Trump Part Deux: You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
President-elect Trump's Cabinet picks shouldn't be a surprise and yet they are.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump met at the White House for the traditional meeting between incoming and outgoing presidents. Biden's face betrayed no trace of cognitive dissonance, which only adds to ours.
Over the past 10 days, many people I’ve spoken to or heard from have shared their fear of consuming news. It feels like we’re all watching the scariest horror movie, peering through gaps in our fingers because we can’t bear to look directly.
But don’t check out entirely. Now, more than ever, we need an engaged and informed citizenry.
I hope this newsletter lets you stay informed at your own pace—when you’re ready to dive in.
If that time is now, let’s get to it.
GAZA
The U.S. continues to send monetary aid and weapons to Israel, enabling what many call genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, despite Israel failing to meet a U.S.-imposed deadline to improve humanitarian conditions.
One month ago, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a firm letter demanding Israel address the "deteriorating humanitarian situation" in Gaza within 30 days or risk losing U.S. funding. Although Israel has not met most of the conditions outlined, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel claimed this week that Israel is not in violation.
A key demand was increasing aid to Gaza, particularly to northern Gaza, where Refugees International estimates 75,000 to 95,000 people remain trapped without food or water for weeks. Israel, however, contends that only a few hundred people remain in the area.
Humanitarian groups—including Save the Children, Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Anera—report that conditions in Gaza have worsened over the past month despite U.S. pressure. Based on on-the-ground observations, public data, and secondary sources, these organizations state that the situation has become even more dire.
Refugees International found that:
- Israel failed to meet 16 of the 19 U.S. benchmarks for improving humanitarian conditions.
- Only three metrics were addressed partially or inconsistently.
- Despite a U.S. request for 350 aid trucks daily, Israel has allowed an average of just 42 trucks—the lowest average in a year.
On Monday, Blinken spoke with Israeli officials, who claim they have "responded positively" to U.S. demands.
Meanwhile, far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans to annex the West Bank, instructing his office to prepare for the move, which he hopes to accomplish by the time Trump takes office. Smotrich asserts this is the “perfect time” and claims discussions with the incoming Trump administration may have already begun.
Netanyahu and Trump have held three calls in under a week, with Netanyahu stating that the two see “eye-to-eye” on issues like Iran and share "great opportunities... in other areas." These calls also give Netanyahu a platform to influence Trump’s stance on the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
Qatar announced it would no longer mediate ceasefire negotiations, citing "political exploitation" by the U.S. and Israel. Despite U.S. requests, Qatar denied reports of expelling Hamas from its borders, noting that Hamas’ Doha office, established in 2012 at the Obama administration's request, remains operational.
TRUMP TRANSITION
Trump told the New York Post that Biden was “gracious” during the two-hour discussion and answered his questions on various topics. Trump also said the two discussed the Middle East but did not elaborate. However, incoming First Lady Melania Trump did not meet with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, reportedly due to animosity. Melania has no plans to spend much time in the White House during Trump’s second term.
ELON MUSK: SHADOW PRESIDENT?
Elon Musk appears to be playing a significant role in the Trump transition. The billionaire has reportedly been advising Trump on staffing and policy decisions at Mar-a-Lago, sparking concerns about conflicts of interest. Musk’s companies have received nearly $16 billion in government contracts over the last decade, including $3 billion in the past year alone.
Recently, Musk participated in a phone call with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. While Musk’s Starlink satellites are vital to Ukraine’s military, he has limited their use in attacks on Russian forces and reportedly maintains communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump's Cabinet
Trump’s recent nominations reveal two key trends:
- Loyalty trumps experience. Many appointees lack expertise but have demonstrated unwavering loyalty to Trump.
- Ethics and character take a backseat. Trump’s team is reportedly considering bypassing FBI checks, as several nominees have questionable pasts.
Attorney General - Rep. Matt Gaetz
Let's start with the most shocking nomination this week: Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. This AP headline sums it up:
FARNOUSH AMIRI
The DOJ dropped its investigation into Gaetz's alleged sex trafficking of a minor - but the House Ethics Committee was still investigating it when Trump named Gaetz his nominee. Gaetz immediately resigned from his position in Congress, thereby voiding the House Ethics Committee's jurisdiction to investigate.
Gaetz has denied wrongdoing.
It's worth noting that Gaetz has voted against three human trafficking bills while in Congress.
Even his Republican colleagues have called out Gaetz for being an overall slime bucket for sharing videos and photos of women he claims to have had sex with.
Gaetz has threatened to abolish the FBI and the ATF, both of which are under the DOJ’s authority.
Defense Secretary - Pete Hegseth
Hegseth is a former Iraq and Afghanistan war vet who most recently hosted FOX and Friends.
Hegseth has said he would fire “woke” leaders at the Pentagon. By “woke,” he means those who promote DEI initiatives that Hegseth has labeled as “effeminate.”
Additionally, Hegseth says women and transgender people have no place in the military and wants to rename DoD to the "War Department."
Health and Human Services Secretary: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
The HHS oversees 13 agencies, including the FDA, CDC, NIH, Medicare, and Medicaid. Kennedy is not a medical professional and has no experience in the medical field.
He is a well-known anti-vaccine crusader who has advanced debunked claims that vaccines increase rates of autism. He claims no vaccines are safe.
His other baseless claims include: water causes kids to be transgender, WI-FI causes cancer, and antidepressants lead to school shootings.
Kennedy also wants to ban adding fluoride to water, which medical experts say is safe and, in fact, beneficial to teeth. Kennedy and other opponents say such “treatments” should not be in the water without citizen consent. More on that controversy here.
He infamously dumped a dead bear in Central Park in 2014 and admitted to it only recently, after the mystery “consumed” NYC, according to the AP. Kennedy only admitted it because a news outlet was set to report it. It’s a long and weird story here.
Secretary of State - Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Rubio is the top Republican on the Senate’s Intelligence Committee and a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.
He's considered a “hawk” on Iran and China because of his preference for military action over diplomacy, a position at odds with the Secretary of State, who is the country’s top diplomat.
Rubio called Trump a “con artist” in 2016 when running against him for the GOP nomination but made nice with him during Trump’s first presidential term.
More from Politico here.
Director of National Intelligence: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (R-HI)
Gabbard is a Democrat-turned-Republican who was quick to rally behind Trump. She has no background in intelligence.
She was deployed to Iraq in 2004 as part of a medical unit in the Hawaii Army National Guard and is currently an Army reservist.
The intelligence community is troubled by her nomination, in part, because she met with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad in 2017 after the U.S. broke diplomatic relations and claimed he's "not the enemy."
Critics say she has also echoed Russian propaganda, including denials about Assad's involvement in chemical weapons, which may cloud her judgment when assessing threats from Russia.
Gabbard denies the accusations.
Homeland Security Secretary - Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD)
DHS oversees FEMA, TSA, and the Secret Service, as well as cybersecurity and election security. It also oversees the border and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but Trump, with Homan and Miller around, will take charge of immigration.
Noem has no law enforcement experience.
In an autobiography admitted to shooting her 14-month old puppy because she thought it was “untrainable” because it attacked her chickens and said she “hated” the dog.
She was banned from visiting South Dakota’s tribal reservations after accusing them of being fronts for “drug cartels.”
More from Newsweek here.
US Ambassador to the UN: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)
By naming Stefanik, Trump is "picking a loyal ally with little foreign policy experience to represent the U.S. at the international organization," according to the AP.
Stefanik's loyalty is evidenced in her support of Trump during his impeachments and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
She is also a staunch supporter of Israel and has been critical of the UN's efforts to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes in Gaza.
You may have heard of her first when she gained national attention for aggressively questioning university presidents about protests against Israeli genocide on college campuses, forcing at least one president to resign.
After being nominated for the post, Stefanik changed her position on allowing Ukraine into NATO, which she supported in 2022 when she also claimed Russia was committing genocide in Ukraine. Her office now won't say whether she still believes that. Her views now align more closely with Trump's.
US Ambassador to Israel - Mike Huckabee
The former governor of Arkansas and self-proclaimed Zionist Baptist minister is not just a staunch supporter of Israel; he denies Palestinians even exist.
“I need to be careful about saying this, because people will really get upset – there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian," Huckabee has said on camera.
He is against a two-state solution, supports illegal settlements, and thinks there are plenty of other places for Palestinians to go.
Israel has been more than pleased with the nomination.
Tom Homan - "Border Czar"
Homan is a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official from the Obama and Trump Administrations. By the way, "Border Czar” is not an official title.
According to The Intercept, the job is "an amorphous post with unclear formal authority but the advantage of not requiring Senate confirmation. "
During the Obama years, Homan "built a reputation as a relative moderate. He shed that veneer under Trump, defending the family separation policy that ripped thousands of children from their parents, unleashing massive raids, and urging criminal prosecution for leaders in 'sanctuary' jurisdictions."
Stephen Miller - Deputy Chief of Staff
Stephen Miller — the architect of Trump's Muslim ban — will be Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff under Susie Wiles.
A MASS X-ODUS & OTHER HEADLINES
Angela Watercutter
After Trump's win with Musk's support, X users are leaving the platform in droves and heading for bluer skies at Bluesky.
Mainstream media's biased coverage of violence between Israeli football fans and Amsterdam citizens may be the cherry that breaks legacy media's back.
Numerous notable media outlets employ former Israeli lobbyists, military members, spies, and intelligence officials in positions that allow them to shape the news narrative without disclosing or mitigating these conflicts of interest and sidelining those who voice support for Palestinian rights or are simply Muslim.
Journalists working for Al Jazeera inside Gaza say they can no longer cover the war since the Qatari-based news network has not paid them. Al Jazeera says they've had trouble getting payments to those in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel was behind the pager attacks in Lebanon last month that killed 37 people and injured 3,000 – most of them civilians.
Ben & Jerry's is suing Unilever, their parent company, for violating the terms of a 2022 settlement when it prevented the ice cream company from making statements supporting peace and human rights, including in Gaza and for Palestinians.
