What Happens When You Have a Government of the Worst
It can be complicated to follow the Trump Administration day in, day out. Here's the overarching principle.
At times, it can feel overwhelming to follow the Trump White House because it does so many things at once. In other administrations, some of these developments, like using the encrypted-messaging app Signal to discuss war plans, might have led to resignations or even impeachment proceedings. As Atlantic Editor Jeffrey Goldberg, who broke the Signal story, said recently, "every day is a kind of Watergate at this point."
However, one overarching principle runs through many of these developments: kakistocracy. What we are seeing now are the effects of a government run by the worst, least qualified, and most unscrupulous citizens. Trump values loyalty over expertise, and what many of his cabinet members lack in experience they make up for in loyalty.
Consider the televised cabinet meeting last month. Every cabinet member had blue and red baseball caps in front of them with the message "Gulf of America." Cabinet members heaped North Korean-style praise on their boss. For Example, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “Mr. President, your first 100 days has far exceeded that of any other presidency in this country ever, ever." She added, “[I’ve] never seen anything like it, thank you.”
In other public forums, Trump's cabinet picks have come across as incompetent. This past week, Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem couldn't define habeas corpus under questioning from Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). Noem said, "Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country." In reality, habeas corpus is the constitutional right that protects individuals from unlawful imprisonment by allowing them to challenge the legality of their detention in a court of law.
Earlier this month, Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to Harvard University saying that it could no longer apply for government grants. The letter was filled with scare quotes, words in all caps, and an X user even marked it up for improper grammar. McMahon wrote, "Where do many of these 'students' come from, who are they, how do they get into Harvard, or even our country--and why is there so much HATE?" McMahon accused Harvard of inviting "foreign students, who engage in violent behavior and show contempt for the United States of America, to its campus." Later this month, the Department of Homeland Security blocked Harvard's ability to enroll international students; the university has sued in response and won a temporary restraining order against the action.
The flip side of public displays of incompetence is an obsession with loyalty.
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