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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#338701: Nov 10th 2020 at 3:34:33 PM

Doesn't Biden have the authority to appoint a DHS Secretary who'll fire every single ICE agent and pump all the organization's money into other programs?

nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#338702: Nov 10th 2020 at 3:36:11 PM

It also makes me wonder: from what I understand, part of the reason Trump won the primaries was because there were way too many republicans in the race even towards the end. If they had done what the democrats did with Biden and hedged their bets on one guy, like Cruz for example, would they have been able to prevent him from taking the nomination?
The Republican primaries also award delegates based on a winner-take-all approach, from what I understand, unlike the Democrats who split theirs by popular vote (mostly). That allows people who pick up the first few states to get an enormous edge, something which also helped Trump.

Edited by nova92 on Nov 10th 2020 at 3:36:44 AM

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#338703: Nov 10th 2020 at 3:39:31 PM

[up]x2 He can, but the Secretary would only be able to put it into other Homeland Security Departments. The person can't just say "I closed ICE and will now give the Money to the Military", they'd have to put it somewhere within their Department. FEMA would be the nicest place to put that money, looking at the list of Agencies under the Homeland Security banner.

Edited by DingoWalley1 on Nov 10th 2020 at 6:40:30 AM

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#338704: Nov 10th 2020 at 3:44:11 PM

Well, yeah. But the point isn't to move the money anywhere in particular, it's to move it away from ICE and destroy the organization in its current form.

CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#338706: Nov 10th 2020 at 3:52:57 PM

Doesn't Biden have the authority to appoint a DHS Secretary who'll fire every single ICE agent and pump all the organization's money into other programs?

He could found FORGIVE which is an ICE that exists to relocate people and with an entirely new staff.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#338707: Nov 10th 2020 at 3:53:50 PM

I wonder if Trump believes he can order them to dissolve Congress and the Senate like Order 66.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#338708: Nov 10th 2020 at 3:55:37 PM

[up] That's not what Order 66 was for.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#338709: Nov 10th 2020 at 3:57:43 PM

He can only disband the Senate if he builds a Death Star first. And Obama already pointed out the flaw in that plan.

Altris from the Vortex Since: Aug, 2019 Relationship Status: Not caught up in your love affair
#338710: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:01:39 PM

Sorry to drop this on everyone, but Anthony Tata, retired brigadier general and noted Islamophobe, is now the undersecretary of defense. The acting Defense Secretary's chief of staff, Jen Stewart, has also resigned and been replaced with Kash Patel, "a Devin Nunes acolyte". Joseph Kernan, a retired US Navy vice admiral and undersecretary of defense for intelligence, has also resigned.

    Article Summary 
Tata had been acting as the No. 2 for policy while the person who just stepped down, James Anderson, was confirmed as the No. 2 for policy but had been acting as the chief of policy since February when the actual chief of policy, John Rood, was ousted for apparent insufficient loyalty to Trump. [1] Mr. Anderson "stepped down after repeated disagreements with the White House personnel office". He also pushed back on the installation of Trump loyalists, including Frank Wuco (who called Obama a "Kenyan") and Rich Higgins (who pushed conspiracy theories on Twitter.)

Tata has called Obama a "terrorist leader" and lied about Islam being "[the] most oppressive violent religion I know of". He has been a frequent guest on Fox News, and has attacked Pelosi and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) on Twitter and shared an article promoting a conspiracy theory about Obama being a "Manchurian candidate". (Tweets were unearthed by CNN.)

Patel has had numerous roles in the administration - most recently, he has been a deputy assistant to Trump and as the top White House counterterrorism official. He was also a large part of helping the Republicans discredit the Russia probe.

Mr. Kernan's resignation was, according to the Pentagon, planned for several months. Ezra Cohen-Watnick, who has been acting as assistant secretary for special ops and low-intensity conflict, will fill in for him on an acting basis. Mr. Cohen-Watnick is a member of the Union League of Philadelphia, a traditional and conservative society club.

House Armed Services Chair Adam Smith said that "the next 70 days will be precarious at best and downright dangerous at worst" if this removal of officials is the beginning of a trend.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.-) tweeted that "Trump's Defense Department purge is deeply dangerous to our national security-first firing SecDef Esper by tweet & now promoting a known racist Islamophobe".

[1] Feel free to correct me if I got the details of who has been performing whose duties incorrect.

This is, of course, coming after Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense, was fired by tweet yesterday.

Edit: I did not see CookingCat's post, but consider this an extension of that.

Edited by Altris on Nov 10th 2020 at 4:03:04 AM

So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#338711: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:02:57 PM

No, the leader of the Executive Branch cannot just reorganize his own branch. Or at least they shouldn't be able to, for several reasons:

  • A leader being able to restructure their own branch would be asking for corruption and damage, since a bad actor leader could unilaterally reshape their branch to their own liking.
  • Subsequent leaders constantly reorganizing their branch would weaken the government with constant turnover and change.
  • No single person can oversee all the consequences of such an action, and it should take more deliberation than unilateral action would suggest.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Scarecrow4774 from In Wonderland Since: Mar, 2017 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
#338712: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:03:43 PM

God I wish I could share my stepfamily's optimism about how this will how work out well in the end. I think the fascist-in-chief is trying to commit a coup at this point.

“We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” - Lewis Carroll
fredhot16 Don't want to leave but cannot pretend from Baton Rogue, Louisiana. Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: Too sexy for my shirt
Don't want to leave but cannot pretend
#338713: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:04:42 PM

Are these firings and replacements going anywhere?

Edited by fredhot16 on Nov 10th 2020 at 4:04:57 AM

Trans rights are human rights. TV Tropes is not a place for bigotry, cruelty, or dickishness, no matter who or their position.
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#338714: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:06:49 PM

[up][up]He's trying. It won't work; the boys in camo won't put up with it.

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#338715: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:07:35 PM

I would say it seems very pointless to do all of this since Trump is going to be gone in a couple of months all of these people will be replaced, but it makes a certain amount of sense when you realize just how serious Trump is about not going anywhere.

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#338716: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:08:41 PM

How is replacing the civilian portion of the Defense department going to help him? The actual military leadership isn't so easily changed.

CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
#338717: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:09:00 PM

I'm worried he will try to start a war using these people.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#338718: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:09:14 PM

Nah, he knows he's finished.

Remember what everyone was saying about him trashing the Oval Office and leaving a turd in the desk? That's what he's doing. Trashing the administrative branch even more than usual to leave behind problems for Biden.

Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#338719: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:13:11 PM

Considering Biden will be appointing his own staff and cabinet members when he assumes office, it's likely of little consequence

[up]Remember how Obama left a letter in the Oval Office Desk with advice on how Trump should handle things? I think Trump might actually follow that up by literally leaving a turd in the office

Edited by Xopher001 on Nov 10th 2020 at 2:14:53 PM

Reflextion from a post-sanity world (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
#338720: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:15:35 PM

To wantonly paraphrase past posts on this subject: It's kind of hard to pull off a coup without the military, intelligence community, and your bodyguards on board, and none of those groups like Trump enough to spit on him if he were burning to death, let alone violate the Constitution for him.

Someone did tell me life was going to be this way.
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#338721: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:15:40 PM

I was thinking earlier that it's possible Trump actually has accepted that he's lost, but he's trying to make Biden's election appear illegitimate. He's doing this either out of spite, to maintain a fanbase that will follow him after he leaves office, in service of a sinister ideological agenda, or for some combination of the three.

He isn't intending to actually overturn the election, just to drive a wedge even further in the country and create opposition to Biden.

Edited by Protagonist506 on Nov 10th 2020 at 4:16:55 AM

Leviticus 19:34
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#338722: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:20:20 PM

I think he's actually trying for a coup because he'll go to jail if he's out of office.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#338723: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:22:47 PM

It's really pathetic. I wonder if it will actually come to him getting dragged out of the White House by the Secret Service. Has an American politician ever had to forcefully be removed like that before?

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#338724: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:24:34 PM

[up][up][up]That's pretty much exactly what he's doing in practice.

Lazlo74 from A tropical hell-hole Since: May, 2018
#338725: Nov 10th 2020 at 4:38:50 PM

A typical argument that many of the proponents of voter fraud bring up is that "if there's no voter fraud, then why are the DNC so reluctant to open an investigation that will vindicate them should they be innocent"?

What.

Scaled seeker

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