How do Republicans really feel about the cabinet choices?

As one Republican told me, “It’s better than if the Communists won!”

I don’t know all the choices he has, but then I’m not a Republican either. As a Conservative I can tell you that I’m liking some of the choices and have no real opinion on the rest. If they are a team Trump wants to build to help clean up our federal government I’m all for it.

@filmfann Priceless!

@seawulf575 Cleaning up federal government – good
Getting Trump and his cronies to do it, or pretend to – very bad.

I feel like he’ll replace most of them quickly once in office. These are clearly troll picks.

@seawulf575 What choices do you like and why?

Which Republicans specifically? There seems to be a few different categories.

What Trump has said is that his first term he went with ‘acting’ employees. Some didnt work out or actively worked against him, so he fired them.
This time he knows to surround himself with people he trusts.
As far as I’m concerned, like any other President, we have to trust his decisions.
I don’t know most of them but a few I do know are excellent choices like Mike Huckabee for Israel. He is the first non-Jew for the post since 2008 and a Netanyahu loyalist but I do think he can play hardball.

@jca2 Many on the Right think banning trans in womens spaces is protecting women based on the men who used that to rape/assault women. They prefer gender neutral bathrooms so everyone feels safe. Just saying there are two sides to the story.
Same with protecting the unborn. If a state upholds a ban, women can still get abortions but may need to travel.
As far as Gaetz, prosecutors closed the investigation and did not press charges so not sure why its an issue. Someone he worked with Greenberg, was running a 17 year old girl its not like she was 12 or that Gaetz had knowledge. Greenberg was sent to prison so why keep harping on it?

Plus many of us will not forget what Dems did to Kavanaugh and his family.

Maybe Gaetz got off the hook because payments were sent to the victims, in exchange for their silence. Just a thought…...

Cut and pasted from the NY Times: Federal investigators have established a web of payments among Matt Gaetz and dozens of friends and associates who are said to have taken part with him in drug-fueled sex parties, according to a document obtained by The New York Times.

Among those who received money from Mr. Gaetz were two women who have testified that he hired them for sex, according to the document and a lawyer for the two women. The lawyer said payments to the women ultimately totaled around $10,000.

The document obtained by The Times was assembled by federal investigators during a sex-trafficking investigation into Mr. Gaetz, who is President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice for attorney general. It shows how Mr. Gaetz and a friend sent thousands of dollars through Venmo to dozens of people who, according to testimony that is said to have been given to federal and congressional investigators, were involved in sex parties from 2017 to 2020.

Among those who received payment from Mr. Gaetz’s friend, the document shows, was another woman who, according to people familiar with details of the case, was 17 when she attended one of the parties.

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/20/us/politics/matt-gaetz-venmo-payments-sex.html

@jca2 So you do not trust our legal system. Valid point. But he didnt get charged and Greenberg did.

@seawulf575 Maybe my word “Republicans” was misplaced in my question. I should have said “Trump supporters.” I know of many principled Republicans who are Never Trumpers.

@KNOWITALL It’s kind of like Michael Jackson. The payments went out, the lips were zipped. Rumors remained but there was nothing official.

Well, Gaetz is gone. Next?

He saves face rather than have the dirty laundry aired, and they probably told him it’s not looking good.

Yes, they can be ecstatic about it.

@jca2 They should have enough respect for the position and American people to bow out if they feel any kind of guilt.
Yeah i still wonder about Michael. :(

Here’s the list so far, I bolded and put at the top the names you are more likely to know. I get the distinct feeling the Republican leaning media is not reporting on it as much as MSM and left biased media. I’ll withhold my own opinions about the nominees since this Q is for Republicans. The little I hear is basically the Republicans are trusting Trump, like the idea of some outside-of-the-box appointments, and focus on whatever attributes the person might have to fit the bill.

White House chief of staff: Susie Wiles
Secretary of state: Marco Rubio
HHS secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
U.N. ambassador: Elise Stefanik
“Border czar”: Tom Homan
Secretary of homeland security: Kristi Noem
Secretary of education: Linda McMahon
Director of national intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator: Dr. Mehmet Oz
U.S. ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee
Deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser: Stephen Miller
Department of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy
Deputy attorney general: Todd Blanche
Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought
Defense secretary: Pete Hegseth
Secretary of veterans affairs: Doug Collins
National security adviser: Michael Waltz
Interior secretary: Doug Burgum
Secretary of energy: Chris Wright
Secretary of transportation: Sean Duffy
Secretary of commerce: Howard Lutnick
White House counsel: William McGinley
U.S. Ambassador to NATO: Matthew Whitaker
CIA director: John Ratcliffe
EPA administrator: Lee Zeldin
Solicitor general: Dean John Sauer
FCC chairman: Brendan Carr
U.S. ambassador to Canada: Pete Hoekstra
U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York: Jay Clayton
Deputy chief of staff: Dan Scavino
Deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs: James Blair
Deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel: Taylor Budowich
Presidential Personnel Office head: Sergio Gor
White House communications director: Steven Cheung
White House press secretary: Karoline Leavitt
Attorney general: Matt Gaetz — Withdrew from consideration Nov. 21

@Forever_Free Tom Homan as the border czar hits me as a good one. Good law enforcement background in police AND immigration services, no-nonsense…the attitude and ability for the job.

Tulsi Gabbard I thought was a good choice for DNI. She has military including Spec Op training/experience but isn’t part of the normal intelligence community that has shown itself to be corrupt. She is familiar with how Washington DC works. I’ve heard of the hints and innuendos that she is in bed with Russia, but I think many of those (probably all of them) are just that…innuendos. If she were actually working with or for Russia, that would have come out long ago.

Kristi Noem I’m not sure of. I like her as a governor, but not sure how she will do as the DHS head. She isn’t as familiar with DC politics and is very direct (it seems) which is something politicians, normal politicians, hate and avoid at all costs, but it just seems kind of an odd fit.

Elise Stefanik is not someone I would have thought of for the UN. She is a tough cookie, I will say that, but as our UN representative I’m not sure if she’s going to be very effective. Time will tell on that one.

Linda McMahon is another one that I respect…I think she is a tough woman and from what I’ve heard, a good leader. But she doesn’t have a lot of Education experience (administrating). If the goal is to cut back on the fluff of the DoEd and shrink it’s size, I think she could do that well.

Pete Hegseth is another one I don’t know much about. Being appointed to be the Defense Secretary is a question mark to me. I hear he is on Fox but since I don’t watch Fox, that means nothing to me. I know he was in the national guard and the army and served in a variety of positions. He has counterinsurgency experience, battle experience, and has dealt with all the trials and tribulations of military service. But being the Secretary of Defense is something above his rank as Major. I haven’t heard much negative about him except the claim of his raping a woman. I don’t put much credence in that claim. I have read up on it and it sounds like she was the aggressor, was cheating on her husband, and made up the whole thing. It was investigated and there was zero evidence of a rape. They did a rape kit on her that showed evidence of sex but not rape. She claimed he drugged her but that was a no-go as well based on blood tests. The police investigated and came back with nothing to go on.

Matt Gaetz as AG is another one I don’t know much about. I have seen him on different committees questioning witnesses and know he is logical and direct…something we need these days. The corruption in the DoJ has to stop. As with Hegseth, I’ve heard the hints and innuendos about him with an underaged girl. Not young enough for statutory rape, but only 17. That is not something I support. But he admitted he was with the girl right up until she told him (or someone told him) she was only 17 and then he broke it off. He was not targeting children and trying to be a pedo. I know the current DOJ spent a year or more investigating him and came up with absolutely nothing to charge him with. And as we all know, the Garland DoJ would bring charges if there was even a hint of something they could use against a conservative. So with no actual charges from a group that would be looking to crucify him, I can’t see that there is that much there.

Robert Kennedy Jr. as HHS secretary is an interesting choice. I like Kennedy. Other than his voice (a medical condition) I think he has a good head on his shoulders. He isn’t wrong about America. We are in horrible shape, we don’t eat right, we are unhealthy, and something needs to change. We pay more for (and take more) pharmaceuticals than any other country and yet we are not the healthiest country there is. Something doesn’t jibe. I know he has beliefs about vaccines in general that I’m not sure I agree with, but I think they should be investigated (I don’t believe they really have been). I do disagree with the Covid-19 “vaccines” being forced on people when they were only experimental substances. That was all pushed by HHS. I think the ties between the pharmaceutical companies and members of the various HHS divisions is undeniable and shows a corruption that needs to be addressed. And I think he is savvy enough to push against the DC swamp in an intelligent way.

The Department of Governmental Efficiency is an idea whose time is well past due. Our federal government is bloated and wasteful in the extreme. Having outsiders who will be looking into the government is a really good idea. They are pushing for transparency (something the DC insiders hate) and will be making recommendations on changes that can be made. Putting Musk and Ramaswamy in as the leads on that means you are going to have two guys who know how to do things in an entrepreneurial way, who are wealthy enough that they can’t be bribed, and who are on-board with the idea of trimming the thick layers of fat.

Does that answer your question? There are other nominees but I’m not real familiar with any of their history. I’m sure if I looked into them, I’d come up with similar analyses as these.

@seawulf575 Some info on Linda McMahon: she had to step down from being on the Connecticut School Board because she had lied on her resume. She had stated she had a degree in education when she did not. It probably doesn’t matter who goes into the role of Secy of Ed, because no matter what Trump will pick someone who pleases the Religious Right, which means public money going to religious schools. It will also mean public money going to corporate schools.

Matt Gaetz is no longer seeking the attorney general position. Presumably even Republicans wouldn’t back him.

@JLeslie As I said, I didn’t think she was being positioned for her education expertise.

@seawulf575 Well, the lying makes her fit right in.

^Well we can’t kick people out of DC, over lying. There would be nobody left…

@seawulf575 I don’t think I exactly said that. Republicans have been citing her experience in education as part of her skill set that she brings to the position. Lying on a resume like that for such an important job is incomprehensible to me.

Gave @seawulf575 a GA because he’s the only one who actually answered the question.

Though his answers are exactly what I expected and make me nauseous.

A lot of people on the left have been laughing and saying the right must be reeling from these insane nominations.

But that just shows how out of touch the left is. The right continues to cheer for its cult leader. Inexperience is lauded as not being part of the status quo. Investigation into their background (standard for government positions) are dismissed as unjust persecution. And doubts swept under the rug.

The right are just peachy, folks.

Trump continues to stuff the Clown Car with his latest choice for AG, Bondi is a 2020 denier and former defense lawyer for Trump.

It is Pam Bondi for AG. She’s a good one! She is former Florida AG.

Bondi is known corrupt AG for Florida, she received $25,000 from Trump ! While she was deciding to prosecute Trump University fraud.

https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/the-trump-foundation-pam-bondi-scandal/

@Tropical_Willie Oh it’s a total given that she is incompetently corrupt—she was appointed by the Orange and he is incapable of appointing anybody who is honest. But my point is that at least she knows what the job of an AG is.

@Caravanfan She knows what to do and probably won’t do it.

@Tropical_Willie Well, hell, if Merrick Garland wouldn’t be aggressive against Trump, she sure as shit isn’t going to be.

@raum Thank you. I’m sure my answers are not what people on here would like, but I do give honest answers and do try to answer the questions asked.

I find it funny that one of the key complaints about Trump’s picks is that they are people that he knows and that are loyal to him. When did that become a fault? Don’t Democrats do the same thing? In his first term he hired people that were used to the jobs and that the DC insiders recommended. He was naïve. The result was a whole lot of his key selections trying to undermine him. So is the key complaint that his team won’t stab him in the back?

No, @ wulfie. I’m not upset that he is hiring loyal people. I’m upset that he is hiring people that are not qualified and that have sexual assault charges brought against them.

Also, loyalty may be an admirable quality but being loyal to someone like Trump shows a defect of character.

@seawulf575 Thanks for the feedback. I simply do not feel the choices have enough of an unselfish want to be there and I question their character. Not the type of person you want in public office doing a job “for the people”