Stephen Miller speaks at a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27 in New York. — AP Photo/Evan Vucci
President-elect Donald Trump is starting to fill key posts in his second administration, and some of them are disturbing.
Among his picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Elise Stefanik for United Nations ambassador, Tom Homan for “border czar” and Stephen Miller for a pair of roles that will include immigration enforcement. Trump asked Florida congressman Mike Waltz, a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Army National Guard officer Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as homeland security secretary, according to reports.
The following are some of the most disturbing of Trump’s selections for key posts:
Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy
Of these picks, Miller, who will be deputy chief of staff for policy, is perhaps the most disturbing.
Miller, an immigration hard-liner, has engaged in racist and xenophobic rhetoric.
As a senior adviser in Trump’s first term Miller has been a central figure in many of his policy decisions, particularly on immigration, including Trump’s ban of travelers from several majority-Muslim countries and the move to separate thousands of immigrant families as a deterrence program in 2018.
Miller drew large cheers at Trump’s racist campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, telling the crowd that, “your salvation is at hand,” after what he cast as “decades of abuse that has been heaped upon the good people of this nation — their jobs looted and stolen from them and shipped to Mexico, Asia and foreign countries. The lives of their loved ones ripped away from them by illegal aliens, criminal gangs and thugs who don’t belong in this country.”
Miller has promoted articles from white nationalist publications and is on the Southern Poverty Center’s list of extremists.
Tom Homan, ‘border czar’
As “border czar” Homan will oversee Trump’s promised largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
Homan has defended Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border.
Elise Stefanik, United Nations ambassador
Stefanik, a representative from New York, falsely claimed Trump won the 2020 election. The Trump loyalist and election denier even went so far as to introduce a nonbinding resolution last year that sought to “expunge” both of Trump’s impeachments by the House.
Stefanik’s aggressive questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning. Stefanik’s hostile questioning suggested that the university presidents were insensitive and negligent in protecting Jewish students on their campuses from protesters against Israeli military action in Gaza. Stefanik exploited the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, further raising her national profile.
Pete Hegseth, secretary of defense
When Trump selected Fox News Channel host and Army National Guard officer Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense, he chose someone who lacks senior military or national security experience. Hegseth also lacks political or policymaking experience.
“The job of Secretary of Defense should not be an entry-level position,” Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Service Committee, posted on X.
Hegseth is most known for being a vocal Trump supporter and advocate for removing military leadership who enforce diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The Washington Post reports that Hegseth “has called for a war on what he calls the ‘woke’ military, including potentially firing top brass.”
Despite his scant qualifications, “Hegseth would lead the Pentagon with burgeoning conflicts on multiple fronts, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies, the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah, and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea,” reports the Associated Press.
Matt Gaetz, attorney general
Trump has picked Florida congressman Matt Gaetz to be attorney general, the nation’s top law enforcement officer. Gaetz “was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of sexual misconduct, illegal drug use and accepting improper gifts,” reports the Washington Post. Gaetz has resigned from his House seat.
Trump is demanding that the next Republican leader of the Senate agree to allow him to push through some of the nominees without requiring a vote. This move would give Trump more power to get around congressional opposition. This should be opposed even by Republican lawmakers.
What Trump’s picks have in common is that they are unquestioning loyalists who are unlikely to challenge his actions even if antidemocratic.
Reprinted from The Philadelphia Tribune
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