In a previous comment, I was wrong in Trump’s dismissal of MAGA America. Not only did he not blow them up; he doubled his appointments to key positions in his administration. I need not remind this public of the abject lack of qualifications of its nominees for Attorney General, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of national intelligence, to name a few. As I record this, we’ve already pulled out due to a sex scandal.
Why is Trump doing this? Because he can. If you are a U.S. citizen and 35 years old (necessary because you are in the presidential line of succession), you could be nominated, which is a good reason to screen your calls. You’re much more likely to get this call if you’ve publicly shown your loyalty to him, especially if you’ve demeaned yourself to him after being critical before, and you’ll never get this call if you haven’t done that.
Much of what Trump does is performative, and it is possible that some of his nominees will not be confirmed by the Senate. Senators are already feeling the pressure. John Cornyn of Texas interviewed one of the candidates and was told that if he votes no, he will finish third in the primaries when he is re-elected in 2026. Cornyn should take the threat seriously. There are many in MAGA America who have money, know-how and seriousness.
Why did Trump win? I learn so much from my students about American politics. One of the assignments I gave my American government students, I wasn’t able to grade until after the election. In this article, a student describes a peer influencer, whose mantra was: “It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. You have to vote for the Cheeto Man. Catchy, right? And so there. Screw the economy, 34 felony convictions, morality issues – vote for Mr. Colorful.
When the key nominations began circulating in mid-November, one of my students said in class that the top trending trend on social media was: Can I change my vote?
And the old evangelical position: Trump is God’s instrument on earth, perfected by his great sin and almost martyred.
Conservative New York Times columnist David French said of the November 18 nominations: “It was quick. Donald Trump is sowing the seeds of his own political demise.”
French’s assessment is premature, to say the least. Trump doesn’t care about politics. He won’t go to prison. He will become richer. It will be in the news every day. Life is beautiful. If he “floods the zone with manure,” to use right-wing provocateur Steve Bannon’s phrase that I sanitized, he will make headlines every hour. It will influence politics, certainly, but above all.
And with his controversial appointments, he’s only just getting started. Wait until January 20, when he will be “dictator of the first day”. 80s rock band Bachman Turner Overdrive has a great song: “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet.” Do you remember this fabulous guitar riff? But I digress.
Beppe Severgnini is an Italian journalist who wrote about one of Trump’s role models, the late Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Severgnini is very lucid with regard to autocrats who, after having disappointed and failed, say: “What do you want from me? I told you who I was and you enthusiastically voted for me. Now shut up and be nice.