I see Trump cannot stand rejection, as he’s renominated Rep John Ratcliffe (R-TX), whose initial nomination was withdrawn after Senators from both parties expressed skepticism – and news organizations examined his campaign materials and found them to be, at best, containing dubious claims – at worse, fallacious. I think NBC News‘ report gets it about right:
In what amounts to a direct challenge to Senate Republicans, President Donald Trump announced Friday that his pick to head the intelligence community is the same Republican congressman whose previous bid for the job collapsed amid revelations he misrepresented his background.
Trump tweeted that he was nominating Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas to be the director of national intelligence, calling the former federal prosecutor “an outstanding man of great talent.”
However, I wouldn’t be nearly so polite about. Trump, who cannot stand to be frustrated in any little thing, is out to demonstrate his dominance. Lift the leg and pee on everyone who rejected his choice, that’s all it comes down to.
But it’s worth wondering how Party discipline, aka toxic team politics, is going to play into this. There’s not really been anyone beyond Trump himself who has endorsed Ratcliffe for the position, and in fact studied legal opinion is that he does not, under the law, qualify for the position.
Given that Ratcliffe has been a vociferous defender of Trump, it’s hard not to see this as nothing more than handing a plum job to a loyal supporter, a supporter who has promised to “reform” a key segment of US Government that has not cooperated with President Trump. The fact that most parts of US Government should be securely and permanently non-partisan matters not a whit to this President.
How will Republican Senators break on this nomination? Given their frantic confirmations of conservative, sometimes ill-prepared individuals, the suspicion is that party loyalty will win out over the requirements of their jobs, and they’ll confirm.
And what if they don’t confirm? Will Trump refuse to endorse them? Endorse primary opponents? That’s the whip, and that may make all the little dogs fall into line.
Bark-bark-bark, all you little Senators. Here’s the result of toxic team politics.
