Summary
Donald Trump’s recent cabinet picks, including controversial figures like Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., signal a deliberate effort to upend norms, bypass accountability, and impose a new reality on American governance.
By ignoring FBI background checks, exploiting legal loopholes, and sidelining Congress, Trump aims to consolidate power, destabilize democratic institutions, and govern unilaterally.
This strategy echoes authoritarian tactics, where truth and law are manipulated to serve power.
Critics warn of a growing “kakistocracy,” threatening U.S. governance and fostering public disorientation and disengagement.
The article makes other points than that. Namely “upending norms” which is its own flavor of Teflon.