One of the funnier moments of the 2016 campaign was Trump's rant about winning. It perfectly encapsulates his style of politics: mixing optimism, hyperbole, and a recognition that Americans aren't satisfied with being in second place--and they are angry about an elite that aspires to mediocrity.
This is the sort of moment that elites see as Trump spouting incoherent nonsense. But it really isn't. It's one of those "seriously but not literally moments" in which Trumpisms that annoy intellectuals resonate with ordinary people.
Well, I bring all this up because that is how I feel about most of Trump's major personnel picks right now. I have questions about Gaetz and am open-minded but a bit skeptical of Hegseth--mostly because I worry that the Pentagon bureaucracy is a beast that needs a lot of taming, and Hegseth may not have the experience to do it--but overall I am over the moon.
I'm not tired of winning yet, though. Trump better make me tired of winning!
The only way today gets better is if Trump puts the Hunter Biden whistleblowers in charge of the IRS.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) November 13, 2024
Obviously the Musk/Ramaswamy Department of Government Efficiency is a huge win if they can pull of any major victories, as I hope they can, and most of the picks make me very happy.
But I admit that Trump's choice of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence makes me the happiest.
I like this move! Tulsi Gabbard as DNI Head! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Jez4a8mE3k
— Badass (@Keepfighting250) November 13, 2024
I was worried that Trump would appoint her as Secretary of Defense, as it was a natural spot for her and the rumor was that she wanted that or CIA. I thought CIA was a better place for her because the "Intelligence Community" has become a cancer on this country and she may well be the best doctor in the house.
But DNI is much better. The US has a gazillion and one intelligence agencies, and Gabbard isn't a fan of a single one of them.
Good. They aren't fans of hers, either. Even better.
That’s why I ended my subscription to the NYT recently - their endless normalization of the abominable became intolerable!
— MURRAY (@murray_nyc) November 13, 2024
Fans of the military/industrial complex hate Tulsi because she is, for the most part, a dove and not a hawk. They claim that this is because she is weak, a Russia plant, or some other nonsensical accusation.
She was put on the terrorist watch list under Biden, which says more about how the security state sees the world than anything else. They believe that they are the true source of power in America and have been assaulting our rights for decades. Under Obama the intelligence "community" became a weapon against people they saw as domestic enemies of the transnational elite, and attacked anybody they deemed a threat to their power.Tulsi, having been the target of the Deep State, understands just how dangerous these people have become to Americans' rights. The "community" has been deeply engaged in speech suppression, psychological operations in America, and identifying "domestic enemies" since the Obama years.
Here's the full letter. Many people (including Dan Coats) knew it but only Ratcliffe had the balls to tell the public about Obama's sedition, specifically that Obama not only knew that Russia collusion was a Clinton hoax but also that he perpetuated this fraudulent narrative. pic.twitter.com/xvPEE3ldOW
— Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) November 12, 2024
The task of the next DNI is to clean house. Obviously, we need competent intelligence agencies, but we need ones that are focused on our adversaries, not American citizens.
Gabbard, I think, is a great choice to fill that role.
Most of Trump's picks have been stellar, but right now I am happiest with his pick of Gabbard to rein in the intelligence beast. It is there that the Deep State has its greatest power, and if you don't excise the cancer there, little else matters.
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