In an earlier commentary I was wrong Trump’s dismissal of MAGA America. Not only has he not blown them off; he has doubled down with his nominations for key posts in his administration. I don’t need to remind this audience of the abject lack of qualifications of his nominees for attorney general, secretary of defense, secretary of health and human services, secretary of homeland security, and director of national intelligence, to name just a few. As I record this, one has already withdrawn because of a sex scandal.
Why is Trump doing this? Because he can. If you are an American citizen and 35 years old (necessary because you are in the presidential succession line), you could be nominated, which is a good reason to screen your calls. You are much more likely to get this call if you have publicly shown your loyalty to him, especially if you have abased yourself to him after previously being a critic, and you will never get this call if you haven’t.
Much of what Trump is doing is performative and it is possible that some of his nominees will not be confirmed by the Senate. Senators are already feeling the pressure. John Cornyn of Texas questioned one of the nominees and was told that if he votes no he’ll end up third in the primary when he is up for reelection in 2026. Cornyn should take the threat seriously. There are many in MAGA America who have money, know-how, and seriousness of purpose.
Why did Trump win? I learn so much from my students about American politics. One of the assignments I gave my American government students I was unable to grade until after the election. In this paper a student described a peer influencer, whose mantra was: “It don’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. You gotta vote for the Cheeto Man.” Catchy, no? And so right there. To heck with the economy, the 34 felony convictions, the character issues – vote for Mr. Colorful.
When the key nominations began rolling in mid-November, one of my students said in class that Most Trending on social media was: Can I change my vote?
And the old Evangelical standby: Trump is God’s instrument on earth, perfected by his great sinfulness and almost martyred.
David French, a conservative columnist for the New York Times, said about the nominations on November 18: “That was quick. Donald Trump is planting the seeds of his own political demise.”
French’s assessment is premature at best. Trump doesn’t care about politics. He’s not going to jail. He’s going to get richer. He’ll be headline news every day. Life is good. If he “floods the zone with manure,” to use right-wing provocateur Steve Bannon’s phrase that I sanitized, he’ll be in the headlines every hour. He’ll be influencing politics, to be sure, but so above it all.
And with his controversial nominations he’s just getting started. Wait until January 20, when he is “Dictator on Day One.” The eighties rock group Bachman Turner Overdrive has a great song: “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet.” Remember that fabulous guitar riff? But I digress.
Beppe Severgnini is an Italian journalist who has written about one of Trump’s models, the late Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Severgnini is very clear-eyed about autocrats, who, after they have disappointed and failed, say: “What do you want from me? I told you who I was, and you voted for me with enthusiasm. Now shut up and be good.”