Presidents should be entitled to choose their cabinet. Any individual trusted by the voters to carry the burden of the office should be able to select those they believe best suited to support their agenda as cabinet members.

The founding fathers adhered to this philosophy with one caveat, Advice and Consent. The language is clear. The President,

“…shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.” Article II Section 2 Powers Clause 2 Advice and Consent

The President deserves a cabinet of his choice. But—and this is one of the few sublime aspects of our chaotic form of government—the overall good of the country is paramount and, thus, the advice and consent provision. The whole point of advice and consent is to balance the power of the Presidency with the co-equal power of Congress.

The House controls the budget, the Senate controls critical appointments and treaties, and the President can negotiate treaties and nominate whomever he chooses with the advice and consent of the Senate.

As many of us feared, Mr. Trump has embarked on a reckless course even before taking the oath. While some of his appointments may not be to our liking, that is a fact of life one has to accept.

But some are beyond unpalatable. To nominate an individual like former Congressman Matt Gaetz to the position of Attorney General is a slap in the face of American Justice. Mr. Gaetz could not pass a background check to be an FBI agent, Deputy US Marshall, or local police officer. I would venture to say he couldn’t pass the background for a Mall Security officer or Uber driver.

Now, Mr. Trump wants him to be the Attorney General of the United States, the chief Law Enforcement Officer of the country.

It may be a bit premature to break out the “Don’t Blame Me, I Voted for Kamala” t-shirts and bumper stickers, but I think it might be worth placing an order. If this is how it begins before he takes office, can you imagine what happens when the likes of a former WWE performer and executive takes the reins at the Department of Education?

Dumber and Dumber might be the title of a documentary someday.

It is impossible to know the future, but if you listen hard enough that giggling and chortling you hear is the laughter from students in a Poli Sci course in 2050 when the professor describes Trump 2.0. “And get this, he wasn’t even sworn in yet…you can’t make this up.”