5 days and counting before the big day that so many are looking forward to…..Trump will become president instead of president-elect. (Let the peasants dance)
He, Trump, has been putting together his cabinet and now these people are going though Congressional scrutiny to determine if they are the right people for their designated jobs…..
If you are a supporter of the new lord high ruler then you may be aware of his positions on certain issues (somehow I doubt this but there could be a miracle in there)….but there is a slight problem brewing….some of these appointees are not holding to the line that Trump laid forth during his campaign…..
One of the themes emerging from coverage of this week’s confirmation hearings is points on which Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees have disagreed with him on major issues. Examples from the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal:
- Retired Gen. James Mattis, the defense chief nominee, “classified Russia as the principal threat to the US and expressed little hope that Washington would develop a substantive partnership with Moscow, as Mr. Trump has suggested.” (The Journal)
- Mattis also said the US must abide by the “imperfect arms-control agreement” with Iran that Trump has threatened to dismantle because “when America gives her word, we have to live up to it and work with our allies.” (The Post)
- Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson’s comments on climate change didn’t sync with Trump’s prior statements that it is a hoax, saying America must “maintain its seat at the table on the conversations around how to address the threats of climate change, which do require a global response.” (The Post)
- Retired Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly, picked to lead Homeland Security, didn’t sound enthused about Trump’s plan for a border wall with Mexico. “A physical barrier in and of itself will not do the job,” he said, adding, “it has to be really a layered defense.” (The Times)
- Trump has said he would bring back waterboarding, but his pick to run the CIA, Mike Pompeo, is opposed. Pompeo said he would “absolutely not” follow orders from the president to use the interrogation technique. (The Journal)
- Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions also called waterboarding illegal, and, when asked about Trump’s proposed ban on Muslim immigrants (one he has since modified to refer to troubled nations, not religion) said, “I have no belief, and I do not support the idea that Muslims, as a religious group, should be denied admission to the United States.” (The Times)
On Friday morning, Trump himself didn’t sound concerned about the disagreements. “All of my Cabinet [nominees] are looking good and doing a great job,” he tweeted. “I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine!”
The last line shows maturity….(if you believe that sort of con job)………but there is a problem with it….these people serve at the leisure of the president….basically that means to put it simply….do it my way or hit the highway.
Who will win this battle?
We will see who has principles and who is a spineless toad……my guess would be the later.