Transition Team/Cabinet Thread

[Simfan34]

What about Chris Christie

Secretary of Transportation

Special Csar for infrastructure, mandated with doubling the number of NYC bridges, to avoid future congestion.

He can start here: http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/hudson-river-bridge/

[Simfan34]

I highly doubt either Moskowitz or Rhee would even be willing to consider. But those are themselves near-stereotypical choices, something you'd see in a beginner's timeline. Maybe Betsy DeVos?

Honestly I'm expecting someone we've barely heard of. Khalizad would fit that bill, but I don't sense it will be him.

We've heard of Khalilzad! He'd be a less bad choice, not to mention it'd be quite the thing if Donald Trump, of all people, ended up being the President who appointed the first Muslim cabinet member. Maybe if not at State, then National Security Adviser?

On the other hand, if it is Rudy, then possibly John Yoo for AG? Who knows, at this rate Trump may be able to boast of having the most diverse cabinet ever.

[Simfan34]

Rooting for Khalilzad, Haass, or, of course... Huntsman.

[Simfan34]

Eh, I'd rather not have Rudy at AG.

Also: 

I hope Trump picks Khalilzad, just to troll his own base.

Khalilzad for State, Ayotte for Defense, Yoo for AG, Grenell for UN Ambassador, Clarke for DHS...

Trump: "I have the best diversity!" (Clarke would be bad, though)

[Simfan34]

CNN saying Cotton likely for Defense, sources say Kobach for AG.

Ugh.

[Simfan34]

People talking about Kevin Warsh!

[Simfan34]

According to the Weekly Standard, Rogers was actually purged because he wasn't sufficiently conspiratorial with regard to Benghazi(!):

http://www.weeklystandard.com/mike-rogers-out-from-trump-transition-team/article/2005396

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But don't worry.  Rogers is apparently being replaced by Frank Gaffney(!!!):

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/frank-gaffney-trump-transition

Der Moderatendämmerung?

[Simfan34]

You know whose name I'm surprised we haven't heard thrown about yet? David Petraeus, who has quietly been attempting a comeback of sorts.

Wait, no, him too-- for State. Although I could see him as Director of National Intelligence, or at Defense. (The restriction for ex-officers is for five years, right? In that case, he's clear.)

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I have to wonder where Petraeus would be if he'd never had that scandal. He'd probably be a juggernaut looming over everything, implored to run for President,  courted for Vice-President, and (as now, amazingly enough), considered for the highest posts in cabinet. He'd probably serve as a lightning rod for-- and, as a result of his stature, generate-- rumors of military designs against the Trump administrations. not dissimilar from those surrounding Lord Mountbatten; less outlandishly, more than a few liberals would pin their indeterminate hopes on him, the former "General Betray-us".

Trump, egged on the more paranoid elements of his inner circle (e.g. Bannon), would probably come to see Petraeus as a threat and either try to neutralize him or take extraordinary measures to "placate" him and his "faction" (even if there was nothing to actually placate), possibly by making him a five-star general and/or appointing him to an increasingly absurd panoply of high offices (e.g., Secretary of State, and "Executive Secretary of the National Security Council", and Senior Advisor to the President, or some other combination). This in turn would make those fears become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as Petraeus accumulated power and had a faction form naturally around him as the Trump presidency worsens/worsened.

Something like this may still happen yet if his name is in the mix. Alternatively, the administration and/or its organs may start reviving conspiracy theories (once given consideration by yours truly!) about Petraeus's fall being the result of an Obama-manufactured plot to eliminate a rival, in order to rehabilitate him further. Indeed, many serious commentators have suggested political considerations were behind Obama's decision to pass over Petraeus for the Joint Chiefs and instead appoint him to the diminished office of CIA Director, since 2004 subordinate to the Director of National Intelligence.