Dear Senators,
Donald Trump stated repeatedly during his presidential campaign that he would “hire only the best people” for his Cabinet. While this can almost certainly be attributed to his case of chronic braggadocio (which I assume is one of those “best words” he boasted about knowing), it is nevertheless crucial that he actually does so. Trump has absolutely no experience in governance or public service, and thus it will be up to his Cabinet to rectify those deficiencies in his performing the duties of the Executive Office. It will be up to his Cabinet to advise and craft policies that will affect, for better or worse, the over 325 million citizens of the United States of America.
Unfortunately, it is clear that Trump has failed to meet his campaign promise: his choices for Cabinet positions have not been the “best people” for their jobs. Among these decidedly non-superlative choices:
• Trump nominated as our principal director of US foreign policy a man, Rex Tillerson, who shares a close personal and professional relationship with the leader of our nation’s chief geopolitical antagonist.
• Trump nominated to protect the integrity of US public education a woman, Betsy Devos, who has advocated against public education, plagiarized her Senate questionnaire, and decimated the Detroit school district.
• Trump nominated as the nation’s top law enforcement officer a man, Jeff Sessions, who, despite what I hear is a fine fellow to play racquetball with, has a documented history of bias against people of color and of no faith.
• Trump nominated to direct the Department of Energy a man, Rick Perry, who actively campaigned for its elimination (when he remembered it existed at all) and who thought the job entailed giving energy good PR, as opposed to safeguarding our nuclear arsenal.
• Trump nominated as chief advocate for sustainable and inclusive housing a man, Ben Carson, who has admitted he was unqualified for the post and has called such advocacy a failure on the order of school busing to desegregate schools.
• Trump nominated as the nation’s principal economic advisor the “Foreclosure King of California,” Steven Mnuchin, who lied to senators at his own hearing about his bank’s predatory “robo-signing” of mortgages.
• Trump nominated as chief protect of American’s well-being a man, Tom Price, who engaged in illegal insider trading as a congressman to make a quick $16,000 by delaying health legislation.
Never has the Senate’s role to “advise and consent” been more crucial than it is now. Our neophyte President lacks the experience in governance that you, as my Senator, have honed through your years of public service. His nominees are not in the best interests of the departments to which they have been nominated, and, by consequence, are not in the best interests of the American people. President Trump REQUIRES YOUR ADVICE, but his conduct over his campaign and transition indicates he will not accept it by choice. Therefore, you MUST NOT CONSENT to his appointments, and demand that he uphold the promise he made to the American people.
I beg of you to act in the best interests of your constituents in South Dakota, and of your fellow citizens in the United States, and DENY PRESIDENT TRUMP these appointments.
I thank you for your time and your service,
Travis
