Our GOP nominee, whoever he is – and it will be a “he” because the GOP base is never ever going to nominate that donor diva from 2004, Nikki Haley – must pick and publicize his administration immediately upon clinching the brass ring. My pal and fellow Salem pundit Hugh Hewitt recently made this same suggestion, citing the need to show that the next administration would be staffed with competent pros who would return America to prosperity and security while creating a corps of surrogates to raise dough and campaign in the event that the left’s fascist lawfare succeeds in trapping our frontrunner in courtrooms fighting bogus charges leveled by corrupt hacks.
Hugh offered his own “fantasy draft for Trump's second term” and asked me if I had some thoughts. Well, here they are – and they differ from his in some major ways. He is neutral while I am a DeSantis guy, and I still hold out hope that the fine people of Iowa will see it my way, though that seems increasingly unlikely (I hope my infamous inability to make accurate election predictions holds!). This is a Trump-friendly list of the all-stars that should go into government to save America, but the Governor could and should pick the same folks. Here are my criteria:
First, do no harm. None of the administration candidates should be plucked from an existing job where they are either irreplaceable (like Ron DeSantis, though he’s never working for Trump anyway), where they are currently running for office in a competitive race (so no Kari Lake or Dave McCormick, who we all need to back in Arizona and Pennsylvania), or where they are not metaphysically certain to be replaced by another conservative Republican in their present or next potential office (Sorry, we love us some Winsome Sears, but Glenn Youngkin, you need to run for Senate).
Second, they should be easily confirmable, with one exception. They need to be able to pass confirmation in a narrow Senate, whether we retake the majority or blow it as usual. The exception should be one or two “reach” nominees who can be human sacrifices to buy space to get others through.
Third, they need to be on the trolley and willing to fight for the nominee’s program – unless they bring something exceptional to the table. We are not getting clones of Trump or DeSantis, but we need to avoid moles and rats. However, aggressive management and a willingness to fire non-hackers can offset the risk. Sometimes, we will not get the purity we want, but we can get something else that we need. After all, adult life is about choices, and sometimes the options are not optimal.
Fourth, they should be superstars. Get names of people now, whether from their success in the prior Trump administration or in other fields. Remember, they have to be able to administer a bureaucracy – just agreeing with us on policy is meaningless if the bureaucrats neuter them with institutional antics.
Here we go with a non-comprehensive list to fill some key positions, starting with minor potentates and going up the ladder. Note that I know some of them personally, but I would pick them anyway (as you will see, I suggest some people who I find personally to be very annoying). It’s not about the feels for me or the nominee; it’s about saving our country:
Press Secretary: Morgan Ortagus. She is a naval officer with State Department experience, as well as her own Sirius/XM radio show. She’s a great contrast with that ridiculous KJP and Baghdad John Kirby.
Secretary of Transportation: Vivek Ramaswamy. Sure, he’s the hyper Horshack of American politics, a smart guy with imagination who needs a place to prove he can get results and not just viral moments. He can’t do a lot of harm here – Pete Buttigieg has sure tried – but he could do some meaningful stuff. This is a great way for Vivek to show instead of tell.
Secretary of Education: Ben Sasse. No one has been more forthright in my irritation with Sasse as a senator. Well, I can get over it if he brings what he brought to the University of Florida to the Education Department. He did not mumble about genocide context or tolerate woke nonsense. As an ex-senator, he is readily confirmable.
Director of Central Intelligence: Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe. He did well under Trump, so let’s get him back.
FBI Director: Mike Pompeo. Chris Wray is so fired on day one. We need a confirmable guy to fix the place since our fantasy of disbanding it is unlikely to happen. The former Secretary of State is an attorney, Army officer, and headed the CIA, so he’s used to dealing with giant bureaucracies. He’s got integrity, something sorely lacking today at J. Edgar’s joint.
Treasury: Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. This was Hugh’s suggestion too and it’s a terrific one. How better to make America great again than by bringing back the guy behind the great economy we had under DJT 1.0? I would also get Larry Kudlow back as a key economic advisor.
Attorney General: Adam Laxalt. He’s a lawyer with a lot of integrity. He was DeSantis’ roommate in the Navy, so RDS is comfortable with him and his selection by Trump would be a hand across the aisle after a bitter primary. He is based – he understands the issues, and as a Nevadan, instead of a swamp dweller, he can avoid the temptation to go along/get along. Put Trump-backing attorney/pundit Mike Davis in as his deputy/hatchet man, and watch the fun begin!
Secretary of Defense: Tom Cotton. He’s a Senate leader on defense and a vet. He’s young and energetic and a potential president, so he needs a test run outside of the Senate. As a senator, he will fly through confirmation. Crucially, Arkansas will not replace him with some pinko. The DoD needs a guy who will, you know, not disappear for days at a time like that mediocre hack currently pretending to lead it. Cotton is no neocon. He’s savvy and understands from the field level how our military is broken and how we can bring it back.
Secretary of State: Ric Grenell. Ric was the ambassador to Germany and put those krauts in their place. He accepts no guff. None. And he’s a patriot with the ability to tame the Foggy Bottom boys. He will be tough to confirm, but he’s worth that fight.
Chief of Staff: Robert O’Brien, the former National Security Advisor. Robert is super-smart, very savvy, and respected by everyone. He would keep the chaos to a low simmer both in the campaign and after. The next White House needs discipline and focus, and this guy ran a giant law firm before returning to government service under Trump. Wrangling lawyers is fantastic experience for anyone wanting to wrangle politicians.
Vice President: Hey, I’m not happy about it, but getting elected is the key step, and, as I have written here, no one would help Trump more than that website-hyping harpy Nikki Haley. Unleash her to wring the bucks from her donor buddies and the votes from the dissatisfied suburban wine women and their submissive husbands who used to vote GOP until Trump’s mean tweets made them sad.
And a special bonus if it is President Trump…
Co-Ambassadors to Togo: Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. This small West African nation demands focus and attention, so why not send these two there to undertake this vital mission? Sure, it will mean their ability to influence policy is totally undermined and eliminated, but that’s a sacrifice we must bear.
There you go – this is the list. Name them and get them on the road. We have to win in 2024, so let’s get all hands on deck and get it done!
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