Various media outlets are saying approximately 10 republican senators are in opposition to the nomination of Matt Gaetz for various DeceptiCon reasons.  More than likely the same ones who supported AG Merrick Garland, I digress.

Into this mix of squishy spinelessness comes former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who has an axe to grind against his former nemesis.

WASHINGTON DC – Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy does not believe outgoing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) will be confirmed as attorney general by the Senate after President-elect Donald Trump selected him as his nominee on Wednesday.

Some of Trump’s picks for his Cabinet, including Gaetz for attorney general and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, have garnered strong reactions on Capitol Hill and in the wider political world. McCarthy, whose speakership was ended by a successful motion to vacate filed by Gaetz in October 2023, told Bloomberg he believes Trump’s nominees are good, except for Gaetz.

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Appearing on Fox News, DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard discusses her perspectives on the position and her anticipation of the nomination process moving forward.  As a DNI nominee Mrs Gabbard will have to pass through the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI).

::Heavy Sigh::  I wish the interviewer would begin the questioning by asking, “what does the DNI do?”  That approach would be far more interesting than discussing feelings and reactions. WATCH:

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In what can only reasonably be described as a MOAB targeted directly to Main Justice, President Trump has nominated Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz to be United States Attorney General.

[Source]

Making the nomination strategy that much more interesting, Matt Gaetz resigned his position within congress, “effective immediately.”

In combination with the nomination of Senator Marco Rubio to the State Dept., this sets the stage for a Senate situation where the upper chamber may attempt to derail the Gaetz nomination, yet Florida Governor Ron DeSantis could then appoint him to be the replacement U.S. Senator from Florida; thus, returning an angry MOAB back into the silo that derailed him.

You couldn’t write this script if you tried.

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I’m not going to dwell too much on this announcement, because it has already been discussed.

President Trump has announced his nomination of Florida Senator Marco Rubio for the position of Secretary of State.

[Source]

This move takes Marco Rubio out of the position of Chairman for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI).  That’s the sum value of this move, and the companion reason for President Trump to appoint Steven C. Witkoff to be Special Envoy to the Middle East. (link)

Senator Marco Rubio will be State Dept Secretary with a short leash and a very limited portfolio.  However, from his perspective the political status and future value is awesome.  It will be interesting to see: (1) who is appointed chairman of the SSCI, and (2) who Ron DeSantis appoints as Rubio’s replacement.

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As scheduled, President Donald Trump and Joe Biden meet in the Oval Office to discuss the transition of power.  Joe Biden delivers remarks, including “welcome back.” President Trump thanks Joe Biden for his efforts to ensure a smooth transition.  Then the insufferable media go bananas. WATCH:

There’s a livestream below as President Trump and Joe Biden meet behind closed doors together with their Chief’s of Staff.

The media is awaiting President Trump’s exit from the White House.

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President Trump announces via Truth Social, his intent to nominate former ODNI official John Ratcliffe to the position of Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

[Source]

Former DNI Ratcliffe passed through the Senate Intel Committee nomination process in 2019 after being blocked by Mitch McConnell in 2018.  With a prior SSCI confirmation being successful, the path to confirming John Ratcliffe as CIA Director is essentially a foregone conclusion.

As CIA Director, John Ratcliffe will control the world’s second-most powerful intelligence agency. Ratcliffe has almost no attack vectors for the internal IC apparatus to use against him, that’s why I previously thought a role in the Trump-2 intel system would be good.

Ratcliffe was/is the lead transition team member on all things related to Intelligence.  Prior rumor put him in the NatSec Advisor role, but CIA Director is a good fit.  John Ratcliffe is very stable, vanilla, no drama and can be expected to deliver on the priorities of the Trump administration.  He will work very well with the White House.

The concern would be Ratcliffe’s ability to remove the corrupt players within the darkest part of the darkest IC system.

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President Trump has confirmed his intention to use Florida Rep (Daytona) Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor.

[Source]

Mike Waltz serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).

In the role of Nat Sec Advisor, Waltz would presumably represent the power of the president toward every element of the National Security apparatus and Intelligence Community.

The Nat Sec Advisor is a very powerful position, if used correctly.  The absolute power of the President toward the intelligence community in the executive branch is carried by the Nat Sec Advisor (NSA).  The NSA has the ability to reach into every silo and control every element of every decision therein.

The NSA organizes the finding memos which authorize all covert intelligence operations globally and domestically.  The NSA can shut down bad things in the IC, cancel black-op operations, and essentially hold omnipotent power within the executive branch over every aspect of the 17 intelligence agencies who operate therein.  The NSA can also determine what is, and what is not, a national security matter.

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If the basic story unfolding in Mar-a-Lago is to be believed, RFK JR, Elon Musk and a small group of technocrats and billionaires have become the ‘kitchen cabinet’ advisors putting the Trump administration together.  Rumors swirl that Melania Trump, Devin Nunes and Dan Scavino have checked out of the ridiculous “non-clown-car” hot mess until the dust settles.

Adding evidence to this possibility, the media are starting to report on some rather, well, shall we say, curious picks from the Mar-a-Lago transition group.

Everyone else, except you guys, will miss what each of the New York Post “leaked” names have in common.  They are all in direct alignment with the retention of the Intelligence Community as it exists.  For the IC, this is the team that lets them hunker down until ’28.

♦ Rubio at State:

Rubio would be the IC pick because, well, he is Vice-Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and a direct installment due to his efforts to support the prior Trump targeting; which included the big assist to then Vice-Chair Mark Warner.   The IC has super thick black files on Rubio, they’d love to have him at State.  This rumor seems ridiculous.

Actually, this rumor seems like a leak trap.

♦ Waltz as National Security Advisor.

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Announcing via Truth Social, President Trump has outlined his selection for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in term-2.

President Trump announced his intent to nominate former New York Congressman, Lee Zeldin, to the position.

[Source]

Lee Zeldin is an attorney, and his announced nomination caught the DC proletariat off-guard.  The announcement is an unusually prominent location in the line-up presentation given the generally obscure nature of the agency.   Deregulation appears to be a significant agenda item in the T-2 administration.

Washington DC – […] The selection of Zeldin, a vocal Trump ally in Congress during his first term, was a surprise after Andrew Wheeler, who served as the second EPA chief during Trump’s first term, was widely thought to be the frontrunner for the post.

At EPA, Zeldin will carry out Trump’s energy and environmental agenda, which includes pulling back Biden-era rules on climate and air pollution and potentially rescinding millions of dollars in funding for clean energy under the Inflation Reduction Act. And the administration is expected to take a more aggressive stance in challenging California’s autonomy in enforcing environmental standards that are more stringent than those set by the federal government — many of which picked up as models for more than a dozen other blue states.

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Very smart strategy here.  The “Border Czar” position gains authority and power directly from the office of the president.  The “Border Czar” is a special presidential appointee with specific instructions and charged authority.  There is no confirmation process for a “czar” position, who operates with the power granted by the Office of the United States President.

[SOURCE]

Many people wanted to see Homan as DHS Secretary, but this is actually a more foundational and targeted job.

Solid move, because Tom Homan can work with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Bureau of Prisons, as well as FBI, State and local law enforcement.

Don’t forget to eat your winnamins.

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