Friday Insights-December 13, 2024
Luigi Mangione isn’t the only one with a bad spine.
The murder of an insurance company executive by an angry customer is nothing to laugh about. Still, as I read more about Mr. Mangione’s grievances against UnitedHealth, I thought about Senate Republicans. Despite unambiguous evidence that nominees like Hegseth, Gabbard, Kennedy, Billy Long (IRS), and Patel (FBI) are unqualified for office, all Trump’s nominees are likely to be approved. There can only be one explanation for that.
Many, including this writer, predicted Pete Hegseth would be rejected for the post of Secretary of Defense. Accusations of rape, uncontrolled boozing, and connections with right-wing extremist groups seemed sure to convince some Senate Republicans that Hegseth should not be allowed near the Pentagon. But now, MAGA seems ready to emerge victorious. One example: Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), a victim of sexual assault herself, is moving towards approval. Wow.
Senate Republicans, motivated by a combination of fear of angering Trump and a belief that despite recruiting crazy, inexperienced, rich people to run his administration, the new president deserves deference. Nonsense.
Wednesday night, Trump made another troubling nomination. Kari Lake, the failed Arizona gubernatorial and senate candidate who virtually moved into Mar-a-Lago for a while in 2024, is Trump’s choice to head Voice of America. Who other than Trump would nominate a conspiracy theorist like Lake to head an agency that explains America to foreigners?
Christopher Wray.
I’m still trying to reconcile myself to the resignation of Christopher Wray as FBI director. As I wrote earlier this week, Trump would have made his life miserable. But the resignation smooths Kash Patel’s path to power at the agency. Why did Wray surrender? Very sad.
Kash Patel will do all he can to turn the FBI into a Trump goon squad. I wonder if there will be any resources or personnel left to pursue the traditional role of the FBI in fighting crime.
Fire in Malibu.
The video of fires burning out of control in California is a reminder that climate change is real. That is why Trump’s repeated use of “Drill, Baby, Drill” is so offensive. Will Elon Musk and Vivek try to shrink or eliminate FEMA, the EPA, and other agencies involved in combating climate change?
If you doubt the scope of the Franklin Fire in California, now spread to over 4,000 acres, or the extent to which major fires have become the norm in California, visit this website.
Syria liberated.
Not all the troubles in the world originate at Mar-a-Lago. Rebels have taken over Syria, deposing dictator Bashir al-Assad. We are learning just how evil Assad was, but the rebel victory raises new concerns about instability in the Middle East.
Israel is taking no chances. It is carrying out dozens of airstrikes to destroy Syria’s military. Given the uncertainties inherent in the rebel takeover, I don’t blame them.
The revelation of what the Assad regime was should prompt new scrutiny of Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick to serve as Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard took a secret trip to Syria in 2017 and met with Assad. She owes Senators an explanation. Are GOP Senators interested?
Presidential pardonpalooza.
President Biden issued 39 pardons this week and commuted nearly 1,500 sentences. None of the pardons were for people subject to threats of retribution by the incoming Trump administration, but were if you will, “traditional pardons and commutations.” The number of people involved set a new record—no previous president had used the pardon power so broadly on a single day.
President Trump may likely beat Biden’s record on January 20, 2025, by pardoning the people he calls the “January 6 Patriots” and others accused or convicted of wrongdoing. Will Rudy Guiliani get a pardon? Given that he did not engage in violence at the Capitol on January 6, does he deserve one?
I am still waiting to see if the “January 6 Patriots” will march in the Inaugural Parade. This will depend on how fast the prisoners can be transported from the D.C. jail to Pennsylvania Avenue.
Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon donate $1 million each to Trump's inauguration.
Why do you think Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos made these remarkable gifts? Could it have anything to do with reducing the threat of government action against Meta and Amazon?
Time’s person of the year.
Trump feels good about being named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. When is the last time you read Time?
Thank you.
My guess is that Trump will say thank you to Zuck and Jeff. I’m saying thank you to you for reading this edition of Dean’s Friday Insights.