When I was writing about Trump during his first term, I sometimes referred to the administration as a circus (because it was!) and his minions as operating a clown car. Facing into the upcoming ‘Trump redux’ I believe that after he has gained some experience being the Ringmaster the first time around, this show will be even more bizarre, chaotic and the clown cars will be populated with even more outrageous characters – kind of like a combination of the Federal government and the Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Trump has said many times he only hires the best people. One could easily argue that is not true given the high turnover rate of his first administration coupled with the significant number of people in Trump’s orbit who were indicted, convicted, served jail time or are involved in ongoing legal proceedings. No doubt Trump will wipe the rap sheet chalkboard clean with the Presidential pardon eraser and all will be good with his new cast of characters!
That previous cast of characters is going to look like a Sunday school choir compared to some of the names currently being bantered around for high level positions in the Trump administration. I mentioned Robert Kennedy Jr and Elon Musk yesterday. Today I read an article stating that Steve Bannon was touting Marjorie Taylor Greene to head up the Department of Homeland Security. Majorie Taylor Greene has demonstrated multiple times that if she were to appear on the show, “You Think You’re Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?,” she would lose! There is no doubt that every terrorist organization in the world, domestic and foreign, would welcome that selection.
Mike Davis, a fervent, Trump-supporting attorney has been bantered about as being named Attorney General. Referring to Democrats, he recently posted on X, “I want to drag their dead political bodies through the streets, burn them, and throw them off the wall. (Legally, politically, and financially, of course.)” It certainly doesn’t sound like he would be an impartial adjudicator of the facts when it comes to upholding the ‘rule of law’ and deciding who to prosecute (or perhaps ‘persecute’ is the more appropriate word). Someone like Mike Davis would view the Department of Justice as Trump’s personal law firm which is exactly what Trump wants.
I even read something about Senator Tommy Tuberville, the senator from Alabama who personally held up 450 military promotions based upon a Quixotic effort to change the Pentagon policy with respect to abortions, being named as a potential Secretary of Transportation. Surely that must be a joke. He has exactly the same qualifications to be Transportation Secretary as MTG has to be Secretary of Homeland Security – ZERO!
There is talk about bringing Betsy Davos back to finish her work to completely dismantle the Department of Education. That will be interesting (and disheartening) to see how that plays out. And who the hell knows what roll the modern-day Rasputin, Steve Bannon, will play. Perhaps they will put him in a new department, The Department of Destruction, since that seems to be what he really enjoys – blowing things up (figuratively – although I don’t think I’d trust him with real explosives!!)
It is frightening to think that there will be an intellectually challenged, misogynistic, racist, convicted felon and pathological liar, who has virtually unchecked power thanks to the US Supreme Court, sitting in the Oval Office. But when you look at the cast of characters that Trump will likely surround himself with, it is shaping up to be a clown show like the country or the world has never seen before. President Putin and President Xi must be laughing their asses off!
The famous Cirque du Soleil is a fabulous show known for its artistry and characters in often bizarre looking costumes, all of whom perform with unmatched skill. The Trump administration could very well look more like the Cirque du Soleil after it has been taken over by the Keystone Kops!
The rest of the world will be watching this circus unfold from afar, but we are lucky. We all have front row seats! So, grab your peanuts and your hot dog, settle in, and get ready to be entertained. It’s going to be hilarious – if it wasn’t so damned sad and the consequences weren’t so severe.
