February 14, 2017 by David K. Sutton

Trump’s ‘Extreme Vetting’ Irony

Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was forced to resign yesterday in disgrace because he lied to the administration and the country over talks with Russia. Maybe not qualifying as irony, but it is poetic justice that Flynn was caught in a web of lies, and potential illegality, considering he led the “lock her up” chants against Hillary Clinton at the Republican National Convention.

But Trump’s administration has not been without irony. In fact, many of his cabinet picks are extremely sardonic and paradoxical. Never mind the twist of “extreme vetting” in the wake of Flynn’s resignation, but to find irony, you need look no further than Betsy DeVos, the recently satirically confirmed education secretary. DeVos, a billionaire with no practical experience in public education, nevertheless was confirmed by a severely cynical Republican-controlled Senate, showing yet again politics wins all, even when it comes to the education of America’s youth. DeVos would be a prime candidate if the goal was to mock and dismantle public education.

Trump’s pick to head up the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, is a lifelong foe of the environment and especially the EPA, adding to the Trump-led public service mockery. Pruitt questions the science behind many if not all EPA regulatory decisions and recently called climate change a “religious belief.” In other words, Pruitt’s beliefs are antithetical to the position he seeks.

Then of course you have Rick Perry, the former Texas governor who non-satirically vowed to abolish the Department of Energy, a desire apparently informed by a severe lack of understanding of this vital department.

And last, you have the Chief Executive of Carl’s Jr., Andrew Puzder, Trump’s pick for labor secretary, a person with contempt for the workers who make his wealth possible. I’ll sum up with this clip from the 2006 movie Idiocracy.

Fuck you, I’m eating!

While Trump voters whipped up a frothy rage over Hillary’s emails, they apparently are none too worried about Trump’s tweet-a-thons on a non-secure phone. And apparently sensitive national security discussions during the main course at Mar-a-Lago are of no concern. How about the fact that his staff is using private RNC servers for their email? Nah! What’s all the fuss?

And then we have the entire Russia fiasco. What is it with Trump and Russia? Trump has never found a person he couldn’t say a bad thing about except Vladimir Putin. But worse than Trump are the congressional Republicans who have fallen in line behind Trump like good soldiers. Can you imagine if Hillary Clinton was elected, and she had nothing but kind words for Putin, and Russia had hacked the RNC? Republicans would lose their shit, or shit their pants, or both! But when it comes to Trump and Russia, it feels like we’ve moved on, even while the Michael Flynn debacle was unfolding.

The only thing that requires “extreme vetting” is the Trump White House.