Transition Team/Cabinet Thread

[KingSweden]

Bolton, Gingrich, and Corker are the names I hear most often for Secretary of State, but Zalmay Khalilzad would be a very interesting direction for Trump to head down, and I could see him doing that considering the obvious problems with all three of the common suggestions (excessive neoconservatism, an excessive desire to be higher-profile than the Trump, and Corker's various insider trading issues).

Khalilzad would be a terrific choice if it isn't Corker. Or he could go the Romney route and tap Zoellick

[KingSweden]

Bolton couldn't get through the a Senate even if there were 99 Republicans in it.

What's your read? Corker maybe? Khalilzad?

[KingSweden]

Talent wouldn't be terrible.

Bolton... Jesus H. Christ

[KingSweden]

Richard Grenell rumored for UN Ambassador

Would actually be a solid pick and a nice sign that the homophobes aren't running the show (recall Grenell was forced off the Romney campaign by SoCon pressure)

[KingSweden]

I may be alone in not viewing Rudy as a terrible SOS. He may still have some goodwill worldwide for 9/11 though who knows.

Corker still a better option. Bolton would be a nightmare

[KingSweden]

Sessions might get Homeland Security if he doesn't get Defense:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/11/11/trump-homeland-security-candidates-include-gop-lawmakers-and-less-likely-a-sheriff/

At least it wouldn't be Clarke...

[KingSweden]

I WANT BOLTON SO MUCH.

No you don't. Bolton is cancer. The plague. We want to avoid him and everyone from that administration as much as humanly possible.

Not a Republican but this, basically

[KingSweden]

Now that Newt Gingrich is apparently out of the running for SoS I wonder what role he'll end up playing...

Saw someone somewhere express skepticism Gingrich would join Cabinet and leave his lucrative work

[KingSweden]

Saw on Fox earlier that Carson, Moskowitz and Rhee are being considered for Education.

The last two definitely make sense in a GOP administration, particularly Rhee. Carson is totally unqualified for the lost of course

[KingSweden]

I do laugh my rear end off at some Trump supporters on the internet who legitimately hoped that RAND PAUL or even freaking RON PAUL would be Donald Trump's Secretary of State. My freaking sides. XD

Jeez.

[KingSweden]

On Predictit, Giuliani being given a 60% chance of being Secretary of State.  Sessions now a plurality favorite for both Defense (narrowly ahead of Talent, 37-33) and Attorney General (narrowly ahead of Gowdy, 43-33).  Michael McCaul now the favorite for Homeland Security, as David Clarke slides.  And Jan Brewer’s now taken the lead away from Palin for Secretary of the Interior.

Doesn't Gowdy hate Washington and want to move back to Spartanburg?

Yes. Which is why he's willing to demote himself to Lieutenant Governor (allegedly) on a joint ticket with his good friend Tim Scott.

[KingSweden]

Tbh, I doubt Bolton or Giuliani could get confirmed.

I don't know why Giuliani wouldn't be confirmed.  A Republican Senate isn't going to confirm Giuliani?  Why not?

I just remembered that in addition to being an authoritarian fascist, Giuliani is pro-choice. This seems like something on which progressives could ally with religious conservatives and libertarians: it would probably be doable to convince Paul, Cruz, Lee, Sasse, and maybe a few others to vote against Giuliani. And from a pragmatic/PR point of view, it would be much better to have a theocratic attorney general going after women for having miscarriages than having Giuliani trying to indict all of Trump's enemies.

Not sure I follow your line of thinking. Wouldn't it be better to have Giuliani at State, then?

[KingSweden]

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Giuliani took money from Qatar, Venezuela, Iranian exiles: His foreign clientele could present conflicts of interest as secretary of state.

Ouch. Explains Paul's reluctance...

[KingSweden]

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/306045-carson-turned-down-offer-to-serve-in-trump-administration-report

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Why did he run for President then? Would be funny if it wasn't terrifying

This is a good thing

[KingSweden]

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

Also: 

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

[KingSweden]

With Paul opposing both Bolton and Giuliani, would be hard to see either get out of the committee.

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Let's see if Rand shows enough spine to actually vote against them.

also, in a sigh of relief, Mike McCaul, pretty conservative Republican but generally not a fascist, is interested in the Homeland Security job. I hate rooting for McCaul, but anything to prevent god damn David Clarke or Joe Arpaio.

McCaul at least knows his stuff

[KingSweden]

Apparently Tom Price is being bandied around for HHS now

[KingSweden]

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

Ugh.

I did not see that coming.

Me neither... not promising

[KingSweden]

The new HHS frontrunner now that Carson is out:

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/tom-price-health-human-services-trump-231427

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Price is not a bad choice, but he'd probably serve Republicans better as the fail safe option in case the Freedom Caucus ends Paul Ryan.

Also I thought for sure Cotton was using the Senate as a place to launch a future bid for President - although maybe he sees being in charge of Defense as a better launching point.

From a policy perspective, obviously, Cotton is a cartoonish nightmare.

Price, unique among Republicans, has actually authored a replacement for the ACA. It isn't great, but he's at least put his name on something.

Cotton would be a disaster. Now I'm worried.

[KingSweden]

The latest trial balloon is Ted Cruz for Attorney General:

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-11-16/ted-cruz-said-to-be-considered-by-trump-for-attorney-general

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Compared to the horror show of Koback... plus Cruz would actually be sort of qualified

[KingSweden]

People talking about Kevin Warsh!

For which job?

[KingSweden]

Heard some reports James Woolsey had been picked as Trump NSA.

He was Clinton's CIA chief right?

[KingSweden]

Henry McMaster says he's in the mix for Attorney General:

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/henry-mcmaster-says-he-s-c-gov-nikki-haley-being/article_4f4f4182-ac40-11e6-b549-a3182d3bb377.html

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Interesting. I guess McMaster would be miles better than Kobach

Agree with Sanchez that I fail to see how Haley is qualified

[KingSweden]

Kushner is making me very angry.

Why?

[KingSweden]

I think a lot of these people aren't being considered period. I know that I took some risks with Trump and him randomly appointing people who I know he'd never hire for the Trump Organization was not one of them. I think a lot of these people are outright floating their names themselves in the hope that they can box him like Pence did (remember the disastrous VP rollout?) or to undermine the incoming administration.

I think Haley has more to gain by weakening Trump and supporting the Rubio primary challenge (it's going to happen, I guarantee it. I haven't heard any rumblings since I've been out of the loop since my internship ended in June-July, but they were surfacing then and I doubt they've been disproven so far) in 2020. She's eyeing the Vice Presidency and the nomination down the line.

Rubio would really risk crossing the base in four years by challenging the God-Emperor? (That's snark, btw)