Flying Blind

The period between Thanksgiving and the new year always feels a bit like time spent in a frequent flyer lounge. The amenities are usually pretty good – feasts, presents, booze – but none of it fully distracts from the fact that it’s a liminal space, a place that is neither quite here nor there. Depending on your destination, one can either luxuriate in the in-between time or stress-eat to the point of nausea. As we head into 2025, I’m doing the latter.

We already know the plane we’re about to board has a terrible safety record. Trump is the Boeing 737 Max of presidents. Any landing is likely to be, at best, bumpy and, at worst, catastrophic. Even if we do safely arrive at our destination, we’re as likely to deplane in Moscow as Milwaukee.

All that being said, I’m feeling a touch better today than I did yesterday; the institutions have begun asserting themselves. It now seems like one of Trump’s most brazenly unqualified cabinet picks is on the outs. Pete Hegseth - or maybe I should call him Pete Hogsbreath considering how often he apparently reeks of booze – is making a last-ditch appeal to senators on the Hill today while his mother delivers a televised testimonial to her son. This is the same mother who, in an email published by the New York Times, called her son “an abuser of women.” Enough allegations have now been made against Hegseth that his nomination appears as incapacitated as the woman he allegedly raped in 2017.

The unraveling of Hegseth’s nomination follows that of Trump’s first pick for Attorney General, the (alleged) sex trafficker Matt Gaetz. Another Trump nominee, Sheriff Chad Chronister, picked to lead the DEA, has withdrawn following right-wing outrage over his Chronister’s arrest of a pastor during covid lockdowns, which is the most hilarious reason for a sheriff to be forced to withdraw; he’s being deselected for following the law.

Another of Trump’s picks, Ka$h Patel (I put the “$” sign in his first name to respect the sanctity of his personal logo) may be headed for similar rough sledding if senatorial grumblings are to be believed.

Notice the lapel pin. If you thought I was kidding about his personal logo, nope. Photo: Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images

What does all of this mean? Not much, I’m afraid, but it does point to some first, tentative maybe-we’ll-get-through-this-but-I-doubt-it signals. The first is that the Senate has chosen not to roll over, at least not to roll over in such an obvious way. Maybe they’re just puffing themselves up before acquiescing to most of Trump’s choices, but at least they appear to be weeding out the most odious ones. Perhaps drawing a few lines in the sand now will give them the courage to do so in the years to come. I’m kidding, of course. Their current, mildly independent actions are unlikely to foretell any future fortitude. Even so, I’m looking for hope wherever I can find it.

The second, more hopeful sign, is that the familiar Trump incompetence seems to be, again, on full display. Those of us worried that Trump had professionalized his scattershot organization can take a little encouragement in his early moves. Once more, we’re seeing the Trumpian penchant for selecting candidates based on vibes appearing to backfire. Those of us concerned that Trump may have course-corrected from his last administration’s mistakes are breathing a first sigh of relief. At first blush, the idiot this time appears to be the same idiot from last time.

Phew.

I’m not jumping up and down just yet. These early nominations may end up serving as nothing more than an amuse bouche as they weigh Congress’s appetite for bullshit. A Hegseth may go down only to be replaced with a DeSantis, for example, who would be just as willing to act upon on any Trumpian edicts and have the executive competence to do so. Trump’s early, unqualified picks may go down, their replacements might be worse.

If nothing else, forcing the president-elect to select new nominees for important positions may impede his ability to launch a full political blitzkrieg attack on Day 1. That could have important implications for his plans to start rounding up immigrants, attack his political enemies, and set fire to the administrative state. Which, in turn, could give the opposition more time to erect barricades. Unfortunately, as any 90’s theater kid who spent their time obsessing over Les Miz knows, barricades are only as effective as the opposition’s unwillingness to plow through them.

While I’m in no rush to begin the new administration, part of me is now ready to board the plane and take the flight. It’s going to be bumpy, yes. Some of us may get sucked out of a window or two. But the only way to get past this is to fly through it. For the moment, I’m content to sip my eggnog and loll around in my pajamas, but it’s impossible to fully unwind. Instead, I find myself puttering around, messing with the piano, taking extra naps, not quite able to enjoy the holiday spirit. But I’m going to try. A couple good tidings out of Washington won’t be enough to get me out there caroling, but even this Jew knows the Christmas season is all about miracles. At the same time, I’m going to pay extra attention to the safety demonstration when do we get on board. We’re flying blind at the moment and I don’t know about you, but I’m going to make sure I’m strapped the fuck in.