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Trump Cabinet Shakeup

ElkiElki get busyModerator, ClubPA mod
So there's a lot of action happening in cabinet level and very senior advisor positions.

Rex Tillerson is out at State.
Mike Pompeo is leaving the CIA to be the new Secretary of State.
Gina Haspel is the nominee to take over the CIA job.
Reported to be on the way out by the Washington Post but still at this job, H.R. McMaster.

If you want to talk about why it's happening and what it means, this is the place for you. A bit from the article above.
Trump is now comfortable with ousting McMaster, with whom he never personally gelled, but is willing to take time executing the move because he wants to ensure both that the three-star Army general is not humiliated and that there is a strong successor lined up, these people said.

The turbulence is part of a broader potential shake-up under consideration by Trump that is likely to include senior officials at the White House, where staffers are gripped by fear and un­certainty as they await the next move from an impulsive president who enjoys stoking conflict.

For all of the evident disorder, Trump feels emboldened, advisers said — buoyed by what he views as triumphant decisions last week to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum and to agree to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The president is enjoying the process of assessing his team and making changes, tightening his inner circle to those he considers survivors and who respect his unconventional style, one senior White House official said.

Absolutely no "rumor on twitter is..." posts.
And try to be reasonable about what very senior means, I don't want to see daily posts about the third undersecretary of water management at Agriculture possibly leaving.
Have at it.

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Posts

  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    So the Apprentice again

  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    Ben Carson and Shulkin are embroiled in scandals, and Mattis acknowledged the idea a bunch of people are likely to get replaced is coming from Trump.

    https://www.axios.com/scoop-behind-closed-doors-kelly-says-trump-probably-contributing-to-staff-chaos-stories-76c76b7c-a4ac-406a-b174-ff54e36b5080.html
    Kelly acknowledged to the reporters it’s likely that Trump is talking to people outside the White House and that reporters are then talking to those people. Kelly cast Trump’s own conversations as a significant contributing factor to stories about the staff changes. (Kelly was making the point that he’s not around for a lot of Trump’s conversations so can’t be sure what he’s telling people over the phone.)
    Kelly said he has been telling Trump that Jeff Sessions is doing a good job. Kelly went above and beyond to defend Sessions, and told the president that the press only reports about 3% of what he does.
    There isn't a need to say Sessions is doing a good job unless Trump thinks he isn't doing a good job.

  • ButtersButters A glass of some milks Registered User regular
    Also, Steve Mnuchin has managed to rack up just under $1M in military flight costs in just over 12 months.

    https://www.citizensforethics.org/travels-treasury-secretary-steven-mnuchin/

    He has defended the need for military jets in the past saying “there are times when I need secure communications to be in touch with the president and the National Security Council”

    I know he's technically on the National Security Council but uh...I think the Treasury Secretary can afford to be incommunicado for an hour or two when traveling.

    PSN: idontworkhere582 | CFN: idontworkhere | Steam: lordbutters | Amazon Wishlist
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    Butters wrote: »
    Also, Steve Mnuchin has managed to rack up just under $1M in military flight costs in just over 12 months.

    https://www.citizensforethics.org/travels-treasury-secretary-steven-mnuchin/

    He has defended the need for military jets in the past saying “there are times when I need secure communications to be in touch with the president and the National Security Council”

    I know he's technically on the National Security Council but uh...I think the Treasury Secretary can afford to be incommunicado for an hour or two when traveling.

    Every Treasury Secretary in the modern era has flown commercial, prior to him.

    Edit: Reposted from the Public Lands thread:

    Why I Love My Fucking Home State, Please Allow Me To Apologize For My State Foisting This Bigoted Goose On You All Edition:

    Today, Interior Secretary Zinke was at a hearing before Congress regarding his plans to shrink public memorials, when this exchange happened:



    Nate McDermott is a reporter for CNN.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=741&v=8aRdjf5IHWc

    I just...I'm so sorry that we brought this goose to national prominence by electing him. (No, I never voted for him.) This sort of disgusting response to his pushes to cut these memorials embodies the callousness of this Administration.

    AngelHedgie on
    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    I get the treasury is part of the intel community but they're far, far in to the strategic side of things. I can't even think of any economic related emergency that required the head of treasury needed to be contacted immediately.

  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    Couscous wrote: »
    Ben Carson and Shulkin are embroiled in scandals, and Mattis acknowledged the idea a bunch of people are likely to get replaced is coming from Trump.

    https://www.axios.com/scoop-behind-closed-doors-kelly-says-trump-probably-contributing-to-staff-chaos-stories-76c76b7c-a4ac-406a-b174-ff54e36b5080.html
    Kelly acknowledged to the reporters it’s likely that Trump is talking to people outside the White House and that reporters are then talking to those people. Kelly cast Trump’s own conversations as a significant contributing factor to stories about the staff changes. (Kelly was making the point that he’s not around for a lot of Trump’s conversations so can’t be sure what he’s telling people over the phone.)
    Kelly said he has been telling Trump that Jeff Sessions is doing a good job. Kelly went above and beyond to defend Sessions, and told the president that the press only reports about 3% of what he does.
    There isn't a need to say Sessions is doing a good job unless Trump thinks he isn't doing a good job.

    Why does Trump need someone else to provide performance assessments of Trump’s own direct report...

  • MolotovCockatooMolotovCockatoo Registered User regular
    ProPublica retracted parts of its story that linked Gina Haspel to the waterboarding of one suspect at the CIA Thailand black site she oversaw:

    https://www.propublica.org/article/cia-cables-detail-its-new-deputy-directors-role-in-torture

    So she still oversaw torture/waterboarding, and still destroyed evidence of it, but she was being quoted as using some particularly nasty and brutal language from what we now know is someone else. Rand Paul read some of those quotes that were attributed to her as part of his public stance against voting for her confirmation. I was wondering if the retraction had forced him to reconsider but it looks like he's standing firm:

    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/rand-paul-still-a-no-on-gina-haspel-as-cia-director-despite-retraction-of-torture-story

    I thought it was a pretty shocking development since the original allegations were parroted so widely by the mainstream news. I think the retraction and correction is a good piece of journalism, and I still think she needs to be grilled at the confirmation hearing over her role in the other, subsequent torture(s) and in the cover-up of it. It would be really great if this all led to a greater de-classification of the entire era of 'enhanced interrogation'...

    This piece is a must-read about what we do know went on there: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/03/gina-haspel-black-site-torture-cia/555539/

    Killjoy wrote: »
    No jeez Orik why do you assume the worst about people?

    Because he moderates an internet forum

    http://lexiconmegatherium.tumblr.com/
  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    Hi Elki,
    I am petitioning you to put my I think appropriate graphic form the Mueller thread into the OP for this one? It seems more appropriate. https://i.imgur.com/97PgpzU.jpg

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    Sometimes I sell my stuff on Ebay
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Haspel seems like a nauseatingly awful choice to run the CIA. Like whatever else you think of the CIA, her in charge of it will be uniquely awful.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • MarathonMarathon Registered User regular
    Quid wrote: »
    I get the treasury is part of the intel community but they're far, far in to the strategic side of things. I can't even think of any economic related emergency that required the head of treasury needed to be contacted immediately.

    The only thing I could even think of would be if there was some sort of economic meltdown. And even then, at that point the treasury secretary couldn’t do much anyway.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    Is there a current member of Trump's cabinet not facing a controversy of literally wasting tax payer money? I mean they should all be fired for their horrifically wasteful spending, especially considering the complaints the right wing made for years about the Obama admin.

    Preacher on
    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • RchanenRchanen Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Is there a current member of Trump's cabinet not facing a controversy of literally wasting tax payer money?

    Is there a cabinet member whose salary could not be considered a waste of tax payer money?

  • RchanenRchanen Registered User regular
    Also I heard rumors that Kelly threatened to resign. Anybody reliable confirm?

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Rchanen wrote: »
    Also I heard rumors that Kelly threatened to resign. Anybody reliable confirm?

    Completely opposite to the story released today that claimed he and Trump are on the same page now. So probably true.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • GaddezGaddez Registered User regular
    I think the most important parts of this matter, is how clearly it shows the ineptitude of trump.

    Your political appointees are effectively supposed to be extensions of yourself; not merely your authority or those you delegate lesser tasks to, but people who are supposed to further your agenda (whatever that may be).

    That trump has hired on a bunch of people he is consistently fighting with, repositioning them, firing them and delegating authority to family screams how there is no plan. There may be goals and idea's but there is no clear concept of how those things are meant to come to fruition.

    Standards change with time, but this level of bureaucratic incompetence isn't something that should be considered accepable or defensible. Not if you want to have a rational and stable government.

  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Is there a current member of Trump's cabinet not facing a controversy of literally wasting tax payer money? I mean they should all be fired for their horrifically wasteful spending, especially considering the complaints the right wing made for years about the Obama admin.

    I haven't heard anything about the Secretary of Transportation.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    I had to even look up who that was. Isn't that Mitch McConnel's wife? But yes you are correct no article has her as openly grafting. So good on you Secretary Chao!

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    Anybody fired won't be given any dignity even before they are officially no longer on the job.

    https://thedailybeast.com/john-kelly-rex-tillerson-was-on-the-toilet-when-i-told-him-hed-be-getting-fired
    According to those sources, Kelly recounted a very awkward conversation with Tillerson during which he informed the secretary that President Donald Trump would very likely soon fire him. The awkwardness was less a result of the contents of the conversation than its setting.

    Tillerson, Kelly told the room, was suffering from a stomach bug during a diplomatic swing through Africa, and was using a toilet when Kelly broke the news to him.

    Sources were stunned that, even in an off-record setting, Kelly would say this—to a room filled with White House officials and political reporters—about Tillerson, who does not officially leave the State Department until the end of the month.
    Kelly is bad at his job and should be fired if he actually talked about this.

    Couscous on
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Mean girl behavior. Tillerson was fired and Kelly feels the need to mention he got told he potentially could be while he was pooping. Good lord this cast of idiots.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Mattis should probably be forced out because of the Theranos scandal while we're at it. While he was in charge of such things pushed hard for the military to adopt their fraudulent technology, when he retired he was rewarded with a spot on their board. Where he sat until he was nominated to be Secretary of Defense.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Mattis should probably be forced out because of the Theranos scandal while we're at it. While he was in charge of such things pushed hard for the military to adopt their fraudulent technology, when he retired he was rewarded with a spot on their board. Where he sat until he was nominated to be Secretary of Defense.

    Wow that's some clear cut badness. But sadly in this cast of grifters and grafters not even a fucking blip. Like he's still better than who will likely replace him.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Is there a current member of Trump's cabinet not facing a controversy of literally wasting tax payer money? I mean they should all be fired for their horrifically wasteful spending, especially considering the complaints the right wing made for years about the Obama admin.

    I don't think I've heard about any outright corruption from Rick Perry. Just that he's utterly unqualified for leading the DoE.

    steam_sig.png
  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    Having your top spook turn around and act as your top diplomat is kind of giving away the game isn't it.

    Bonus points when he's not even vaguely qualified for either job.

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  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    Please do not just drop whatever story about cabinet members in here. This thread is about actual firings/changes specifically.

  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    Couscous wrote: »
    Anybody fired won't be given any dignity even before they are officially no longer on the job.

    https://thedailybeast.com/john-kelly-rex-tillerson-was-on-the-toilet-when-i-told-him-hed-be-getting-fired
    According to those sources, Kelly recounted a very awkward conversation with Tillerson during which he informed the secretary that President Donald Trump would very likely soon fire him. The awkwardness was less a result of the contents of the conversation than its setting.

    Tillerson, Kelly told the room, was suffering from a stomach bug during a diplomatic swing through Africa, and was using a toilet when Kelly broke the news to him.

    Sources were stunned that, even in an off-record setting, Kelly would say this—to a room filled with White House officials and political reporters—about Tillerson, who does not officially leave the State Department until the end of the month.
    Kelly is bad at his job and should be fired if he actually talked about this.

    This fucking rules.

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  • ArbitraryDescriptorArbitraryDescriptor changed Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    *non-firing/hiring content snipped*
    So she still oversaw torture/waterboarding, and still destroyed evidence of it, but she was being quoted as using some particularly nasty and brutal language from what we now know is someone else.

    Still two fully disqualifying facts. Three, really, because even if torture were effective (it isn't!) and we secretly wanted to keep doing it (no thanks!), you need to weigh the international optics of appointing Sadie McTorture to head your most notorious foreign intelligence service.

    ArbitraryDescriptor on
  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    So this is not an excuse but actually an indictment...

    Let’s remember that Trump didn’t expect to win and hadn’t assembled an actual transition team (it really was just a team of people who were very curious about getting access to useful information), and a number of folks were probably foisted on him because he didn’t give a shit, and another number of them are grifters taking advantage of Trump.

    You could say this turnover is less because of bad judgment and more because the admin had to fill positions quickly and couldn’t properly vet people.

    Which is infuriatingly stupid.

  • TaramoorTaramoor Storyteller Registered User regular
    So this is not an excuse but actually an indictment...

    Let’s remember that Trump didn’t expect to win and hadn’t assembled an actual transition team (it really was just a team of people who were very curious about getting access to useful information), and a number of folks were probably foisted on him because he didn’t give a shit, and another number of them are grifters taking advantage of Trump.

    You could say this turnover is less because of bad judgment and more because the admin had to fill positions quickly and couldn’t properly vet people.

    Which is infuriatingly stupid.

    Yes, but now that it's been a year he feels like he has a pretty good handle on this whole "Presidenting" thing, so he's going to fill the government with as many racists as he can find.

  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    Couscous wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    Is there a current member of Trump's cabinet not facing a controversy of literally wasting tax payer money? I mean they should all be fired for their horrifically wasteful spending, especially considering the complaints the right wing made for years about the Obama admin.

    I haven't heard anything about the Secretary of Transportation.

    She got into a fight with the NY/NJ delegation over facts regaring the Hudson tunnels and admitted the President is personally trying to get the Speaker to kill them. However, she's McConnell's wife and the only one with prior Cabinet experience so I doubt she's going anywhere.

  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    Jimmy Carter's approval ratings actually went up quite a bit after his 'malaise' speech. Until he had a Cabinet reshuffle which caused people to worry. Trump has had an ongoing reshuffle from the jump, and even if he bloodbaths the Roosevelt Room and replaces everybody I doubt this will be the only time. And this sort of thing sticks in people's minds more than most.

  • TomantaTomanta Registered User regular
    Trump repeatedly and often said he would hire the "Best people". It's going to turn into a great campaign ad.

  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Mean girl behavior. Tillerson was fired and Kelly feels the need to mention he got told he potentially could be while he was pooping. Good lord this cast of idiots.

    Trump probably heard the anecdote and told Kelly to repeat it. Remember that he is intentionally cowardly and petty when firing people (see Comey)

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  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    Or Kelly is just massive asshole.

    wq09t4opzrlc.jpg
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    Is McCabe a cabinet officer? Because he was just fired. According to wapo, it was 26 hours before he could retire.

    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    McCabe is not, head of the FBI is not anyway shape or form connected with the Cabinet.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • MayabirdMayabird Pecking at the keyboardRegistered User regular
    McCabe's firing still could be related though, if Sessions fired him in order to curry favor with Trump and prevent his own canning.

  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    Mayabird wrote: »
    McCabe's firing still could be related though, if Sessions fired him in order to curry favor with Trump and prevent his own canning.

    Firing McCabe like this indicates to me that Sessions is less concerned with being fired than going to prison. If he's willing to step over that line (more like flying leap) to undermine a major factor in the Mueller investigation, that isn't about protecting his employment.

    That's about protecting his literal freedom.

    Steam: Galedrid - XBL: Galedrid - PSN: Galedrid
    Origin: Galedrid - Nintendo: Galedrid/3222-6858-1045
    Blizzard: Galedrid#1367 - FFXIV: Galedrid Kingshand

  • Phoenix-DPhoenix-D Registered User regular
    Mayabird wrote: »
    McCabe's firing still could be related though, if Sessions fired him in order to curry favor with Trump and prevent his own canning.

    Firing McCabe like this indicates to me that Sessions is less concerned with being fired than going to prison. If he's willing to step over that line (more like flying leap) to undermine a major factor in the Mueller investigation, that isn't about protecting his employment.

    That's about protecting his literal freedom.

    McCabe was retiring anyway, though.

  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    Phoenix-D wrote: »
    Mayabird wrote: »
    McCabe's firing still could be related though, if Sessions fired him in order to curry favor with Trump and prevent his own canning.

    Firing McCabe like this indicates to me that Sessions is less concerned with being fired than going to prison. If he's willing to step over that line (more like flying leap) to undermine a major factor in the Mueller investigation, that isn't about protecting his employment.

    That's about protecting his literal freedom.

    McCabe was retiring anyway, though.

    Right, which is what makes Session's doing this particularly egregious, and a blatant hit job. McCabe said it himself, this is so overtly intentionally undermining him and his role in the ongoing Mueller investigation to undermine the investigation itself, that it is infuriating.

    At minimum, in any other situation, firing McCabe like this would result in a lengthy lawsuit for wrongful termination. But that Sessions was willing to go so far as to deal with the fallout of not only that but the clear and obvious questions about how this relates to the investigation and his own role, says a lot about where it is already at, or is going, that the public isn't aware of yet.

    I mean, it seems there are two options here. McCabe was a fuckup and deserved to get fired, or Sessions under pressure from Trump and fear for himself based on knowledge he is privy to, is risking some serious shit, to fend off other serious shit. Literally every single day of the past year and two months points to the latter.

    Steam: Galedrid - XBL: Galedrid - PSN: Galedrid
    Origin: Galedrid - Nintendo: Galedrid/3222-6858-1045
    Blizzard: Galedrid#1367 - FFXIV: Galedrid Kingshand

  • chrisnlchrisnl Registered User regular
    Fired literally 26 hours before he could retire, when he had announced that he was going to do so, that is some petty crap right there. I hope they get sued.

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