Trump’s cabinet appointments and public statements since the election have given me little new information about his plans for Iran and Ukraine. His comments about tariffs have been all over the place. His “deportation czar” has been forceful, but he hasn’t said anything about building huge camps, using the military for unlawful purposes, denying deportees due process, or violating court orders. But what do Trump’s actions tell us about the likelihood that the state will be mobilized to attack his enemies?
Patel, Gaetz (before he gave up), and Hegseth are exactly the people you would hire if you wanted to unleash the military, the FBI, and the DOJ against the left. All of the warning lights are flashing on that issue. It would be a mistake to assume that liberal democracy is out of danger just because Trump’s appointments to some other cabinet positions are relatively normal.