It’s pretty clear that things are going to fall apart even sooner than I anticipated. Trump is going to sour on these people even sooner than the last set. We are going to be in free fall very quickly - if we aren’t already.
One reason people like Matt Gaetz are unfit for executive branch posts is that governance actually matters. Every barstool conservative and their brother seems to be under the impression that you can fix everything in two sentences if you just have the will to do it, but it’s really not true. Problems are hard. And the basic unseriousness of Gaetz and the rest of the meme-bros is a self-fulfilling prophecy; if you put fundamentally unserious people in charge of doing things, those things don’t work. Everyone intuitively knows this in their own life. It’s also true in government. Sound bites are great for campaigns, but at some point you actually have to figure stuff out.
Higher education professional here: it's great that they're voting on the FAFSA Deadline Act, but I don't understand why other key higher education legislation (with bipartisan support!) has been stalled for years when it ties so perfectly with this current piece (specifically, the Understanding the True Cost of College Act, wherein schools would be required to use a standardized financial offer letter form, the term "award" would be removed (because $60k in loans is far from an award), and offer letters would suddenly be transparent and easily understood---do you know how many schools offer loans in financial aid packages without ever using the word "loan" and without any indication that those funds would need to be paid back?!). And if they're so concerned about financial aid, they should be equally concerned with cost transparency (how is it that there is a federal law requiring colleges to have a Net Price Calculator available for families to get a sense of their expected costs at each institution prior to applying, but the legislation fails to require those calculators to be *accurate*?! Back in the spring, during a financial aid webinar for American University, the Associate Director of Financial Aid publicly admitted that their calculator is entirely inaccurate and when probed about why, his response was, "because it doesn't have to be.").
Why hasn't there been a stronger push for these other, arguably far more important, pieces of legislation to make it to congress?
Great article this morning, it clearly outlines what reasonable people already suspect. The President elect doesn't know what he is doing. Its not Trump 2.0, its Trump 1.0 on re-do.
No, none of this is true. Even though these people are controversial, they are as far from yes men as you can get. Elon Musk? RJK Jr? They are free speech, brilliant people. Gaetz, say what you will, but he's gone after both Democrats and Republicans. He wants people to challenge him with ideas; he does not want to be stabbed in the back like he was the first time. These are the perfect people to do that.
Really good article this morning, Gabe! I'm actually slightly interested in what Hegseth will do, as having been a major in the military but never a general. I feel once you hit general you become either a political chum (Eisenhower) or a pariah (Patton) and care about the military machine continuing since that is your job. So I imagine that Hegseth has more of a vision from the frontlines than from the top, and that I think that is a great vision to possess in that position. It obviously remains to be seen if he will care more about the human resources than the big money contracts like Rumsfeld and Cheney. I think Gaetz is a joke but have seen comparisons to Robert Kennedy Sr. I....suppose....if I have to...the only thing I can see good about him is his continued efforts to get simple records from the FBI who stalled getting him information for years. I imagine (and hope) if he gets confirmed he will be on capital hill at depositions every week getting his butt handed to him from the democratic Senators (I can't wait to see those five minute Youtube videos!).
Excellent article this morning ☕ Gabe. I'm with you on the total Creeps who have laid the fountain for trump's way forward. Thank You and will reStack ASAP ☕💯👍
I had to read this three times "On the Hill, Gaetz is seen as the most endangered pick." I keep wanting to put a 'r' in that last word. 😊
It’s pretty clear that things are going to fall apart even sooner than I anticipated. Trump is going to sour on these people even sooner than the last set. We are going to be in free fall very quickly - if we aren’t already.
From Matt Glassman
One reason people like Matt Gaetz are unfit for executive branch posts is that governance actually matters. Every barstool conservative and their brother seems to be under the impression that you can fix everything in two sentences if you just have the will to do it, but it’s really not true. Problems are hard. And the basic unseriousness of Gaetz and the rest of the meme-bros is a self-fulfilling prophecy; if you put fundamentally unserious people in charge of doing things, those things don’t work. Everyone intuitively knows this in their own life. It’s also true in government. Sound bites are great for campaigns, but at some point you actually have to figure stuff out.
Higher education professional here: it's great that they're voting on the FAFSA Deadline Act, but I don't understand why other key higher education legislation (with bipartisan support!) has been stalled for years when it ties so perfectly with this current piece (specifically, the Understanding the True Cost of College Act, wherein schools would be required to use a standardized financial offer letter form, the term "award" would be removed (because $60k in loans is far from an award), and offer letters would suddenly be transparent and easily understood---do you know how many schools offer loans in financial aid packages without ever using the word "loan" and without any indication that those funds would need to be paid back?!). And if they're so concerned about financial aid, they should be equally concerned with cost transparency (how is it that there is a federal law requiring colleges to have a Net Price Calculator available for families to get a sense of their expected costs at each institution prior to applying, but the legislation fails to require those calculators to be *accurate*?! Back in the spring, during a financial aid webinar for American University, the Associate Director of Financial Aid publicly admitted that their calculator is entirely inaccurate and when probed about why, his response was, "because it doesn't have to be.").
Why hasn't there been a stronger push for these other, arguably far more important, pieces of legislation to make it to congress?
Great article this morning, it clearly outlines what reasonable people already suspect. The President elect doesn't know what he is doing. Its not Trump 2.0, its Trump 1.0 on re-do.
No, none of this is true. Even though these people are controversial, they are as far from yes men as you can get. Elon Musk? RJK Jr? They are free speech, brilliant people. Gaetz, say what you will, but he's gone after both Democrats and Republicans. He wants people to challenge him with ideas; he does not want to be stabbed in the back like he was the first time. These are the perfect people to do that.
• Trump’s Second Act: The Circus Doubles Down on Clowns •
Grievance, Incompetence, and the Inevitable Collapse of a One-Man Movement
https://open.substack.com/pub/patricemersault/p/trumps-second-act-the-circus-doubles?r=4d7sow&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks for this excellent overview. Superb reporting. I'm sharing it with friends.
Gaetz is a bomb thrower How much got accomplished in the house after he built his little team
How did he get stabbed in the back
I am not a Kennedy supporter, along with the vast majority of his family, but he does have a point on fluoride
I got curious the other day and did a tad of research
All the studies and stats show fluoride is beneficial for your teeth But too much can damage them
So fluoride in water was good but now we could be getting too much because of fluoride in tothpaste and mouth wash
I think this bears further study
Kennedy can't do much about fluoride I think that is local/state determoned
Really good article this morning, Gabe! I'm actually slightly interested in what Hegseth will do, as having been a major in the military but never a general. I feel once you hit general you become either a political chum (Eisenhower) or a pariah (Patton) and care about the military machine continuing since that is your job. So I imagine that Hegseth has more of a vision from the frontlines than from the top, and that I think that is a great vision to possess in that position. It obviously remains to be seen if he will care more about the human resources than the big money contracts like Rumsfeld and Cheney. I think Gaetz is a joke but have seen comparisons to Robert Kennedy Sr. I....suppose....if I have to...the only thing I can see good about him is his continued efforts to get simple records from the FBI who stalled getting him information for years. I imagine (and hope) if he gets confirmed he will be on capital hill at depositions every week getting his butt handed to him from the democratic Senators (I can't wait to see those five minute Youtube videos!).
The reference to Franklin’s quote, is wonderful and charmingly used.
Excellent article this morning ☕ Gabe. I'm with you on the total Creeps who have laid the fountain for trump's way forward. Thank You and will reStack ASAP ☕💯👍