'Ideological warriors': 'Defiant' Trump 'deliberately testing' Senate with extreme nominees
President-elect Donald Trump has been drawing vehement criticism from both Democrats and Never Trump conservatives over the more extreme picks for his incoming administration, including former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Trump's choice for national intelligence director), anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Trump's pick to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) and Fox News star Pete Hegseth (the Christian nationalist Trump is proposing for defense secretary).
Now, Trump is drawing even more criticism for choosing far-right conspiracy theorist Kash Patel to replace Christopher Wray as FBI director.
But the New York Times' Peter Baker, in an article published on December 2, stresses that Trump has responded to this criticism of nominees with angry "defiance."
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"His first selection for attorney general collapsed in spectacular fashion," Baker explains. "His choice for defense secretary is awash in scandal. His picks for intelligence, health and other posts are being panned. But if anyone thought that President-elect Donald J. Trump might be chastened, he has quickly demonstrated otherwise. Even with so many appointees already under fire, Mr. Trump has doubled down on defiance as he assembles his next administration."
Baker adds, "Rather than turning to more credentialed and respected choices with easier paths to Senate confirmation, Mr. Trump, in rapid-fire fashion, keeps naming more ideological warriors, conspiracy theorists and now even family members to senior government positions."
The Times reporter notes that Trump's "persistence in advancing unconventional appointments underscores" his desire to "surround himself this time with loyalists he can trust to carry out his agenda, including 'retribution' against his perceived enemies."
Attorney Gregg Nunziata, who formerly served as nominations counsel for Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, believes that Trump is going out of his way to provoke GOP senators.
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Nunziata told the Times, "By insisting on highly provocative nominees, short on traditional qualifications but long on personal loyalty and zest for confrontation, he seems to be deliberately testing the Senate's capacity and willingness to play its constitutional role as a check on the president."
Former Deputy National Security Adviser Charles M. Kupperman considers Patel an especially frustrating pick.
Kupperman told the Times, "Kash is totally unqualified for this position. He is the dictionary definition of a sycophant. Appointing Kash as FBI director is Trump's ultimate statement that his second term will be driven by retribution. And it is a gross insult to citizens."
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Read Peter Baker's full New York Times article at this link (subscription required).
