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He is literally going out of his way to pick the worst possible candidate for literally every position. And this is all sending a message to Republicans, not Democrats. The message is very simple. The Trump Train 2.0 is about to take off. You WILL get on board, or you WILL get run over.
His VP pick was an empty husk of a generic white male that brought nothing to the table. Except for the fact that he was a harsh critic of Trump. Was. But the message was loud and clear. "This is a man who once compared me to Hitler. He is now my lap dog. And he will say what I tell him to say."
He then demanded that the Senate go into recess so he can make recess appointments that even he knows are too radical. This is Trump putting his dick out on the table. He is saying "I will do exactly what I want, or you will get Cheney'ed." He is making sure the Senate knows who is calling the shots. And top cronies like Tuberville are Trump's lap dogs that are threatening to make it happen, come hell or high water.
His HHS secretary is an anti-vaxxer who professes to have brain worms and wants to get rid of all abortion meds, birth control, and vaccines.
His AG is a man who has already proven to be a willing puppet, but is also guaranteed to follow Trump's commands to the letter since he has federal sex trafficking charges being held over his head. This ensures that Trump doesn't have to go through a Saturday Night Massacre to get the AG to do his bidding.
His "budget czar" is already threatening to slash programs that are important to Republicans. Or at the very least, programs that even republicans know it would be political suicide to fuck with.
His Ambassador to Israel believes Palestinians don't exist.
His new "Border czar" is an open racist.
This isn't "trolling the libs". Trump knows he could easily find people to put in those positions that would anger the left, while also being able to get legitimate support from the right. The fact that he is going so far out of the way to find the stone-dead-worst people available for these positions is not only trolling the libs, but a power play against his own base. Their votes will be a test of loyalty. They are not confirming a Cabinet position. They are swearing their allegance to Donald Trump under threat of political execution. "I have altered the deal. Pray I do not alter it further."
There was a movie back in the early 80s called "The Toy". Objectively terrible movie by all accounts and would usually not recommend it. Low point of Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason's careers. But I'm recommending it because of the role Gleason plays in the movie, which is basically Donald Trump: 1982 edition. The literal only difference is that Gleason doesn't say the quiet parts out loud. He shouts it from the rooftops, knowing there's nobody left with the power to stop him. The supporting characters are all shown to have bent to his will, knowing their fate but basically powerless to do anything about it.
If you want a shot at how Trump talks to people, go watch that movie.
There was something off about his obviously intentionally egregious picks, and what you say makes a lot of sense.
In 2016, Trump was an outsider with a few allies. 2016-2020 he bullied anti-Trump republicans like Kinzinger and Cheney, making examples out of them and getting a lot of candidates, governors and House members to kiss the ring. By 2020 on Jan. 6th when it came time to object to certification and stage the coup, the House was deeply infected by MAGA loyalists, but the Senate was mostly immune (with a few exceptions, like perennially spineless Cruz and Hawley).
Now in 2024, the Senate is showing signs of pushback but Trump knows he has momentum from a likely complete House takeover and his election "mandate." He's making a statement: "submit."