden is using government agencies like the Justice Department and F.B.I. to target him, even though there is no proof that Biden has been involved in recent investigations.
Mr. Trump’s controversial choices are also a challenge to Senate Republicans to test their willingness to oppose nominees they believe are unfit for the positions they are nominated for. This challenge comes after Senate Republicans played a role in preventing former Representative Matt Gaetz from being chosen as attorney general.
Gregg Nunziata, a former chief nominations counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, stated that by nominating individuals who are more focused on personal loyalty and confrontation rather than traditional qualifications, the president appears to be challenging the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty of serving as a check on his power.
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