Trump’s expectation of #total #loyalty has crept from the White House and seeped into another branch of government.
That common denominator carried more weight than practically any other quality as the forty-seventh president selected dozens of nominees to lead different agencies
-- nearly all of whom had previously lent a hand to Trump in his criminal trials, donated money to his political campaign, or helped build out one of his presidential transition playbooks, such as Project 2025.
They have, in turn, consistently yielded to the president’s demands and expectations throughout their confirmation hearings over the last two weeks.
When asked if he would obey the Impoundment Control Act, Trump’s nominee to run the Office of Management and Budget (and Project 2025 architect) #Russell #Vought claimed that the law was unconstitutional and that he would defer to the Trump administration as to whether his office would act in accordance with the law.
U.S. attorney general nominee (and former Trump attorney) #Pam #Bondi weaseled her way out of answering whether Trump lost the 2020 election.
Trump’s confirmed Treasury Secretary #Scott #Bessent wouldn’t commit to not cutting Medicaid.
(Project 2025, the fiscal year 2025 Republican Study Committee budget plan, and the fiscal year 2025 House budget all propose sweeping cuts to the wildly popular program that provides comprehensive health insurance to some 72 million Americans.)
In October, transition team co-chair #Howard #Lutnick promised that a government equipped with total allegiance to the chief Republican was on its way.
While explaining how Trump’s last administration buckled under the weight of staff turnover due to disagreements in “vision,”
Lutnick said that the new agenda was to
eradicate any internal hostility to the Republican’s plans.
“They’re all going to be on the same side, and they’re all going to understand the policies, and we’re going to give people the role based on their capacity
—
and their fidelity and loyalty to the policy, as well as to the man,” the Wall Street billionaire said at the time.
https://newrepublic.com/post/190916/donald-trump-tom-emmer-reconciliation-loyalty