What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Barrister]

And you can sort-of see the strategy here.  Flood the zone with enough shit, the Senate might refuse to confirm one or two candidates, but everyone else should sail right through.

GOP controls congress. They'll probably all get through regardless.

Senate.  GOP controls 53-47.  So not a large margin of error there.

Of course you also had those reports about Trump demanding to make recess appointments, which don't require senate approval.

I actually knew that, slip of the fingers unlike my other American political mess ups

You weren't wrong - Congress is the term for both the House and Senate.

[Admiral Yi]

Also 100% loyalty and willingness to protect Trump and his family from (Federal) legal jeopardy - which is what Trump wants most in an AG. Everything else is secondary, I think the job description is just no special counsels etc.

But I think that 100% loyalty is going to be key for basically all the jobs - and I suspect this could be one where he appoints Gaetz to get rejected and then get a dreadful hatchet man approved because they look good by comparison.

I think Gaetz is the dreadful hatchet man.  To me it looks like he picked the weakest Republican for DOJ because DOJ is the department he wants to run himself.

God, imagine what it feels like to be a DOJ staffer right now.

edit: Beeb was first

[Barrister]

God, imagine what it feels like to be a DOJ staffer right now.

It has to be rough.

In my line of work we have fairly strict rules about dealing with politicians.  We're not supposed to talk to them, and if they try to call us we report it to our superiors.  Now we aren't completely independent - politicians can demand a "briefing note" where we must describe what's going on with a given file, but that's it.

The thing is though (as I realize now) it's all based on norms.

If a politician called me up and demanded me to drop a charge, and I refused, and I was then fired - other than the political shit-show it would be I would have no other recourse.  I would get my pay in lieu of notice and be on my way.

[Zanza]

He could appoint Donald Jr and Eric next. Maybe one as head of the SEC,  the other as head of the Fed or FTC or so.

[Norgy]

Matt Gaetz? FFS!!!

[Admiral Yi]

Also, we haven't mentioned Huckabee as ambassador to Israel.  Evangelicals get rewarded with one of their own working to bring on the 2nd coming.

[Admiral Yi]

My post election stoicism is falling to pieces.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Matt Gaetz? FFS!!!

The rape thing is a mark in his favor.

[FunkMonk]

My post election stoicism is falling to pieces.

 

[FunkMonk]

Feels like America is getting the government it deserves. I'm here for it.

[Barrister]

Feels like America is getting the government it deserves. I'm here for it.

You know what though - you guys have fun. As you say, perhaps America deserves it.

What frightens me is what he's going to do to the rest of the world.  Starting with Ukraine of course - if he just sells the entire country out and Russian tanks roll through Kiyev.

But then to Canada.  If he crashes the economy by applying tariffs, plus with a side of a wave of refugees crossing the border to escape mass deportations.

This is all worst-case scenario stuff of course.  Even with Matt Gaetz as AG there's still some reason to think Trump might be more interested in golfing than doing anything else - once his own charges are dealt with.

But I'm worried.

[The Minsky Moment]

It feels like a purer fuck you to Democrats.

Not just the Democrats.  Also to McCarthy and his loyalists in the House.  Gaetz is widely detested among many in the House GOP caucus, perhaps even more than by the Democrats because it's more personal.  This is a message sent on multiple levels.  It clarifies all the talk about recess appointments which seemed to make no sense, and the meddling in the Senate leadership election.  This appointment is not just trolling the libs, although it certainly does that.  It is a clear strike to crush any independent voice or thought in the GOP delegations in Congress. 

[The Minsky Moment]

God, imagine what it feels like to be a DOJ staffer right now.

They will be mostly fine. DOJ criminal and OLC in particular are "elite" positions, and most of those people will find private sector employment.  There will be lots of business for lawyers over the next couple of years, in many areas, for many reasons. Of course, their economic gain will be the nation's loss as smart, skilled people will be replaced by clownish and inexperienced ideologues.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

This is going to be a bunch of ill-meaning and ignorant amateurs gutting vital components of the federal government whose functions and operations they know nothing about. And replacing knowledgeable and experienced personnel with a smaller number of people even more ignorant than they are but fanatically loyal to Trump.

I saw something on Twitter/X from Vivek about just randomly firing 75% of civil servants (he used based on the digits of your social security number) and how great that would be.

I've seen Elon star in a film like this before...

[viper37]

Why, what did you expect? Just image the clown troupe at the end of his term when he has burned through his current picks and replaced them with even worse sycophants.

I expected something like his picks during his first term.

Really?

There's no one to keep him in check and he's got immunity for every official act.  Why would he show restraint?  Why would he even try to govern?