The Trump-Era Chaos Is Back, and So Is the Incompetence

We’re barely a week into it, and already the chaos of the Trump era is re-emerging. Many may have forgotten just how terrible Donald Trump is at governing and how often he manages to sabotage himself. If anything is going to save democracy this time, it might just be his own incompetence. There’s also the fact that none of these narcissists can coexist. I’ve seen reports in three places now about how fed up Trump is with Elon Musk, who — like a bad houseguest — just won’t leave Mar-a-Lago.

Yesterday, Trump took incompetence to a new level. After establishment Republicans elected John Thune as Senate Majority Leader (a Mitch McConnell ally who isn’t MAGA but will likely play nice), Trump nominated two candidates more outlandish than a Fox News host for the Department of Defense: Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence and, heaven help us, Matt Gaetz for Attorney General.

Let’s be clear: Tulsi Gabbard is erratic. She treats The National Enquirer as a news source. Despite being a vocal Trump supporter, however, she was a Democrat who endorsed Joe Biden just four years ago. Coming from the Bernie wing, she’s anti-interventionist (like many Democrats), which could be tolerable if not for her extreme Islamophobia. She might also be a Russian asset. In any traditional administration, she wouldn’t clear a background check. Here, who knows?

Then there’s Matt Gaetz. Sure, he is technically a lawyer, though he practiced for less than two years (probably at his Daddy’s firm). He’s wildly unqualified for this role, which is both a curse and, arguably, a blessing. Part of the reason House Republicans have been in such disarray recently is because of Gaetz. He single-handedly got Kevin McCarthy ousted and nearly got punched on the House floor. People despise him. People will hate working for him. If Trump wants to clean house in the DOJ, good luck finding a new team willing to work for Matt Gaetz. The level of hatred folks have for Gaetz will result in more turnover, more leaks, and more incompetence.

I almost want him to be confirmed. As Attorney General, Gaetz would likely spend the next few years targeting Trump’s “enemies,” although, in reality, the only people with real power right now are other Republicans. Sure, he might go after Jack Smith or the “Biden Crime Family,” but Gaetz is so petty and vindictive he might spend a year prosecuting Kevin McCarthy over some petty grudge.

That’s assuming he’s even confirmed. I’m not sure where recess nominations stand right now, and I’m not ready to go there yet. What I do know is that Gaetz resigned yesterday, just two days before the House Ethics Committee was set to release a “highly damaging” report on him. Now, the House has lost jurisdiction over him, but don’t think that report won’t leak. His confirmation was already unlikely — Susan Collins is “shocked” (though no one would be shocked if she still votes for him) — and Gaetz is probably the least-liked Republican in Congress. Gun to the head, if forced to spend four years in a room with either Ted Cruz or Matt Gaetz, I’d just ask that the gun is loaded.

The point is: The chaos is back. Here’s hoping it consumes the Trump White House until someone can step in to rescue us.