It should be no surprise that President Trump is struggling to establish firm control over the Federal government and change its policies. Most positions are held by either career bureaucrats or Obama political appointees, two groups hostile to the Trump agenda. These are a vital part of the “Deep State” working to nullify the 2016 election and prevent President Trump from carrying out the policies endorsed by American voters.
The damage done by these Deep State agents is easy to see. In the days leading up to Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the US government continued to participate enthusiastically in strengthening the agreement. According to Euractiv, “They told open-mouthed officials, ‘we are following the Obama procedure.’ . . . They agreed to a limited budget increase in Bonn. Diplomats told their opposite numbers that they should seize the opportunity to get as much agreed before Tump makes up his mind, awestruck sources gossiped.”
National Park Service employees used an official government Twitter account to promote criticism of Trump. Acting Attorney General Sally Yates had to be fired when she refused to do her job, saying she would not defend the administration’s policies in court and giving Trump’s enemies a propaganda advantage in the media.
And of course there have been the leaks. Anything and everything that could possibly be twisted to make the President and those around him look bad has been turned over to the anti-Trump news media.
One key step toward overcoming the Deep State is to get Trump-appointed replacements into the hundreds of key political jobs so that they can begin providing leadership and exerting influence over the agencies. According to The Washington Post, of the 559 important jobs requiring Senate confirmation, only 40 have been filled. The Post blames Trump for failing to send more nominations to the Senate, but that overlooks the very effective campaign by Senate Democrats to discourage potential nominees from accepting Trump’s offer.
Senate Democrats (sometimes assisted by a handful of Republicans) have done their best to make the confirmation process as painful as possible for anyone willing to accept a spot in the Trump administration. Mark Green, nominated for Secretary of the Army, withdrew after becoming the target of vicious anti-Christian attacks. Attorney General Jeff Sessions endured the dredging up of decades-old, discredited accusations of racism. HHS Secretary Tom Price had to undergo baseless accusations of conflict of interest. Betsy DeVos, the Education Secretary, was ridiculed with out-of-context excerpts from her testimony. Scot Pruitt at the Environmental Protection Agency was portrayed as working with energy corporations to destroy the earth.
Two nominees currently in the confirmation process are victims of the same tactics. David Bernhardt, selected for Deputy Secretary of the Interior, received only one Democratic vote in committee, with the others accusing him of conflicts of interest regarding past legal clients. Joseph Otting, chosen as Comptroller of the Currency, is being attacked for heading a bank that foreclosed on unpaid mortgage loans.
Democrats have also used every available tactic to delay confirmation of Trump’s nominees. Even the liberal news source Politico has referred to their tendency to “drag out the confirmation process . . . slowing the President’s efforts to staff the government.”
The media have expressed their delight at the success of the effort to discourage people from risking the gauntlet of the confirmation process. “Trump faces shrinking talent pool for new hires”, says The Hill. “As Trump Weighs Shake-Up, He Faces Recruiting Challenge” trumpets The New York Times. “The Trump administration has a recruiting problem” boasts The Washington Post.
Senate Republicans, beginning with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, must bring the Democratic witch-hunt to an end. The Republican majority must brush aside Democratic delaying tactics, no matter how loudly the media scream. The confirmation process must get back on track, with committee action and a floor vote taking place as quickly as may be practical.
Republicans must also speak up in defense of the nominees. Democrats and RINO’s must not be allowed to dominate the coverage. If the mainstream media will not allow them to be heard, alternative media are readily available.
Trump cannot go on the offensive against the Deep State until he puts his troops in position. That must be done promptly, and Democratic opposition can and should be overcome by the Republican majority in the Senate.
