Navigating Bureaucracy and Power Dynamics

This week, Matt and Brian take stock of Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard—Trump’s Fanatic Four nominees to head the Departments of Justice, Defense, Health and Human Services, and the national intelligence directorate. They discuss:

* Why Hegseth’s personal mediocrity (C-list Fox News host) and depraved sexual conduct (pretty awful), combined with the complexity of running an organization as vast as DOD, might make him the worst of the four picks.

* But also why they’re all really bad and it’s hard to say who’s the worst!

* How career civil servants should respond (or not) when confronted with corrupt or abusive orders.

Then, behind the paywall, a longer discussion of why Trump has picked scandal-plagued individuals for these roles, and how Democrats in Congress can and should exploit their liabilities. Why are prominent Democrats like Cory Booker, Chris Coons, and Jared Polis setting the tone by kissing up to RFK Jr? Does Hakeem Jeffries really believe that Trump’s potential cabinet officials are distractions, not worth commenting on? Is the best we can “hope” for that these people shamble their way into crises that leave the administration discredited?

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Further reading:

* Brian responds to Jeffries: Cabinet secretaries are #actually kind of a big deal?

* Matt thinks Trump’s best bet for success is to not elevate fanatics and crooks, and just chill.

* So does Brian, FWIW.