Lawrence: Trump pick Musk hasn't promised to stop drug use which violates his top security clearance

 

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MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell discusses the people Donald Trump wants to serve in his administration, they include Elon Musk, who The New York Times reports faces federal reviews over security reporting violations, Tulsi Gabbard, whose meetings with senators Lawrence says have “harmed” her chances for confirmation, Pete Hegseth, who had to promise to stop drinking if he is confirmed for Secretary of Defense, and Robert Kennedy Jr., a “self-described medical expert” for Secretary of Health and Human Services. » Subscribe to MSNBC:    / msnbc   » Subscribe to MSNBC on TikTok   / msnbc   » Subscribe to MSNBC on Instagram   / msnbc   Download our new MSNBC app for the latest breaking news and daily headlines at a glance: https://www.msnbc.com/information/dow... Follow MSNBC Show Blogs MaddowBlog: https://www.msnbc.com/maddowblog ReidOut Blog: https://www.msnbc.com/reidoutblog MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis of politics headlines, as well as commentary and informed perspectives. Find video clips and segments from The Rachel Maddow Show, Morning Joe, The Beat with Ari Melber, Deadline: White House, The ReidOut, All In, Last Word, 11th Hour, and Alex Wagner who brings her breadth of reporting experience to MSNBC primetime. Watch “Alex Wagner Tonight” Tuesday through Friday at 9pm Eastern. Connect with MSNBC Online Visit msnbc.com: https://www.msnbc.com/ Subscribe to the MSNBC Daily Newsletter: https://link.msnbc.com/join/5ck/msnbc... #DonaldTrump #ElonMusk #Cabinet

Block Pete Hegseth's Confirmation as Defense Secretary

PETE HEGSETH's personal life is a disaster, indicating his childish conduct, instability, 

inability to behave like a mature adult. His public comments are irrational, poorly considered. 

He has been accused of being a PUBLIC DRUNK. 

PETE HEGSETH is unqualified, incompetent & inexperienced.

A FOX NEWS = FAKE NEWS LIAR does not qualify PETE HEGSETH for office.

THIS IS NOT LEADERSHIP WE NEED IN THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT!

Donald Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense is a dangerous choice that threatens the integrity and stability of our nation’s military. Hegseth’s lack of experience, history of inflammatory statements, troubling record, allegations of sexual assault, and his past designation as a potential “insider threat” raise serious concerns about his fitness to lead the Department of Defense. The Senate must exercise its constitutional duty to advise and consent by rejecting this reckless nomination.

Hegseth was flagged as a potential “insider threat” during President Joe Biden’s inauguration due to a tattoo on his arm bearing the phrase Deus Vult—a Latin term tied to the Crusades and, in modern times, linked to white supremacist groups. This led to his removal from security duties at the time, underscoring how his behavior and associations pose risks to the integrity of military leadership.

Additionally, Hegseth has been accused of sexual assault by a woman who stated he used his position to exploit and intimidate her. Reports reveal that Hegseth paid off the accuser in an attempt to bury the allegations. These accusations, combined with his extremist rhetoric and divisive views, show a pattern of behavior that is incompatible with the professionalism and accountability required for one of the nation’s most important positions.

The Secretary of Defense oversees the largest and most powerful military in the world. This role demands a leader who prioritizes the well-being of our troops, fosters international alliances, and approaches national security with seriousness and responsibility. Hegseth’s record and behavior show he is unfit for this critical role, and his confirmation would put our national security at risk.

We call on the Senate to reject Pete Hegseth’s nomination as Secretary of Defense. Our armed forces deserve a leader who will unite, not divide, and who is committed to the values of integrity, accountability, and professionalism.

Send a letter to your U.S. Senators to demand that they stand against Trump’s dangerous nomination. Let’s ensure that the Department of Defense is led by someone who truly upholds the values and responsibilities of the office.

ACTION NETWORK

Right-wing media gleefully embraces Trump’s terrifying cabinet picks

 

This week, Donald Trump unveiled his new cabinet picks—and they’re as extreme as we feared.

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic and COVID conspiracy theorist, is nominated to lead Health and Human Services. 
• Tulsi Gabbard, known for ties to Putin, is tapped for Director of National Intelligence. 
• Pete Hegseth, a Fox and Friends host who opposes women in combat, is set to become Secretary of Defense. 
• And perhaps most concerning, Matt Gaetz—investigated by the DOJ for sex trafficking minors—is nominated for Attorney General.

These picks have set off bipartisan alarms. Some Republicans are hesitating to back them, with Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins warning Gaetz may struggle to pass Senate confirmation. 

Senior Pentagon officials have voiced grave concerns over Gabbard’s and Hegseth’s utter lack of experience.

So, if there’s this much worry, why do Trump’s picks still stand a strong chance of being confirmed?

The answer lies in Trump’s biggest asset in winning the 2024 election: right-wing media. If you support COURIER’s mission to hold Fox News and the far-right accountable for their role in undermining our democracy, can you chip in $7.00 now?

While bipartisan leaders express concern, right-wing media has been celebrating:

• Fox anchor Jesse Watters openly said, “We’re excited. And I’m not just saying that because I know the entire cabinet and I’ll be asking for special favors.”
• Newsmax host Joe Pinion declared his excitement for Trump’s “record-breaking” deportation plans.
• Steve Gruber from Real America’s Voice praised Trump’s cabinet as “an all-star group… like the Avengers.”

This isn’t just support—it’s a coordinated effort to normalize and legitimize these extreme choices. Right-wing media will paint Hegseth’s unqualified, anti-woman views as “patriotic,” downplay Gaetz’s ethical concerns, and present RFK Jr.’s dangerous conspiracies as bold thinking. 

Their agenda won’t stop with the base; it will infiltrate the mainstream, subtly reshaping how these picks are viewed, making it easier for them to gain confirmation.

This is where COURIER (and you) come in.

COURIER was founded to counter the dangerous influence of right-wing media by reaching voters where they are online. Our 11 state-based newsrooms in battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Michigan bring accurate, values-driven reporting to millions, fighting misinformation with news that matters.

With Trump’s media allies now closer than ever to his administration, expanding our reach has never been more urgent. Every contribution helps us grow, challenge right-wing narratives, and deliver honest, community-focused journalism.

If you believe in a media that won’t back down from exposing disinformation, can you chip in $7.00 to fund COURIER’s newsrooms?

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Thank you for standing with us in the fight for truth.

In solidarity,
The COURIER Team

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Trump's staff picks are getting more extreme by the day

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November 15, 2024 Since winning the election, Donald Trump has wasted no time building out his second administration, with the president-elect tapping some incredibly bad choices to lead some of the nation's most crucial agencies, including Tulsi Gabbard and Robert Kennedy Jr. But it's Trump's pick for attorney general that has alarmed even diehard loyalists—and for good reason. Matt Gaetz is a sycophantic MAGA troll widely hated among his Republican colleagues. He personifies the image of an adult man plowing mac and cheese into his mouth with a closed fist. Gaetz also happens to be the subject of a long-awaited ethics probe regarding allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old. But that investigation was effectively killed this week after Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress following Trump's announcement. The results of the probe, which appear extremely damning, could still be leaked. And judging by how much even his fellow Republicans hate him, I think the chances of a leak are medium-to-good. (Who knows, of course.) But while we wait for new horror-show appointments, I want to know: Who is the Trump pick that freaks you out the most? For me, it's tied between Gaetz and that former Fox News blowhard as defense secretary. Could it get any worse? Probably. —Inae Oh

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Trump’s Defense Secretary Pick Hopes for a Christian Crusade Fox News' Pete Hegseth travels in TheoBro circles. BY KIERA BUTLER

MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE WHAT CONSTRAINS AN AUTOCRAT? The guardrails protecting democracy may have buckled, but they are not broken. The election makes clear that autocratic forces are ascendant in America—yes, it can happen here and did—but the story isn’t fully written. Truth-telling independent media is one remaining bulwark against Trump’s unrestrained exercise of power. He rails against the press as the “enemy of the people,” because like all liars and extremists, he hates the scrutiny that comes from fearless investigative reporting.   Our nonprofit newsroom is built for the chaos and uncertainty ahead. Depend on that. But we need newsletter readers like you to stand with us. Please help with a donation if you can—even just a few bucks helps. A monthly gift would be especially powerful.  Donate Now

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How Matt Gaetz used daddy's money to become Trump's favorite congressman Like the president, the Florida Republican rode family connections, unorthodox real estate deals, and trolling to political fame. BY STEPHANIE MENCIMER INTERESTING HITORY! excerpt: The meanest member of Congress hails from a town called Niceville, a sleepy enclave of about 15,000 nestled on Choctaw­hatchee Bay, just off the Gulf of Mexico. When Gaetz was growing up, it was 90 percent white, solidly middle class, and best known for hosting the Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival—in honor of the plentiful local fish, not the hairdo. The Gaetzes owned a second home, in the nearby town of Seaside, where The Truman Show was filmed. Gaetz, who has devoted his career to getting on television, spent much of his childhood in a house made famous by a character trying to get off TV. The Gaetzes were conservative and religious, as was the surrounding community. (Two abortion doctors were murdered in the area during Gaetz’s childhood.) Matt’s mom suffered life-threatening complications while pregnant with his younger sister but opted not to have an abortion and was partially paralyzed as a result. Matt Gaetz has said her decision influenced his anti-abortion positions. But if anyone is responsible for Gaetz’s rise to political fame, it’s his dad, whose deep pockets and even deeper connections in Florida politics are one reason Matt is known in his district as Baby Gaetz. “Matt would be an assistant manager at Walmart if it weren’t for his father,” says Steven Specht, a Democrat who ran against Gaetz for Congress in 2016. Gaetz is a third-generation politician. His grandfather, Jerry Gaetz, was the mayor of a small town in North Dakota and a state legislator who died in 1964 at the state GOP convention after giving a speech endorsing Barry Goldwater for president. Matt’s father, Don Gaetz, has been a prominent figure in Panhandle politics since first winning election to the Okaloosa County school board in 1994.

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