DONALD IN WONDERLAND

Donald Trump creates his own reality and the world around adapts to function within it. At the moment the President elect is behaving as if he is already the President conducting foreign relations and appointing billionaires to non existent committees. The latter are already negotiating with Congress as to how to decrease social security, medicare, medicaid and food stamps by two trillion dollars while decreasing the taxes to the rich. Elon Musk, Trump’s newest best friend, is forecasting financial pain to Americans while he is fighting in the courts to allow him to take another 50 billion dollars in bonus pay. 

Alice in Wonderland has nothing on this. Just like when the “Queen of Hearts” screamed “Off with his head” everyone carries on normally just as they do when Trump claims that the real enemies of the American people are within, “ the radical left lunatics, Democrats, fascists, communists, Marxists, RINOS, (Republicans in Name Only’)’, who have allowed the country to go to hell”. America is in the age of Donald in Wonderland.

Trump makes threats and gives commands that create fear. One thing about Trump is that he means what he says. He told the Proud Boys “To stand back and stand by”. He then incited them at the Ellipse, “If you want your country you need to fight like hell”.He now calls the jailed thugs he sent to the Capital,  "Loyal patriots who were participating in a day of love”. He has promised to pardon them when he re elected.

Trump’s unwavering deviation from the norms of a democratic society are impossible to deal within the customary means of discourse and institutions. Everyone is at a loss on how to react. His bland autocratic statements are shrugged off. His bizarre behavior is simply, “Trump being Trump”.His unacceptable illegal behavior such as making money off his Office is given a wide berth and he is as President Elect still acting like a salesperson on the Cable Chanel QVC peddling anything from trading cards  to 100,000 dollar watches. 

The question is with about six weeks left in power how should Biden, the Democrats and the media behave with the “Sword of Damocles” hanging over so many of the legitimate democratic opponents who Trump has threatened to prosecute? 

While the damage Trump can effect to democratic norms is incalculable there are actions which can ameliorate the situation.This brings Jay H. Ell to Donald Trump's nomination of members of his cabinet who would execute the threats he has made for his revenge and to dismantle America’s institutions. The Environmental Secretary does not believe in climate change while the Internal Revenue Secretary has thrice moved in Congress to eliminate the tax collecting body. 

HOW IS TRUMP IN HIS WONDERLAND GOING TO PUT HIS CABINET IN PLACE?

To constitutionally assemble his cabinet to create his Wonderland Trump’s requires the “consent” of the Senate. The only criteria for the original selections are blind fealty to the President Elect and or being telegenic. Having big money also helps.

To forestall the vetting process his surrogates put up a  MAGA candidate to succeed McDonnell as the Senate leader. When that failed the strategy was that the Republican led Senate go into recess so he could make his appointments without vetting. So far he has had no visible success. He has already withdrawn one of his candidates and another three have been replaced before they have had one interview. At the time of writing a hopelessly flawed and unqualified candidate is doing the rounds to gain support to become Defense Secretary.

In the recent history of the Senate only one candidate was rejected once he was in the system. Occasionally a nominee is withdrawn once some fact becomes evident that is seen as disqualifying. For example, In 1993 Bill Clinton withdrew two nominees for attorney general as they both had employed undocumented women as nannies for their children. Other candidates have been axed for relatively mild deviations from the norm. Nowhere in history has any President ever put such a motley, unqualified, biased, sexist, band forward for ratification. There are a few mediocrities that will pass with acclaim but for the rest - wait and see. They only need 4 of the 53 Republicans in the Senate to vote against a candidate and then his/her nomination fails.

The Attorney General candidate that is charged with effecting retribution for Trump is Pam Bondi who has her problems, including failing to continue her litigation against Trump’s fake University after he made a 25,000 dollar contribution to her campaign. She also worked for a lobby firm which has currently several clients in trouble with the Justice system. She replaced Trump lackey in chief, Matt Gaetz who lasted less than a day. Wonder how she will answer the question as to whether she will investigate anyone Trump directs her to. 

Ostensibly chanceless is Kash Patel who has written a book claiming that he will eradicate the Deep State and even lists 60 political opponents of Trump that he will prosecute if he becomes head of the FBI.l. 

Two off the wall candidates, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert Kennedy Jnr, have Trump’s full support because they extend the MAGA brand. They will face massive opposition presenting the biggest test of fealty to Trump. Trump and the MAGA crowd have an endless fascination with the Kennedy name. One conspiracy theory had Jack himself coming out of hiding, presumably with Elvis, and running with Trump. The fact that the Kennedy grandson is a crackpot and is dangerous is irrelevant. Does Trump advocate his grandchildren not being vaccinated? Apparently yes as he supports the wholly negated theory that vaccinations causes autism.

Gabbard has been nominated for as the National Intelligence Advisor which post was filled with giants such as Henry Kissinger. She has no experience, nada, nil, nothing and she has such a hairy past with the likes of good old Vladimir and Syria’s Abbas that have led some to say she is a Russian agent. Good luck with her. Kennedy who wears his misogynist and weird past as a badge of honor has some very important opponents in the real world. He will have the lobbies of big Pharma and the food companies on the line to their representatives big time as well the traditional medical bodies.

At the moment the Trump majorities in the House and Senate are razer thin. Trump himself did not receive fifty percent of the vote. He is taking this narrow win as a universal mandate to change America and the world. It is all about him and he really hasn’t the managerial skills to see this seamlessly through. Trump lives in his own Wonderland. The question is how can this be ameliorated in the six weeks before he becomes the real President. 

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO STOP TRUMP’S EXCESSES?

Trump may be at a distinct advantage as he has been through this before. Consequently every pick he makes owes obedience to him not the Constitution. Last time out he chose and fired with monotonous regularity established Republicans who  served as a guardrail to some of his more excessive behaviors. However the advantage quickly becomes a disadvantage when he can only lose three Republican votes with each nomination - that is if the extensive vetting process allows them to survive for a floor vote. 

While repeated skepticism is voiced that the Senate Republicans will at the end of the day challenge Trump there are those who believe several candidates’ appointments are at risk. The guys with the sexist background have an uphill battle, Gaetz down already. Of the 25 women in The Senate 9 are Republican. There are also several old white men who have been around a long time and take themselves very seriously who at any one time can join some of the ladies. The immediate past Republican leader, Senator Mitch McConnell who still calls the shots is no lover of Trump and although right of Ghengis Khan takes his legacy very seriously.

After the Gaetz debacle and the three “swops” Trump and or his surrogates are anxious that the rest survive. The type of pressure exerted means the Senate members may allow the candidates through for a floor vote which will mean confirmation from the whole Senate with wall to wall media coverage. The stuff that comes out may give them the out to vote against the unimaginable.

In short Trump at best has overrated his mandate and does not exert the type of control over the Senate that he may have over the House and there he has an even tinier room to maneuver. There is little doubt that he will end up with a cabinet and anyone who hasn’t been accused of rape, alcoholism, theft, gross mismanagement and or has some managerial experience or knowledge of the department they are being asked to lead will get through.

OTHER STUMBLING BLOCKS TO A WONDERLAND

As mentioned earlier Trump’s experience has disadvantages as well as advantages. Especially for his immigrant deportations plans he needs the cooperation from Governors and local authorities which is not going to happen in the 23 blue states. The Governors are already making preparations. Gavin Newsom of California which has the 6th largest budget of any nation in the world has asked for an additional 25 million dollars for legal challenges to Trump’s directives. 

Then there are the institutions, chief of which is the military, that have internal codes of conduct. The latter have as a governing credo not to obey an illegal order. The head of the Federal Reserve, a Republican, has made it quite clear that Trump cannot fire him. The Judiciary itself will be faced with new realities that will challenge their role as an equal branch of government.The non governmental bodies such as the ACLU are also preparing for litigation against Trump edicts. 

The person with most clout to interrupt Trump’s retribution plan is Biden who has already given his son a pardon. There are sixty names on the FBI nominee, Kash Patel’s “enemies” list. Trump has promised retribution and named victims as well so he needs to be stopped in these abnormal times.  

Although these opponents of Trump’s have committed no crimes or even been indicted, Biden can issue the type of blanket pardon similar to the one Jimmy Carter promulgated. The latter’s prevention of charges was directed at Vietnam ‘draft dodgers’.Remember that pardoning is a legitimate constitutional right of the President. Biden would be breaking no law. In any case the Supreme Court ruled at Trump’s behest that any action of a President is by definition not criminal. 

So Biden go for it. You have already crossed your self imposed red line. Also draft a pardon for any military member who is brought before a Trump nominated court martial for the ‘crime’ of not following an unlawful order of a President.

AT THE END OF THE DAY

Americans had to have some sense of shame when they saw how South Korea responded to their January 6.

 

Trump’s soulmate Putin’s world is collapsing. He is a loser.  

Trump knows he has to get it done in the first 100 days when he can’t even lose one vote in the House. 

It is still hard to digest that a 78 year old man who posted on social media “I hate Taylor Swift” was elected to the Presidency of the United States of America. But this is Donald’s Wonderland.