Donald Trump has nominated some of the worst of the worst to serve in his cabinet — a rogues gallery of apologists for torture, racial and religious discrimination, deportation, and all manner of abuses of civil and human rights.
But rather than present a vigorous and united front against these nominees and demand that Trump replace them, Democrats and Republicans who in the past have been sensitive to concerns about civil liberties are instead offering to give them a chance — or actually supporting them.
There has been one notable exception: the outcry from Democrats about Trump’s selection of Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon as his chief strategist. Some 169 House Democrats signed a letter calling on Trump to fire Bannon, pointing to allegations of anti-Semitic remarks he made. They were also joined by 10 sitting senators and Maryland’s Democratic Senator-elect Chris Van Hollen.
Anti-Semitism, then, would appear to be a litmus test for congressional Democrats.
But not Islamophobia, or the advocacy of human rights abuses like torture.
Take, for example, Michael Flynn, the former general and director of Obama’s Defense Intelligence Agency who Trump has tapped to be his national security advisor. Flynn was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Joint Special Operations Command’s dirty wars in the Muslim world, and was critical of Obama for ending the use of torture and committing to not putting additional prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.
He’s also maintained a Twitter account where he didn’t shy away from telling people to fear Muslims:
Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL: please forward this to others: the truth fears no questions… https://t.co/NLIfKFD9lU
— General Flynn (@GenFlynn) February 27, 2016
Although Flynn does not have to face Senate confirmation, federal lawmakers could still make their voices heard about his extremism.
Most in Congress have not yet responded to the Flynn pick. But Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking Democratic member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, put out a statement saying that Flynn “served honorably” and that he respects him. “He is familiar with the complex set of security challenges that we face,” Reed’s statement noted.
The only note of criticism was in two sentences implying that the only issue with Flynn is some ill-tempered remarks he made during the presidential campaign: “I do not agree with General Flynn on every issue. I have concerns about some of the statements he made in the heat of the campaign,” Reed said.
(The statement was delivered prematurely, before Flynn was actually named to the spot, but The Intercept confirmed on Friday with Reed’s office that they stand by it.)
Then there’s Trump’s pick for CIA chief, Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo, who will have to be confirmed by the Senate. Pompeo is an outspoken defender of CIA torture that was used by the Bush administration, has called for the death penalty for NSA whisteblower Edward Snowden, and implied after the Boston bombings that “Islamic leaders across America” are “potentially complicit in these acts” because they supposedly refuse to speak out against terrorism (they actually have spoken out many, many times).
California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff did speak out out against Flynn — writing that he worried “about an impulsive president with a volatile advisor” — but then praised Pompeo as someone “who is willing to listen and engage,” even if they have differences:
While we've had our share of strong differences, I know he's someone who is willing to listen and engage, both key qualities in CIA Director https://t.co/Gm0v1OPLSD
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 18, 2016
This is particularly troubling because Schiff is a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, meaning that his views could influence those of many of his colleagues. And his remarks were blasted out in a Trump transition team press email titled “President-elect Donald J. Trump’s CIA Director Garners Praise” over the weekend.
The incoming ranking Senate democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Virginia’s Mark Warner, didn’t even bother to list any disagreements with Pompeo. In a short statement posted to his website, Warner simply congratulated Pompeo and said he would “look forward to learning more about his views on national security and intelligence policy and his vision for the CIA.”
The incoming ranking Senate Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, California Sen. Diane Feinstein, did note that Pompeo was “absolutely wrong” about his claim that the CIA’s torture techniques were legal, but did not mention if she would oppose him.
There are also Republicans who are typically strong on civil liberties issues who refrained from opposing Pompeo. Michigan Republican Justin Amash, a strong critic of government intelligence agencies, noted his disagreements with Pompeo but also called him a “great pick”:
I know @RepMikePompeo. He's a great pick. Yes, we have our disagreements, but Mike will listen to our concerns and serve with integrity. https://t.co/DD9HOqyr7C
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) November 18, 2016
For the attorney general slot, Trump tapped Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, who will also require Senate confirmation. Sessions has a troubling history of opposition to civil rights, and is a staunch advocate of crackdowns against undocumented immigrants.
The incoming Democratic Senate leader, New York’s Chuck Schumer, said in a chummy statement that “I know Senator Sessions and we work out in the gym.” Schumer added: “I am very concerned about what he would do with the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice and want to hear what he has to say.”
Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake appeared unbothered by Sessions’s record. Flake is relatively moderate on civil rights and immigration issues, and refused to support Trump due to his advocacy of discrimination. But that didn’t stop him from almost immediately announcing his support for Sessions:
.@SenatorSessions is well like and well regarded, even by those who don't always agree with him. I look forward to supporting his nomination
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) November 18, 2016
Criticism of the Trump picks has been scattershot. Amash, despite his praise of Pompeo, expressed concern about Sessions, noting the wide powers he’d have as attorney general. Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, who represents a Northern Virginia district with a large Muslim population, put out a statement condemning both Flynn and Sessions. Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, upon hearing rumors that the warmongering John Bolton may be picked as secretary of state, blasted out an op-ed denouncing a Bolton pick as a betrayal of Trump’s campaign promises; he also said that Pompeo must answer for his support for waterboarding.
Senate Intelligence Committee member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., had perhaps the strongest statements of any Democratic senator, calling Flynn’s remarks about Muslims “profoundly alarming” and criticizing his posture on torture and other war crimes. Wyden also said that Pompeo’s claim that the CIA torture program was legal and that it should not have been exposed were “deeply troubling.”
The reaction from progressive movement leaders to these picks has been furious. “It’s hard to imagine a more divisive set of nominees, and these appointments fly in the face of Trump’s claim that he wants to unite Americans,” MoveOn.org executive director Anna Galland said in a statement. “These nominees are the worst-case scenario and are terrifying for Americans and people around the world.”
Trump is finally in a position to be held accountable. And for members of Congress to simply express isolated disagreements with these extreme nominees — but say they will support them anyway or plan to give them a fair hearing — essentially throws away any leverage Congress has to pressure Trump to appoint people to the government who respect civil and human rights.
Update: 3:47 p.m. ET
This story now includes comments from Sen. Ron Wyden.
Top photo: A podium at the Javits Center in New York on Nov. 8, 2016.
Great article, Zaid!
It’s a fine line to walk with Dems. With the election over it’s simply impractical to oppose every Trump appointment, no matter the credentials or lack thereof. So you choose your battles carefully and object to those most odious or out of the mainstream.
Again, the election is over. The deeply flawed Trump is Pres for at least 4. Where it leads, nobody knows, but we should be the loyal opposition, and fair to a fault.
It is naive to think that the President freely chooses a cabinet. Dick Morris, who was very close to President Clinton, tells us that Clinton’s cabinet contained representatives of powerful Democratic factions. Clinton didn’t like them but didn’t have the power to get rid of them. Hence he resorted to Morris, secretly at first. The cabinet didn’t like this AT ALL.
NO WAY will I ever accept this RACIST and LIAR as any part of my government. This Congress and Senate needs to be taken out and stood in front of a firing squad as well as our so called POS that is in office right now.
Hey if the big boys don’t have to pay taxes, lets ban the IRS and let the little people enjoy the free ride like those squandering our tax dollars over Gore Vidal’s phrase PERPETUAL WAR! George Washington and all the founding fathers of this country and turning over in DISGRACE at what the USA GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME. A CESSPOOL, no less. We now have a new government for the rich and SCREW the rest of us.
Get ready for a kakistocracy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakistocracy
Kakistocracy (Greek: ?????????????; kæk?s?t?k??si) is a term meaning a state or country run by the worst, least qualified, and most unscrupulous citizens.
The word comes from the Greek words kakistos (????????; worst) and kratos (??????; rule), with a literal meaning of government by the worst people.
Perpetual WAR . . . with an all volunteer army?.? Sanitized so no-one sees the truth – DRONES.
WAR-MONGERS and yes men… Stand up Salute – Agree and sit down. It isn’t about balancing the budget it is about control so no-one catches on. The cover story of TERRORISTS did it / Oh, Gee, we all know that…. The military teaches you to follow orders – Are you soft on Defense?? Are you safer today? You are being spied on to keep who safe? A building might fall on you but a plane isn’t allowed to fly overhead. Surrounded by security? to keep them safe? The decisions that make are the most important on the world? ( so the think and say). They never spend their own money they spend yours? And yes they will tell you how they represent you?
Honesty is the best policy? BUT I can not remember the last time.. A POLITICIAN SAID THAT..
People die broke – politicians don’t…..their bad decision are your bad decisions, just like the money they spend and give away it is yours not theirs….
The Continuity of (organized, criminal) Government is intended to prevent change, thwart peace, and maximize profits to manufacturers of mayhem.
War is big business. Addiction to power can be irresistible. Is Trump a real deal?
Another FAKE NEWS article.
Anyone who quotes Feinstein and Schumer lunatics should be removed from journalism.
They are in the same cult as Weiner.
Dianne Feinstein is the BIGGEST DISGRACE ever. Wish this POS hag would drop dead and take her POS CORRUPT just like her husband along with her! She is an embarrassment, yes even bigger than Pig pen Nancy Pelosi to the state of CA. Hope the WITCH dies in DC. CA people other than the rich HATE her! They are all scum and the bottom of the scumbags.
“rogues gallery” or “rogues’ gallery” not “rogue’s gallery”
Thanks for flagging this. It’s been fixed.
Off current topic, but still relevant insofar as it speaks to the role the mainstream media player in Trump’s election.
As though anyone with even a scintilla of observational skills and critical thinking didn’t know it already, seeing the network executives and anchors meeting with Trump, is just a matter of the new pimp calling in his whores to update them on the rules and, to reassure them that there is enough bling to go around for everyone.
The Democratic elite, the ones who just got their asses handed to them, are already capitulating. But, who can blame them? They have nothing to lose. They have better things to do than pick up the pieces of what was once a political party. Like going back to their multi million dollar consulting jobs, if there is anyone who would trust their consulting on any particular thing now. I, for one, don’t want them for anything, so maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll assimilate themselves into the conservative borg where they belong.
“Trump’s terrible nominees”
I Don’t think they are terrible. Some I do have questions about, but they are light years ahead of 0Bama nominees.
Zaid Jilani, try being an unbiased reporter for a change.
Which Obama nominees are on record making blatantly racist and anti-Semitic remarks?
None, but he is a ‘post-truthist’ so facts do not apply.
hummmmm…
for not loosing all day… what about criminal hillary?
one of the dirtiest person in the world! it was pretty difficult to find one worst of the worst of the worst!
Evaluating candidates by picking out a few offensive comments they’ve made is an idiot’s game. I’m tired of the people who ought to be most enlightened playing censor, when the thing to object to is the broad outline of the political positions these candidates hold. They should be opposed for broad doctrines they espouse rather than for gotchas pulled out of some dossier. And when you oppose a doctrine, it gives you the chance to argue your own.
Agreed.
@Wnt –
??? Of course one should oppose these cockroaches for the horrible positions they hold —- but don’t you see, those offensive remarks are the tattletales that show what they are.
And we’re in deep doo-doo. These are scary dudes and that they’re even being considered for such positions is TERRIBLY troubling.
One way or another, the cost to the Democrats’ for their reticence to respond has to go way, way up. And, in some cases, there may be some Republicans who could be prompted to react to those costs as well. I’m not precisely sure how we effect that steep hike in price, but if we don’t figure it out – ourselves – we’re all going to be paying that price instead. In this instance, I’m all for a major cost shifting effort right up the chain.
@TallyHoGazehound –
Definitely we need to up the cost for not responding or supporting these —– vermin. If you or anyone comes up with ideas —— PLEASE share.
We need a new party.
As much as I dislike Trump’s picks, it is refreshing to bring the fascism back into the open. Democrats are such sleazy liars about their crimes; Republicans at least will look you in the eye and say, “Sure we’re at war with Islam, we have been for the last 15 years. Why else do we keep going into their countries and blowing everything up? It’s not ALL about oil, baby! Democrats? They make as much cash off this as we do. It’s called Capitalism!”
Is anyone surprised? After all, we want President Trump to succeed, don’t we?
And you wonder why many people, and particularly those generally aligned with much of the Democratic Party’s nominal agenda, don’t find them credible on things like “civil liberties”. Because they aren’t.
And if you think the feckless, faithless, spineless Democratic Party leadership at the national level is going to do anything other than capitulate to the Republicans on almost every single thing and appointment they choose to pursue, then you haven’t really been following American politics for long enough.
As I’ve said, on the “big issues” there is very little daylight between the two parties (until very recently) except to the extent the Democratic Party leadership doesn’t mind, however belatedly and after public opinion has moved beyond them, to support the “civil liberties” of groups who it costs nothing (and I mean financially) to support (or at least nominally support in exchange for votes) with the exception of the right of a woman to terminate a pregnancy.
But if comes to war, the war on terror, mass surveillance, war on whistleblowers, drone assassinations, voter suppression, and the general economic policies and ideology of this nation–then forgetaboutit.
They give a shit more about their “careers” in DC than they do about adherence to any principles or values. I know some thinks that makes some of us, you know, “purity trolls” or expecting a magical pony to correct all that is wrong with the world, but that’s not it at all. It’s about integrity, willingness to fight even if you lose some battles, and not capitulating to the worst human impulses if it means your personal “career” could theoretically be harmed by standing up and fighting.
Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, who represents a Northern Virginia district with a large Muslim population, put out a statement condemning both Flynn and Sessions. Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, upon hearing rumors that the warmongering John Bolton may be picked as secretary of state, blasted out an op-ed denouncing a Bolton pick as a betrayal of Trump’s campaign promises; he also said that Pompeo must answer for his support for waterboarding.
The reaction from progressive movement leaders to these picks has been furious. “It’s hard to imagine a more divisive set of nominees, and these appointments fly in the face of Trump’s claim that he wants to unite Americans,” MoveOn.org executive director Anna Galland said in a statement. “These nominees are the worst-case scenario and are terrifying for Americans and people around the world.”
Thank goodness they made those comments. dt is a racist coward who will do exactly what the war criminial human rights violator organization that is the nsa decides they want him to after looking at an image of some arbitrary spot on any given astronomical object that they have pretended nasa has discovered before them.
Re: Amash’s comment re: Pompeo, there is an “r” missing:
I know @RepMikePompeo. He’s a great pick. Yes, we have our disagreements, but Mike will listen to our concerns and serve with integrity. https://t.co/DD9HOqyr7C
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) November 18, 2016
Much of it is due to the candidates all wanting to maintain much of the current system. (If we had someone who went on record as being opposed to NATO- Republican or Democrat*, expect far more denunciation.) Further, Pompeo’s House support is more than likely due to members of Congress sticking up for their own. Also, many Democrats have shown by their actions or lack thereof that they are fine with torture, targeting whistleblowers, and waging foreign wars of aggression**.
* Note the media criticism of Bernie Sanders for his remarks on NATO getting more spending to fight Russia than to fight IS.
** Both of the last two reasons explain why only three Republican Senators did not endorse Hillary Clinton for SecState.
I caught that interview with rep. Schiff on MSNBC last week and I could barely control my rage at the Dems. Pompeo calls for the execution of Snowden and Schiff credits his ‘willingness to listen and engage’. Huh? Adam, you are doing this ALL wrong. You don’t get it.
I can’t predict the future, but this cadre of miscreants being installed by Trump will surely foster some ‘blowback’ at some point.
I don’t see how the author can characterize these nominees as the ‘worst of the worst’ when Mr. Trump hasn’t even nominated Mr. Giuliani or Mr. Bolton for a post in his cabinet yet.
its official… intercept its a mouth piece of the establishment…
worst of the worst?!?!
and how dick cheney, madeleine albright, h clinton, john kerry and a thousand more would be called by you?
SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The actual sentence that you’re lying about is block quoted below:
The actual author of the piece, who’s name sits under his photo at the top of the page, and then again at the bottom of the page, is Zaid Jilani, not The Intercept.
of course…
and there is no connection with intercept…
ESP
I don’t get it.
You don’t get what? You don’t get that “some” is a word with meaning? Is it not true that those picks by Trump are “some of the worst of the worst?
And you don’t get that Zaid Jilani is one person, one journalist author? And you don’t get that even if there was any truth at all in this quote from Jack: “its official… intercept its a mouth piece of the establishment…,” Zaid Jilani isn’t “intercept?”