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Despite facing opposition in Washington, President-elect Donald J. Trump shows no signs of backing down as he continues to appoint individuals like Kash Patel as F.B.I. director, who are known for their strong ideological beliefs, promotion of conspiracy theories, and even family ties to Trump.
Authored by Peter
Peter Baker is a journalist who specializes in covering the White House and has reported on the actions and policies of the last five presidents, including Donald J. Trump.
Despite facing criticism for his previous appointees, President Trump is continuing to be defiant in selecting members for his new administration. Instead of opting for more qualified and reputable candidates who would have an easier time being confirmed by the Senate, Trump is choosing individuals with strong ideological views, promoting conspiracy theories, and even appointing family members to key government positions at a fast pace.
One of the most notable actions taken by him was to remove FBI director Christopher A. Wray, whom he had appointed during his first term, and place Kash Patel in charge of the agency. Patel, who views himself as a fighter against the alleged "deep state," is known for causing disruption and was deemed as a potential threat by other 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 about appointing the fathers-in-law of two of his children to significant positions. He revealed his plans to nominate Charles Kushner, who is Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner’s father 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, who is Tiffany Trump’s husband Michael Boulos’ father, to serve as his White House senior adviser focusing on Arab and Middle Eastern matters.
The continued push for non-traditional appointments shows how committed President Trump is to surrounding himself with loyal supporters who will help him achieve his goals, such as seeking revenge against those he sees as opponents. President Trump has claimed that President Biden is using government agencies to target him, despite no proof of President Biden’s involvement in past investigations.
Mr. Trump’s controversial choices are also a challenge for Senate Republicans to test their willingness to oppose nominees they believe are unfit for the position, especially after they played a role in blocking former Representative Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general.
Gregg Nunziata, a former chief nominations counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, stated that by nominating individuals who may lack traditional qualifications but show strong personal loyalty and a willingness for confrontation, the president appears to be challenging the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty of overseeing and checking the president’s decisions.
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