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Despite facing pushback from Washington, President-elect Donald J. Trump is continuing to stand his ground and appoint individuals who align with his beliefs and values, such as Kash Patel as F.B.I. director. This choice shows his determination to bring in those who may face criticism, including those with strong ideologies, beliefs in conspiracy theories, and even family members.
Written by Peter Baker
Peter Baker is a journalist who specializes in reporting on the White House and has experience covering the administrations of the last five presidents, including Donald J. Trump.
Despite facing criticism for his previous appointees, President Trump is continuing to defy expectations by selecting individuals for his new administration who are controversial and not well-qualified. Instead of choosing candidates with more experience and credibility who would likely have an easier time getting confirmed by the Senate, Trump is opting for people who are known for their extreme ideologies, spreading conspiracy theories, and even including family members in high-ranking government roles.
One notable move is President Trump’s choice to remove the F.B.I. director he initially appointed, Christopher A. Wray, and hand control of the agency to Kash Patel, who is known for his stance against the alleged "deep state." Patel, viewed as a troublemaker, was often seen as a disruptive and potentially harmful figure by other Trump advisors who worked to prevent him from gaining influence during the previous administration.
While everyone was paying attention to Mr. Patel, Mr. Trump also made significant appointments over the weekend. He revealed his plans to nominate Charles Kushner, who is Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner’s father and was previously pardoned by Trump, as the ambassador to France. Additionally, he selected Massad Boulos, who is Tiffany Trump’s husband Michael Boulos’s father, to be his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs in the White House.
Mr. Trump’s commitment to making unconventional appointments shows how strongly he wants to have trustworthy allies who will support his agenda, which includes seeking revenge against those he sees as adversaries. He has claimed that President Biden used the Justice Department and F.B.I. to target him, but there is no proof that Biden had any involvement in recent legal cases.
The controversial choices made by Mr. Trump are challenging Senate Republicans to push back against nominees they believe are not qualified, as they did with 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 intentionally selecting nominees who may lack traditional qualifications but show strong personal loyalty and a willingness to confront others. This is seen as a deliberate attempt to see if the Senate will fulfill its constitutional role of providing a check on the president’s decisions.
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