Donald Trump's Cabinet picks

disarm · Post by **disarm** » Wed Dec 04, 2024 1:11 pm

Grifman wrote:You know, the things that make Hegseth unqualified are the same things that make Trump unqualified.

Hegseth isn't a convicted felon who survived an assassination attempt though...but he did work for Fox News. So maybe it's a toss-up?

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Dec 04, 2024 2:15 pm

Not a cabinet pick, but certainly important to name the head of NASA:

President-elect Trump announced Wednesday that he has nominated Jared Isaacman, billionaire and commercial astronaut, as the next head of NASA.

Why it matters: Isaacman is a close associate of Elon Musk, who has emerged as one of Trump's biggest backers, and his selection is a boon for Musk's company SpaceX.

Though he lacks government experience, Isaacman will be one of the rare NASA administrators who has been to space, having flown on SpaceX missions.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Dec 04, 2024 2:27 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 2:15 pm Not a cabinet pick, but certainly important to name the head of NASA:
President-elect Trump announced Wednesday that he has nominated Jared Isaacman, billionaire and commercial astronaut, as the next head of NASA.

Why it matters: Isaacman is a close associate of Elon Musk, who has emerged as one of Trump's biggest backers, and his selection is a boon for Musk's company SpaceX.

Though he lacks government experience, Isaacman will be one of the rare NASA administrators who has been to space, having flown on SpaceX missions.

He owns at least one company that contracts with the DoD. This is just more self-dealing.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Thu Dec 05, 2024 2:27 am

Grifman wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 9:31 am I still think that Hegseth’s nomination is doomed, as reports say Trump is now considering others.

I've seen it pointed out that Trump is a teetotaller (after seeing his brother drink himself to death), so it's possible that alcoholism is the one vice he won't tolerate.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Fri Dec 06, 2024 10:05 am

She’s no business being DNI:

“Ex-Tulsi Gabbard Aides Say She Was a Devout Consumer of Kremlin Propaganda Network RT

They said Gabbard continued regularly reading and sharing articles from RT well after she was advised that it was an unreliable source of information.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/ex-tulsi- ... etwork-rt/

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Sat Dec 07, 2024 3:00 pm

Everybody go easy on Tulsi Gabbard today, she’s had a tough time this past week.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Sat Dec 07, 2024 10:24 pm

BREAKING: Assad attempting to negotiate exile to the US to become deputy Director of National Intelligence (DNI) under Tulsi Gabbard.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Sat Dec 07, 2024 10:46 pm

Wait, that's not a joke?

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Sun Dec 08, 2024 12:01 am

LordMortis wrote: Sat Dec 07, 2024 10:46 pm Wait, that's not a joke?

If that's not a joke, my cynicism has been outflanked.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sun Dec 08, 2024 1:55 am

Of course it's a joke. He also xeeted "Assad booked a flight on Prighozin Airlines

"

It's just a serious analyst with a dark sense of humor.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sun Dec 08, 2024 9:25 am

I'm pretty sure LM knows it was a joke but was sarcastically noting how frighteningly plausible it was in light of Trump's dangerous choice for the new head of DNI. However, LM does still believe in Santa Clause So let's be careful when replying to him for the next few weeks.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Tue Dec 10, 2024 12:07 am

Kari Lake is finally getting a real job, ambassador to Mexico:

So much losing!

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Dec 10, 2024 3:05 am

The Biden cabinet's combined net worth was in the vicinity of $140 million. Trump's proposed cabinet has a net worth of >$400 billion.That's not how populism works.

Hyena · Post by **Hyena** » Tue Dec 10, 2024 12:00 pm

No, but that *is* how professional arse kissing works. As long as your lips are servicing the king, the rest of you gets what you want.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Tue Dec 10, 2024 1:58 pm

This is the evil of almost unrestricted campaign funding:

BREAKING: Billionaire Elon Musk to reportedly spend billions to unseat All Republican senators who Vote NO on Trump cabinet picks

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 52057.html

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Tue Dec 10, 2024 2:39 pm

I wonder if he wears Kevlar clothes.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Dec 10, 2024 2:41 pm

Are they picking more and more Stanley Kubrik pictures of Leon or is that who he's actually becoming? There seem to be no shortage of those types of photos of him.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Tue Dec 10, 2024 9:39 pm

Tulsi’s not fart ng well in interviews, but I have to wonder if it will matter:

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Tue Dec 10, 2024 9:44 pm

Consolation prize for Don recently dumping her:

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Dec 10, 2024 9:49 pm

No Don Jr. and a political post was probably her dream outcome from the very first day she Melania’d her way into the Trump family.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Dec 12, 2024 1:28 pm

Grifman wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2024 12:07 am Kari Lake is finally getting a real job, ambassador to Mexico:

Nah

Presidents don’t ordinarily pick the director of Voice of America, an international news broadcaster funded by the US government. But President-elect Donald Trump says he wants his ally Kari Lake to take over VOA.

Trump’s Wednesday night social media post – in which he said, “I am pleased to announce that Kari Lake will serve as our next Director of the Voice of America” – presages many future fights over VOA, which became an ideological battleground during Trump’s first term in office.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Thu Dec 12, 2024 6:01 pm

Can countries refuse an ambassador?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Dec 12, 2024 6:02 pm

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Thu Dec 12, 2024 6:04 pm

I wonder if there's any chance Greece would persona non grata Guilfoyle.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Thu Dec 12, 2024 6:07 pm

Alefroth wrote: Thu Dec 12, 2024 6:04 pm I wonder if there's any chance Greece would persona non grata Guilfoyle.

Very unlikely I would guess unless something extreme surfaces. The risk of pissing off Trump would be way too high.

Victoria Raverna · Post by **Victoria Raverna** » Fri Dec 13, 2024 2:46 am

Neil deGrasse Tyson: And this too shall pass.

So maybe don't worry too much about Donald Trump and his cabinet picks.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri Dec 13, 2024 9:50 am

Counterpoint: What if Orwell has more insight into realpolitik than Tyson?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Dec 13, 2024 9:55 am

And this on the side of ever major city's downtown thoroughfare.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Fri Dec 13, 2024 11:42 am

It will pass. The question is whether it will pass in 4 years, or 40 years.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Dec 13, 2024 11:46 am

The way politics are shaping up, it may be a good idea to have those statues modular in nature so you can more easily switch out the heads.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri Dec 13, 2024 12:39 pm

It looks either it already is. That or an original Han Solo head and it will break right off when it articulates.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Dec 13, 2024 8:33 pm

How long until he's on the money?

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Sat Dec 14, 2024 12:01 am

Smoove, don’t have a heart attack:

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/12/13/heal ... io-vaccine

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sat Dec 14, 2024 12:04 am

Being able to walk is overrated.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Dec 14, 2024 12:19 am

Grifman wrote: Sat Dec 14, 2024 12:01 am Smoove, don’t have a heart attack:

Yeah, as you can imagine, there's lots of chatter right now - plenty of people in my field at all levels trying to guess what's going to happen.

My best guest is still my original. Vaccines won't disappear, but he's going to act like a disinformation megaphone with the power (and official seal) of the CDC behind him. This will undermine childhood vaccinations and ultimately the national childhood vaccination program, likely by removing them from the recommended status that they currently hold. This will allow states to then adopt updated regulations, pulling them for K-12 and college instruction.

So (just like public health already exists in patchwork), depending on where you live, that's going to dictate how this looks as our collective herd immunity is being chipped away.

Given the nature of international travel (especially for religious reasons) it will just be a matter of time before there's significant outbreaks.

Victoria Raverna · Post by **Victoria Raverna** » Sat Dec 14, 2024 12:30 am

This too shall pass. RFK Jr. isn't going to be in charge forever.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Dec 14, 2024 12:37 am

There are still people that don't trust the CDC because of what happened during Swine Flu epidemic in 1976s and the Tuskegee study that ended in 1972.

While he's still not in charge (yet), if he's given the reigns don't doubt for a second how much damage he could do in 4 years (or fewer) if given the opportunity.

The idea that anyone would be minimizing countless dead and disabled (mainly children) by vaccine-preventable diseases is certainly an opinion.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Sat Dec 14, 2024 2:37 am

The issue is RFK and Trump are stooges so Republicans can shout “but government doesn’t work.” It’s sabotage, pure and simple.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Dec 14, 2024 3:53 am

Smoove_B wrote: Sat Dec 14, 2024 12:19 am Vaccines won't disappear,

But will insurance still cover them? If not, they might as well.

I hope that insurance algorithms will decide that prevention is still cheaper than processing and denying claims for resurgent diseases.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Sat Dec 14, 2024 5:10 am

Kraken wrote: Sat Dec 14, 2024 3:53 am
Smoove_B wrote: Sat Dec 14, 2024 12:19 am Vaccines won't disappear,
But will insurance still cover them? If not, they might as well.

I hope that insurance algorithms will decide that prevention is still cheaper than processing and denying claims for resurgent diseases.

That's how I see it - prevention is cheaper. Vaccines work - not covering them is going to take out some insurers unless they figure out how not to cover the illnesses themselves.