The Bulwark national political reporter Marc Caputo said Sunday on CNN that President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks look like “ancient Rome,” comparing it to being surrounded by “political gladiators.”
Over the course of the past week, Trump has revealed his picks for top positions within his Cabinet, with Democrats reacting to some of them in extreme measures. On “Inside Politics with Manu Raju,” CNN political analyst Astead Herndon said that Trump’s nominations have not only forced Republicans to choose where their allegiance lies, but also noted how the nominees have become stars, making their first appearance at UFC 309 in New York City on Saturday evening.
“He’s flood the zone with these picks and forced Republicans to choose. I think it’s interesting to me that he brought Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. to the UFC event last night. He is, frankly, giving, I think, supporter-based permission structure. He’s made these folks stars over the course of this campaign,” Herndon said.
“He promised these kinds of figures having prominent places in this administration, and he’s delivering it. For a lot of those supporters, that is the point of the Trump vote,” Herndon added. “So I don’t think that’s the fullness of the electorate we saw on Tuesday. I think, for a lot of people, they backed Trump probably as a rejection of the administration and weren’t thinking of this as an endorsement of every single thing he’s talked about.”
During a UFC fight at Madison Square Garden, Trump made his grand entrance back to the city following his victory in both the Electoral and popular votes, with the crowd loudly cheering for him as appointees such as Kennedy, former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and billionaire Elon Musk followed closely behind.
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Herndon continued, stating that for Trump’s “hardcore” base, they expected nominees like former Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, highlighting his doubts that some of the more controversial appointees would be approved by the Senate. Caputo then went on to call out the group’s appearance, noting that a message was being sent to the Senate.
“And it really looks like ancient Rome here,” Caputo added. “This is sort of the conquering Republican Caesar who’s going into the Colosseum, and everyone’s cheering, and he’s got his political gladiators with him. That appearance isn’t just about him enjoying the applause.”
“He’s sending a message to the Senate, like, not only are you entertained, but these are my people, and are you willing to fight? Because here’s who I have,” Caputo concluded.
Following Trump’s appointments of Kennedy, former Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for Attorney General and Fox News’ Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, Democrats and corporate media called out the picks for their lack of experience in the potential positions.
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