Since he won the presidential election this year, Donald Trump has demonstrated to me he will be every bit as unreasonable and reckless as many of us feared.
When he nominated U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of State, there was hope, but then we saw the most unqualified candidates named to be secretary of Defense, secretary of Health and Human Services, secretary of Education and FBI director — individuals whose sole basis for selection was their Trump loyalty and/or massive contributions.
Members of the Senate pushed back, and joke candidate Matt Gaetz was forced to withdraw as the attorney general designate. Many of the other nominations are now hanging by a thread as members of the Senate find the nominees’ closets filled with skeletons.
The system is working as the Founding Fathers intended: Our president is not a king. The role of “advise and consent” granted to the Senate is of great value and importance and can and must be used to preclude a leader from naming those who will seek to destroy the government and fundamentally change the nature of our country.
The president-elect must learn his narrow victory in the popular vote does not provide him carte blanche to appoint individuals who will carry out his vengeful quest to punish those who dared to cross him.
Oren Spiegler
Peters