THE NEW YORK TIMES: Donald Trump has demonstrated his lack of fitness for the presidency in countless ways, but one of the clearest is in the company he keeps, surrounding himself with fringe figures, conspiracy theorists and sycophants who put fealty to him above all else. This week, a series of cabinet nominations by Mr. Trump showed the potential dangers posed by his reliance on his inner circle in the starkest way possible.
For three of the nation’s highest-ranking and most vital positions, Mr. Trump said he would appoint loyalists with no discernible qualifications for their jobs, people manifestly inappropriate for crucial positions of leadership in law enforcement and national security.
The most irresponsible was his choice for attorney general. To fill the post of the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, the president-elect said he would nominate Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida.
Yes, that Matt Gaetz.
The one who called for the abolishment of the F.B.I. and the entire Justice Department if they didn’t stop investigating Mr. Trump. The one who was among the loudest congressional voices in denying the results of the 2020 election, who said he was “proud of the work” that he and other deniers did on Jan. 6, 2021, and who praised the Capitol rioters as “patriotic Americans” who had no intention of committing violence. The one whose move to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023 paralyzed his own party’s leadership of the House for nearly a month. » | The Editorial Board | The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values. It is separate from the newsroom. | Thursday, November 14, 2024
Donald Trump is making a mockery of democracy! He has turned the USA into a laughing stock. As for American politics, he has demeaned it “bigly” and has turned it into a shitshow.
It is surely crystal clear to all sensible people that Donald Trump is totally and utterly unfit for the highest office in the USA. Trump is turning serious US politics into a reality show.
It is lamentable indeed that American voters showed such a lack of sound judgment in choosing this vulgar felon to be their next president. In doing so, they will surely have given millions of people around the world much food for thought: millions of people must surely be asking themselves one simple but extremely pertinent question: Is democracy truly the best form of government?
It seems clear to me that the USA, in choosing this elderly dud, has accelerated its slide into oblivion. The American Empire’s days must now surely be numbered; its days as the world’s superpower must surely be coming to an end. America’s descent has begun.
A world superpower must take its politics — both foreign and domestic — very seriously indeed. This is hardly serious politics! China, India, and Russia must be watching this pantomime with glee. If the USA loses its pre-eminent position in the coming years, it will have only itself to blame. — © Mark Alexander
