Trump's Chaos Cabinet

Plus: a listener asks the editors about fluoride in the water supply.

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Trump's Chaos Cabinet

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman chime in on the latest developments in Donald Trump's cabinet appointments and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

00:28 - Fred Smith tribute

04:58 - Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) takes shape

18:58 - Trump's FCC pick and free speech

31:38 - Weekly listener question

38:54 - Tulsi Gabbard vs. the Deep State

49:31 - This week's cultural recommendations

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

"Thank You, Fred Smith," by Ryan Young

"Fred Smith: 'The Alternative To Innovation Is Not Stability. It's Stagnation,'" by Nick Gillespie

"Bullish on DOGE," by Liz Wolfe

"DOGE Can Succeed by Scaling Back Its Ambitions," by Brian Riedl

"Incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's Beef With NewsGuard Is Legally Dubious and Empirically Shaky," by Jacob Sullum

"The New FCC Chairman's Agenda Contradicts Conservative Principles," by Jacob Sullum

"Trump's Pick To Run the FCC Wants To Restrict the Editorial Discretion of Social Media Platforms," by Jacob Sullum

"We Don't Need RFK Jr. To 'Make America Healthy Again,'" by Kelvey Vander Hart

"Five Phony Public Health Scares," by Ronald Bailey

"'Impurifying our precious bodily fluids': Fear of fluoridation takes a left turn," by Ronald Bailey

"No, DOJ Shouldn't Investigate Tulsi Gabbard for 'False Russian Propaganda,'" by Robby Soave

"It Will Be a Beautiful Day When the Air Force Bombs All the Schools Having Bake Sales," by Nick Gillespie

"Tulsi Gabbard Conspiracy Theories Go Mainstream as Hillary Clinton Accuses the Candidate of Being Groomed by Russia," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown

"Hillary Clinton Says Donald Trump Is an Illegitimate President and Tulsi Gabbard Is a Russian Tool," by Robby Soave

"Tulsi Gabbard's Great Moment From Last Night's Democratic Debate," by Nick Gillespie by Robby Soave

"Gladiator II* Is a Lavish, Empty Spectacle," by Peter Suderman

"Dispatch From Trump World: The Spirit of '24," by Nancy Rommelmann

 

Upcoming Events:

Reason Versus, December 18, 2024

 

Send your questions to [e-mail]. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

 

Today's sponsors:

• ZBiotics. ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by Ph.D. scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Make ZBiotics your first drink of the night, drink responsibly, and you'll feel your best tomorrow. Go to zbiotics.com/ROUNDTABLE to get 15 percent off your first order when you use ROUNDTABLE at checkout. ZBiotics is backed with a 100 percent money-back guarantee so if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

• Video Editor: Ian Keyser
• Producer: Hunt Beaty

What are we consuming this week?

Nick Gillespie

• Gladiator II

Peter Suderman

• Gladiator II

Katherine Mangu-Ward

• Me Before You by Moyes Jojo

Matt Welch

• The Morning Meeting

---

Comments

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Is this another reason diatribe where they blame the liberal caterwauling as chaos on trump?

[InsaneTrollLogic (Factio Democratica delenda est 5/30/24)]

Did you expect anything less when The Jacket, Mingo Mango Mongo, Mr. Red Wedding, and Suderman are involved?

[VULGAR MADMAN]

So many punchable faces.

[Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)]

Well, at least we have a line on what the DC cocktail bars are saying.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Trump is poised to upend the uniparty cabal, deep state and administrative state that libertarians have been bitching about for half a century. We got a heaping helping of screeching a few days about abolishing most of the federal government here at Reason. But, true to form, Koch/libertarians return to their statists roots and worry about the chaos that all of that will inevitably require. Trump isn't promising a libertarian revolution but it may be as close as we'll ever get. I for one intend to enjoy the ride. Oh and since I'm here anyway, Fuck Jacob Sullum.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Fuck Jacob Sullum indeed. His TDS inspired pain is delicious.

[It's only a paper moon, Nominalists]

Wrong on virtually all counts, you are, Gaear
Of course your filthy mouth should alert people that you are not a nice or mature person.

Libertarians rejected Millei and Villareul because of their abortion stance, you almost for sure.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Leftist assholes; didn’t listen

[Dillinger]

>>Chaos Cabinet

being afraid is so msnbc.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Moved.

[Eeyore]

But is it chaotic good or chaotic evil?

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Opposes open borders, which is chaotic bad… so chaotic good?

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Ever try and work out where politicians fall on the D&D alignment chart? I’ll start off.

Nancy Pelosi: Lawful evil/leans neutral evil

[JohnZ]

Nancy leans because of Vodka.

[Don't look at me!]

I thought it was KAOS and Control.

[The Mysterious Edwin Dunkel]

Sorry about that, chief!

[VULGAR MADMAN]

The God Emperor represents chaos?
Heretics!

[Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)]

The Horus Heresy? In my Reason?
It's more likely than you think...

The Chaos Gods and the Daemons of the Warp refer to the God Emperor as "the Anathema" for He is the greatest embodiment of universal order in the galaxy today and the most potent foe of Chaos in existence. He was, and remains, the most powerful Human psyker to have ever been born... and he's going to make America great again.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

The PC game “Space hulk “ was where I discovered that universe.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

Oh NOES! He's nominating people who might make differences! Can't have that!

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Abolish Trump's Cabinet!

[Chumby]

JD Vance is wrong about Trump’s cabinet nominations.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

It won’t matter. He has several armoires ready to go at a moments notice.

[JohnZ]

We’re about to abolish Biden’s/Obama's Cabinet.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Obama still thatcloset that he inhabits. He refuses to come out.

[Commenter_XY]

That is exactly how I feel, Sevo. It is endlessly amusing to watch these people lose their minds.

If a Pres Trump ultimately reduces the size of Federal bureaucracy, he will have done what Reagan could not. Then 2028 becomes very important.

[DesigNate]

If that were to happen, it would constitute a more libertarian outcome than the LP has been able to accomplish in its entire existence.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

Seems Jack Smith knows full well that no one else was going to persecute (sic):

"Special counsel Jack Smith moves to drop Trump election case"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rcG02TfXaE

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Dismissed without prejudice, so another crooked prosecutor can bring charges later.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Yeah. And he claims that they will continue to prosecute the other defendants in the documents case. Of course Trump's AG will shut that down but the Biden regime wants to leave the door open in case they win in 2028. And by dropping the appeal in the circuit court we will not have a final ruling on whether or not the special prosecutor scam is constitutional so president Newsome can go after his political enemies down the road.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

That’s the plan. More proof it’s time to get rid of the democrats. So we never have to worry about this again.

[Chumby]

Are any of these people experts on fluoride and fluoridation? Why not ask them about variable valve timing in motors.

@Jesse, recall the time when White Mike Laursen got his reader question in, you called it stupid, and Mike seethed?

[Don't look at me!]

Mike is an endless source of amusement.

[Eeyore]

Cite

[JohnZ]

Fluoride is a hoax. Created by the Rottenfellers simply to make more money.
In fact it causes more problems including lowering IQ

[Spiritus Mundi]

Today's sponsors:
ZBiotics. ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink is the world’s first genetically engineered probiotic.

RFK Jr is a crank who promotes unscientific nostrums and conspiracy theories.

[It's only a paper moon, Nominalists]

still not one serious reply.
There is not one Cabinet choice that even approaches the horror of these
https://paproviders.org/meet-dr-rachel-levine-pennsylvanias-physician-general/
https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/panelist-sam-brinton-head-advocacy-government-affairs-10183206e

The worst in my lifetime...any serious replies? ...Didn't think so

[DeAnnP]

Dr. Levine seems more than qualified....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Levine. A physician since 1993.

Sam Brinton. Again, seems more than qualified. Seems to have a problem with stealing, which disqualifies yes. But you cannot say a literal nuclear engineer was unqualified for a position in the office of nuclear energy.

I got one for you https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Perry

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Mentally ill people are unqualified to hold these jobs. And those two are mentally ill.

Case closed.

[JohnZ]

Indeed! Yes,!

[It's only a paper moon, Nominalists]

Foolish perverts are by defnition not qualified.
Maybe , just maybe, you are a pervert and don't see what you are.
Maybe. As I've never and I mean NEVER met anyone that didn't find Rachel and Sam to DISGUSTING. You call them qualified but you would be a shitty parent if you let your kids around them

[Uomo Del Ghiaccio]

Personally, I'm generally satisfied with the appointments that Trump has made simply because the vast majority are individuals who will question the status quo and not blindly capitulate to the deep state (un-elected bureaucrats who believe that should be in control versus the citizens). There are a few too many neocons, but not the kinds of neocons that are owned by the deep state.

[JohnZ]

Indeed.
The ones howling the loudest are the ones who see their agendas being tossed out.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Amd there are so many that the left can’t effectively persecute them. Plus most people, outside the die hard democrat/Marxist kooks don’t listen to anything the media says anymore.

[MT-Man]

and this is the hill they want to die on with their support/nomination of chase?

[JohnZ]

This incoming adminstration can't do any worse than the present one. In fact one should expect some major improvements, especially with the economy as the markets have already had several upticks.
Unlike the current administration that has been an utter disaster for Americans and for, especially the people of Ukraine.
The economy is a disaster with sky high food prices, sky high energy prices and the highest gasoline prices in history have impoverished the middle class and made the poor even more destitute. Now even the upper middle class are forced to shop at WalMart as costs of living are so high.
The proxy war in Ukraine is a calamity for everyone involved yet the senile old dope in the Oval Office has no idea what's going on, given that dementia has nearly taken over. That administration has proven one thing; it is the most corrupted, stupid, incompetent and dangerous administration ever. They have nearly destroyed two nations because of their incompetence and stupidity.
The Trump administration certainly won't do any worse.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

So,e things are already getting better just because Trump is incoming. Futures markets are reacting favorably, and groups like Hezbollah and Hamas know they’re running out of time to knock their shit off if they want to survive.

[Peter Kreeft taught me LOGIC, BEWARE !!!!!!!]

Don't be world-class ignorant : what does 'knock their shit off" mean to a group that says it will die rather than let Israel live.

[It's only a paper moon, Nominalists]

Here are 2 of Biden's star picks and you said NOTHING

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55e08bc8e4b0c71256a51904/233de704-738a-4839-a2cf-c3eac7d4573c/2022-07-15+15.12.00.jpg?format=2500w