Sam Stein: Trump Was Looking for the ‘Biggest Sycophant that He Can Find’ and He Picked Pete Hegseth Just Because He’s on ‘Fox and Friends’

GEIST A President Elect ░░░░░░░░ has named John Ratcliffe ░░░░░░░░ his pick for CIA ░░░░░░░░ The former Republican congressman ░░░░░░░░ Texas served as director ░░░░░░░░ National Intelligence in Trump ░░░░░░░░ first administration The first ░░░░░░░░ to install him in ░░░░░░░░ failed after he removed ░░░░░░░░ from consideration Following reports ░░░░░░░░ appeared to misrepresent his ░░░░░░░░ as a federal prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ Texas Donald Trump also ░░░░░░░░ South Dakota Governor Kristi ░░░░░░░░ to lead the Department ░░░░░░░░ Homeland Security praising her ░░░░░░░░ for being very strong ░░░░░░░░ border security Noem has ░░░░░░░░ significant experience with homeland ░░░░░░░░ issues but has supported ░░░░░░░░ s hard line immigration ░░░░░░░░ She also defended fellow ░░░░░░░░ governors in their efforts ░░░░░░░░ crack down on migrants ░░░░░░░░ their states Sam let ░░░░░░░░ go back to CIA ░░░░░░░░ then we can get ░░░░░░░░ Governor Noem in a ░░░░░░░░ John Ratcliffe a guy ░░░░░░░░ familiar to Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ worked with him as ░░░░░░░░ said in the first ░░░░░░░░ a former Republican congressman ░░░░░░░░ s the sense on ░░░░░░░░ Hill of what kind ░░░░░░░░ CIA director he d ░░░░░░░░ STEIN I mean he ░░░░░░░░ one of these picks ░░░░░░░░ by virtue of having ░░░░░░░░ there in the first ░░░░░░░░ will probably sail through ░░░░░░░░ People are familiar with ░░░░░░░░ There s no immediately ░░░░░░░░ flags like there were ░░░░░░░░ first time around because ░░░░░░░░ the misrepresentation that you ░░░░░░░░ about Same with Noem ░░░░░░░░ a degree The real ░░░░░░░░ obviously as we were ░░░░░░░░ talking about is Pete ░░░░░░░░ where people are just ░░░░░░░░ of dumbfounded by it ░░░░░░░░ m sort of amazed ░░░░░░░░ how staid the conversation ░░░░░░░░ been to this point ░░░░░░░░ Hegseth because if we ░░░░░░░░ being Frank about it ░░░░░░░░ reason he s picked ░░░░░░░░ because he s on ░░░░░░░░ Friends right Like and ░░░░░░░░ is true of a ░░░░░░░░ of these picks right ░░░░░░░░ Waltz also happened to ░░░░░░░░ the congressman who had ░░░░░░░░ on Fox more than ░░░░░░░░ other sitting Republican member ░░░░░░░░ Congress in the past ░░░░░░░░ years These people grabbed ░░░░░░░░ s attention because of ░░░░░░░░ television appearances He s ░░░░░░░░ to the idea that ░░░░░░░░ can present on a ░░░░░░░░ that he loves Contemporaneous ░░░░░░░░ I should say reporting ░░░░░░░░ last night suggests that ░░░░░░░░ Hegseth decision was done ░░░░░░░░ a matter of 24 ░░░░░░░░ that there s internal ░░░░░░░░ about it Similarly with ░░░░░░░░ a little bit people ░░░░░░░░ wondering what kind of ░░░░░░░░ she has to run ░░░░░░░░ which also we should ░░░░░░░░ oversees FEMA response and ░░░░░░░░ help with that So ░░░░░░░░ s some confusion about ░░░░░░░░ but I think we ░░░░░░░░ getting to the main ░░░░░░░░ which is that this ░░░░░░░░ Trump right People have ░░░░░░░░ sort of have come ░░░░░░░░ internalize the idea that ░░░░░░░░ s going to choose ░░░░░░░░ not necessarily based on ░░░░░░░░ but based on their ░░░░░░░░ to handle television interviews ░░░░░░░░ on their personal loyalty ░░░░░░░░ them And I think ░░░░░░░░ the Hegseth thing and ░░░░░░░░ to keep going back ░░░░░░░░ but I just think ░░░░░░░░ s the most controversial ░░░░░░░░ is that he s ░░░░░░░░ they ve been pretty ░░░░░░░░ clear about their desire ░░░░░░░░ use the military domestically ░░░░░░░░ I mean this was ░░░░░░░░ issue in the first ░░░░░░░░ where they want to ░░░░░░░░ down some of the ░░░░░░░░ happening in Lafayette Square ░░░░░░░░ used the military it ░░░░░░░░ a problem for the ░░░░░░░░ leaders at the time ░░░░░░░░ didn t realize they ░░░░░░░░ being co opted in ░░░░░░░░ way Obviously military officials ░░░░░░░░ out against Trump after ░░░░░░░░ fact I think he ░░░░░░░░ at this and says ░░░░░░░░ know what I don ░░░░░░░░ want to deal with ░░░░░░░░ again And so find ░░░░░░░░ most you know the ░░░░░░░░ biggest sycophant that he ░░░░░░░░ find to serve as ░░░░░░░░ secretary and see if ░░░░░░░░ can jam it through ░░░░░░░░ Senate and that seems ░░░░░░░░ be what s happening ░░░░░░░░