Losing candidates find a home in the Trump administration: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online edition of From the Politics Desk, our evening newsletter that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News political team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

In today’s issue, we examine how President-elect Donald Trump is filling his future administration with candidates who lost recent high-profile elections. Plus, lead political analyst Chuck Todd explores similarities between today’s political climate and the late 1800s.

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Losing candidates find a home in the Trump administration

Written by Sahil Kapoor and Matt Dixon

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated loyal allies to federal jobs after losing elections to Democrats in recent years, in part because of their ties to Trump himself.

Choices include:

Two former Georgia senators lost their campaigns after promoting false claims that Trump won the 2020 election. David Perdue, who lost the 2022 gubernatorial primary while sympathizing with President Trump’s denial of the election, has been selected as ambassador to China. Kelly Loeffler has been elected head of the Small Business Administration. Doug Collins, a pro-Trump former congressman who lost to Loeffler in the 2020 Georgia jungle primary, has been nominated to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Former football player Herschel Walker, Trump’s handpicked 2022 Georgia Senate candidate, has been selected as ambassador to the Bahamas. Mr. Walker ran unsuccessfully as a MAGA disciple, but remained an ardent supporter of Mr. Trump. Mehmet Oz, the doctor and TV personality who President Trump ran for Senate in Pennsylvania two years ago, has been chosen to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Kari Lake, an ally of Mr. Trump who lost the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, and the operator of Voice of America, an international news broadcaster receiving US funding, are preparing for the 2024 Senate race. was selected. Lori Chavez Delimer, R-Ore. She lost re-election to a Democrat who associated her with Trump and mocked voters for “standing on her side,” but was chosen as labor secretary. Lee Zeldin, a Trump supporter and former New York state congressman who lost the gubernatorial race, will be elected head of the Environmental Protection Agency in 2022.

For Trump, the most important philosophy behind these selections can be summed up in one word: loyalty.

“He values ​​loyalty and hard stops, sometimes above everything else. We were not surprised that someone you mentioned was chosen,” said Trump, who is familiar with the transition process. ally said. “Not only are they qualified to serve in the appointed office, but they have shown tremendous loyalty to President Trump. He’s trying to change Washington, so he wants people he knows he can trust. I’m here.”

President Trump’s decision to raise these numbers gives power to proven supporters, but it also comes with pitfalls. Those who dare to challenge Trump will be frozen out or abandoned.

Among them are Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor who served as U.N. ambassador during President Trump’s first term and later challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, and Nikki Haley, who served as Trump’s secretary of state but is currently in office. including Mike Pompeo, who is regarded by many in the MAGA movement as: .

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The next big reform movement is about to begin.

The last time the United States had three consecutive one-term presidents, the calendar year began with the number 18.

In fact, between Ulysses S. Grant and William McKinley, America had five consecutive one-term presidents, including two non-consecutive terms for Grover Cleveland.

All elections during this period were close, essentially determining which party could unite the country and move it forward after the Civil War. And while the divisive issues back then were different from the divisive issues of this era, the moods and grievances of this country in the late 1800s seem to rhyme with the moods and grievances of the early 2000s.

For example, the issue of wealth inequality, or the idea that the system is simply rigged to favor the wealthy, was a belief of the time (think the Gilded Age) and is certainly still a mainstream belief today. There is a strong case to be made that we are now entering a new Gilded Age, with vast amounts of wealth being accumulated and created in an era of technology-driven transformation. Never before has the gap between rich and poor been so wide.

Ultimately, however, that period of political instability and discontent triggered a movement to reform the country’s political system. The turn of the century ushered in what is now known as the Progressive Era. In 30 years, the public has demanded more from government, including things we take for granted today, such as ensuring food safety and worker safety. Around this time, regular trash pickups were carried out in urban areas and were recognized as a public health problem. The modern environmental movement also took root at the time, with a focus on preservation and conservation, as well as basic beautification efforts, including the construction of parks and other shared spaces.

Politically, this era gave women the right to vote, brought about direct election of senators, added tighter government oversight of the economy, and led to the first major dismantling of corporate monopolies.

There is no doubt in my mind that the people want a period of real reform and modernization of public institutions. Given that our politics seems to repeat (or barely rhyme) the late 19th century, it’s no wonder that the inequality and polarization of the Gilded Age gave rise to the Progressive Era of the early 20th century. It’s not that big of a leap to think the same way. It has been centuries since today’s new Gilded Age could cause something similar.

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That’s all from the political desk. If you have any feedback, love it or hate it, email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com.

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