By
Walter Brasch
Donald Trump,
the billionaire real estate investor who began his run for the presidency and
was one of the clowns who campaigned on promises that couldn’t be kept and fear
that enveloped his core base, is now President Trump. Hillary Clinton
accumulated about three million more votes than Trump, but the Trump campaign
focused upon the Electoral College that gave him the presidency.
To see what’s
ahead for the country and the Trump–Pence administration, it’s necessary to
look at his cabinet, which reflects who Trump is. During the presidential race,
the billionaire who pretended he was an outsider to politics who would
represent the middle class now appointed an entire cabinet of millionaires and
a handful of billionaires. For the first time in three decades there are no
Hispanics in the cabinet. Trump probably searched for one but couldn’t find even
one distinguished among the 55 million in the U.S. Most of the cabinet are rich
white men who are right-wing conservatives who don’t agree with 97 percent of
climate scientists that there is a frightening trend of global warming, but still
support fossil fuel extraction, and have little experience for their jobs, but
contributed significant funds for Trump’s election and are loyal to him. This isn’t new in politics, but the enormity
of a cabinet that reflects Trump’s lifestyle and worldviews is over whelming.
Let’s start
with his choice for Secretary of State. Rex Tillerson is the billionaire owner
of a gas/oil company who has no regrets when it comes time to build rigs, which
destroy the environment, makes all kind of noises and keeps on its lights on 24
hours a day to mine fossil fuel, but when a 10 story water tower was proposed
near Tilllerson’s home in Texas, he objected because he said it obstructed his
view. Tillerson has no government experience and little experience dealing with
foreign governments, unlike Hillary Clinton and John Kerry.
Scott Pruitt is
Trump’s choice for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. As the
Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt dissolved the state’s environmental
protection agency, claiming there were far too many regulations by both the
federal and state governments. Both Trump and Pruitt, who believe in fracking,
doubt that climate change and the developing hole in the ozone layer were
caused by people using fossil fuels at a higher rate than at any time in
history. This puts their beliefs contrary to that of about 97 percent of
scientists who claim otherwise. Trump, and presumably Pruitt, believe in the
continued use of coal as a primary energy fuel. His signs, “Trump Digs Coal,”
during the election race appealed to miners in Wyoming, Kentucky, Pennsylvania,
Texas, Illinois, and West Virginia, helping assure a plurality of votes in
those states and Electoral College votes.
Ryan Zinke, who
has a degree in geology and 12 years as a Navy SEAL, will lead the Department
of Interior, where he will undoubtedly open federal land to oil and gas miners.
Betsy DeVos,
the right-wing daughter of a billionaire industrialist, will become the next
Secretary of Education. She never taught in a school, sent her children to
private schools, and has a degree in business administration. She will push for
school choice while trying to learn about federal rules that regulate public
education. Like most of Trump’s cabinet, she has a bias against the LBGT
community and will probably reverse many of President Obama’s policy directives.
Most soldiers
do their jobs well, but still have a thread of revulsion about killing enemy
soldiers. The new Secretary of Defense, a distinguished four-star general,
James (“Mad Dog”) Mattis once said, “It’s fun to shoot some people.” John
Kelly, a retired four-star general, will be the Secretary of Defense. He will
probably be strong in keeping citizens of foreign governments out of the U.S.,
but weak in defense of natural disasters.
Jeff Sessions,
who has a history of racism, is Trump’s choice to head the Department of
Justice. Andrew Puzder, CEO of Carl’s and Hardees restaurant chains, is the
Secretary of Labor. With a bias against labor unions, he’s a perfect fit for
the Trump cabinet. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry has little knowledge about
nuclear power plants and, like Trump denies global warming, so it makes sense
to have him become the Secretary of Energy. Perry once spoke out for dissolving
the Department but now says he regrets the comments. For Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development, the new secretary is Ben Carson, a brilliant surgeon who
has no experience in either housing or urban development. Linda McMahon never
owned a small business, but if you’re a pro wrestler, give her a call; she was
president of World Wrestling Federation, the largest pro
wrestling/entertainment organization in the country. She’ll head the Small,
Business Administration.
Tom Price and
David Shulkin, unlike many cabinet members, have experience in their future
roles. Before his confirmation by the Senate to be Secretary of Health and
Human Services, Price was a House member and 19-year orthopedic surgeon. Shulkin,
a physician, will head the Veterans Affairs. His experience includes times as
chief medical officer and dean of schools of medicine.
As strange as
some of his appointments, the most frightening is his choice of Steve Bannon as
senior adviser. He has degrees from Virginia Tech, Georgetown, and Harvard, a
resume that includes seven years as a naval officer and almost two dozen major
films as a producer. As editor of the Breitbart News, an extreme right-wing
publication, Bannon has also has a history of speaking out against women, Muslims,
and Jews.
