President-elect Donald Trump made some criticized appointments on Wednesday, including that of far-right politician Matt Gaetz to the Justice Department, which was a “bombshell” for a political science expert.
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“24 hours ago I would have told you that the appointees are qualified in the areas to which they have been appointed. Today [mercredi]I think history has completely changed,” said Antoine Yoshinaka, professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Buffalo, in an interview on the show The Balance Sheet.
He especially mentions the appointment of Matt Gaetz, elected from the far right, to the post of Minister of Justice. “That’s the bomb that fell,” he reacted.
Opposed to the right to abortion, defender of firearms, climate skeptic, Matt Gaetz is not unanimous. He was also targeted by sex trafficking investigations, according to several American media. He also led the movement to expel Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy in 2023.
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Not only is he hated by Democrats, but also by many in his own party.
“There are a lot of people who don't necessarily like him, who find that he is a little too combative with his Republican colleagues,” explained Mr. Yoshinaka.
The latter remains skeptical about Mr. Gaetz's possibilities of accessing the ministry.
“I’m not sure it’s necessarily going to go easily,” he said. I think there may be a bit of difficulty getting confirmed by the Senate. There are some Republican senators who are a little speechless today [mercredi].»
Mr. Gaetz has always supported Donald Trump and was elected at the same time in 2016 for the first time. Their families are also close; his father was president of the Senate in Florida.
Other controversial appointments
Antoine Yoshinaka also discussed the appointment of Pete Hegseth, former army commander and current host of the television channel Fox News.
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“He does not necessarily have the governmental or executive experience to manage a large department [comme] Defense,” he underlined.
Elon Musk, the world's richest individual, was also assigned to the “government effectiveness” post along with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
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“This is not a position that requires senatorial confirmation,” said the political science expert. It is simply a creation of the executive branch. The president has the power to create this type of office.”
The two businessmen will therefore not be members of the cabinet and will not hold decision-making power. However, he will work directly with Donald Trump to fire certain people, for example.
Elon Musk is gaining more attention for this position due to his role as CEO for Tesla and SpaceX. Experts fear a conflict of interest if he chooses to get involved in certain issues such as the battery industry and NASA.
“He is not in the government, but he is not far from the president,” Mr. Yoshinaka said.
To watch the full interview, click on the video above.
