The Republican now prioritizes loyalty over skills and sends signals to his voters. Latest example, the anti-vax Kennedy appointed to health, a new controversial choice.
Difficult to choose a more controversial personality to embody health. Donald Trump announced it Thursday: he wants to appoint conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the man who spread misinformation about vaccines, as head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
A return of the elevator for the former candidate in the race for the White House who had announced his support for Trump in exchange for a role in his administration. He will be an adult. This department oversees the operations of the federal drug regulator, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and manages health insurance programs.
“The safety and health of all Americans is the most important role in any administration”emphasized Donald Trump.
The king of fake news
RFK wants to fight against what he described as “the chronic disease epidemic” such as obesity, diabetes and autism. And remove fluoride from running water because it is linked to cancer, he said. What is wrong.
According to the American Association of Dentists, fluoride, on the other hand, could reduce the risk of cavities by more than 25%. In the past, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also falsely blamed vaccines for causing autism. He opposed the restrictions imposed across the country during the health crisis, multiplying fake news. RFK denies being anti-vax. However, he chairs an organization that campaigns against vaccines.
He also spoke out in favor of a right to abortion ending at the beginning of the viability of the fetus. This 70-year-old former lawyer, without scientific training, both son and nephew of two Democratic titans of American history, Robert Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, was already part of the Republican's transition team.
Disconcerting choices
From Fox News to Elon Musk Since he began forming his government, Donald Trump has made a number of disconcerting appointments. All the lucky ones have one thing in common: a personal relationship with the president-elect.
The contrast is striking with his first arrival at the White House at the beginning of 2017 when, still a neophyte, he surrounded himself with classic figures from the Republican camp with whom he had no bond of trust. Now absolute master of the country, Donald Trump rewards his most loyal supporters, those who unscrupulously supported him in the storm after his refusal to recognize the result of the 2020 elections and the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, then in the face of the legal cases that dogged him for four years .
Some future ministers have no particular skills or experience for the position to which they have been appointed and could face a difficult confirmation process in the Senate, even with a Republican majority.
Skills are not the priority
This is the case of Pete Hegseth, a Fox News presenter appointed to head the Pentagon although his experience of military matters is limited to stints in Iraq and Afghanistan; of Matt Gaetz, conservative polemicist contested even in the Republican ranks, promoted to Minister of Justice, a sign of Donald Trump's disdain towards this institution, or even of Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota who will be responsible for the country's internal security .
Donald Trump also tasked two businessmen, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, with promoting “government efficiency” by streamlining the federal bureaucracy, even though neither man has any knowledge of administration.
In front of a wall of televisions
All of these choices reflect the president-elect's desire to show his base that he does not intend to pull any punches in keeping his campaign promises, such as the expulsion of millions of illegal immigrants, the tracking down of his political enemies or again the purge from the administration and the army of all “woke” policies centered on gender and racial diversity.
More “it is interesting to note that the personalities he chose for the most important positions are rather personalities who appear well on television and who will therefore know how to ensure the public relations of these positions“, underlines David Lewis, professor at Vanderbilt University, who wrote a book on presidential nominations.
Observers also agree that Donald Trump's approach is much more coherent and effective than eight years ago: with a direction consisting of surrounding himself with “loyalists” who this time will not try to upset his projects.
To obtain a ministerial purse, some candidates have besieged Donald Trump's transition team in Palm Beach and his Florida residence in the hope of being able to spend time with the president-elect. “Sometimes you just have to catch it on the patio (of your residence)” to get his attention, confides a source close to Donald Trump's team.
According to a major donor, Donald Trump and his entourage make their choices by meeting in a room at his Mar-a-Lago residence with walls covered with television screens and photos of potential ministers. “Mr. Trump watches a lot of television clips and only asks himself how these people are going to defend him on television.he explains.
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