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Donald J. Trump is showing no signs of backing down after the failure of his choice of Matt Gaetz. By appointing Kash Patel as F.B.I. director, he is demonstrating his determination to push through his agenda despite opposition in Washington. Trump is selecting 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 responsible for covering news related to the White House, and he has reported on the actions and decisions of the last five presidents, which includes
Despite facing criticism for his previous appointees, President Trump remains steadfast in his decision-making as he forms his new administration. Instead of opting for highly qualified and well-respected candidates who would easily pass Senate confirmation, Trump continues to select individuals with strong ideological beliefs, belief in conspiracy theories, and even family members for key government roles at a rapid pace.
One notable decision made by him was to remove the FBI director, Christopher A. Wray, who was appointed by him during his first term. Instead, he has appointed Kash Patel to head the nation’s top investigative agency. Patel, who refers to himself as someone fighting against the supposed "deep state," is viewed as a highly controversial figure. Many other advisors of Trump during his previous administration considered Patel to be disruptive and even possibly harmful, and they worked hard to prevent him from gaining positions of authority.
While Mr. Patel was receiving attention, Mr. Trump also appointed the fathers of two of his children’s spouses to significant positions over the weekend. He revealed that he planned to nominate Charles Kushner, who is Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner’s father 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 Tiffany Trump’s husband Michael Boulos’ father, to serve as his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern matters at the White House.
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, such as seeking revenge against those he sees as his enemies. Despite Mr. Trump’s claims that President Biden is using the Justice Department and F.B.I. against him, there is no proof that Mr. Biden had any involvement in the recent cases.
The controversial choices made by Mr. Trump are challenging Senate Republicans to push back against nominees they believe are unfit for their positions. This challenge comes after they played a role in preventing former Representative Matt Gaetz from being selected as attorney general.
According to Gregg Nunziata, a former chief nominations counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, the president is intentionally choosing nominees who are more focused on personal loyalty and confrontation rather than traditional qualifications. This is seen as a deliberate challenge to the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty of checking the president’s decisions.
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