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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Sidney Blumenthal

Trump’s cabinet picks are agents of his contempt, rage and vengeance

man wearing black suit and tie
‘Trump named Gaetz attorney general. The next day, Gaetz quit the Congress. The day following that, the House ethics committee report on Gaetz’s alleged sex crimes was scheduled to be released.’ Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP

“Shock” suddenly became the most commonly uttered word in habitually nonplussed Washington DC. After Donald Trump had attempted to subvert the certification of a presidential election, incited a mob, absconded with national security secrets, was convicted as a felon, and waged his Nazi-esque “poison in the blood” campaign, his brazen cabinet appointments are so mind-boggling that even hard-bitten cynics gasp.

Sheer hypocrisy would have drawn a yawn. But Trump’s cabinet selections would have startled even the character of Captain Louis Renault in Casablanca, who feigned surprise at discovering gambling in the backroom of Rick’s Café before pocketing his winnings: “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!”

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