I’m not a youngster, and I’ve worked politics for many, many years, so I must admit to reacting with mild shock to a couple of President Trump’s nominees. Both Matt Gaetz for the AG spot and Pete Hegseth for Sec-Def really got my attention! But I’ve given both picks some thought.
Let me offer a little context first. I am a military BRAT. My father was a career fighter pilot who finally retired as an Air Force general after 33 years of incredible service to his country. I have a very particular knowledge and affection of and for the American military. I have been utterly dismayed by what the past eight, not four, years have done to the military.
DEI in the military came into full bloom in 2020, but it began struggling for a foothold during both the Obama and Trump administrations, not because President Trump supported the movement but because he did not know the players or the game then the way he does now. The president-elect has just four years to fulfill all his promises to the American people, and like it or not, the one thing that makes Trump absolutely unique in D.C. is that he says exactly what he means and what he intends to do.
The criticism of Hegseth mostly centers on how effective he will be not having stayed on active duty long enough to become a general . . . in other words, not having learned to play the political game. His supporters, on the other hand, see that as a positive. Hegseth is easy to vet by all Americans, not just by Senate researchers. He is a public face on the Fox News channel, has several excellent documentaries under his belt and has written five (I believe) very good books.
I first became aware of how intelligent and thoughtful Hegseth is when he produced a documentary for Fox Nation on the appalling state of our education “machine.” Until then, I knew very little about him and had no particular interest. Now, of course, I’ll be reading his last two books, at the very least, and paying close attention. So, I’m ready to give this nominee the benefit of the doubt, and I’m slowly beginning to see the wisdom in this choice.
The Wikipedia view of Pete Hegseth is that he was born and raised in Minnesota and graduated valedictorian from Forest Lake Area High School in 1999. He earned an undergraduate degree in political science from Princeton University and a master’s degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. So, guess what? That makes him “not dumb!” Now, having removed any doubt about Hegseth’s basic intelligence, let’s move on.
The United States military has only one mission . . . protect the American people and win every battle. What it isn’t is a laboratory for social experimentation. Every dime in the military budget should be spent on the training, equipment and support necessary to turn the U.S. soldier, aviator and sailor into a lethal fighting “machine,” so that, collectively, they can vanquish any enemy. It may not sound pretty to say, but it is the reality!
To do otherwise isn’t just a failure in its mission and dangerous to the American people, it will get our service members, our sons and daughters, killed. Lloyd Austin was and is exactly what the top leadership in our military should never be. He not only took all focus off the mission, but he attacked his own soldiers and spent precious dollars on DEI nonsense. And given my words here, I’m certain you can imagine what I thought of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley’s giddy anticipation of learning all about critical race theory.
So, I’m looking at the Pete Hegseth nomination from a wide perspective. And I believe he may be Donald Trump’s best pick. His entire focus will be on cleaning out the trash and supporting our military men and women. Hegseth is tough, smart, no-nonsense and “in-your-face.” I like it!!
Now, Matt Gaetz is tougher for me. I don’t know that he can get confirmed anyway, but I decided to give the nomination some thought and a fair opportunity to win me over. My only real objection to Gaetz is the chaos he caused in the House with his quarrel with Kevin McCarthy. I know they have their place, but I’m not a big fan of “bomb-throwers.” Maybe I’ve been around too long. I still have some affection for traditional civility in our politics.
I say “my only real objection” simply because Gaetz has attracted some serious allegations. But they began years ago, and they’re all still just hanging out there. Federal law enforcement closed their investigations, so there’s nothing left except ethics charges in the House. If they are true, I don’t support Gaetz. But the problem is that there is nothing quite as political as the House Ethics Committee, and Gaetz is not popular! I hate lawfare and false allegations worse than I hate many actual criminals.
I do wish that politics hadn’t devolved into schoolyard name-calling. And I have nothing but contempt for anyone who has supported the weaponization of our legal system against political opponents. But descending into something akin to middle-school bullying – and believe me, Trump may be the piker in that bunch – is really unproductive. I don’t like it. Nevertheless, I expect Gaetz to draw a lot of objection, much of it really just childish “I know you are but what am I” trash-talk.
Gaetz is a good lawyer and would certainly be an asset in a department that needs a total overhaul. He is another Trump, in many ways — not afraid to say what he thinks and act on it. But if you think Trump is a disruptor, you “ain’t” seen nothin’ yet! Matt Gaetz, unlike President Trump, doesn’t have much management experience, and Department head is an administrative job. Unless they know exactly who and what they need to help Gaetz implement, he could struggle a bit to get things done.
My bottom line on any nomination, by any president. is this. They won. And barring nominating a convicted ax-murderer, the president is entitled to be surrounded by people who share his/her vision and will be loyal to the agenda. Trump is one smart cookie and may be the best politician in a few generations, so if his instincts say Matt Gaetz, I’ll go along . . . until I don’t.
