Trump’s ‘Game of Chicken’ With Appointments

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By nominating allies like former Representative Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald J. Trump is showing the most important qualification to lead key agencies is loyalty.Credit…Kenny Holston/The New York Times

To the Editor:

Re “Trump’s Picks Send Message to the Senate” (news analysis, front page, Nov. 15):

Now that Donald Trump has vanquished the Democrats, the House and Senate Republicans are next. His goal will be nothing less than their humiliation, proving at last that he is the ultimate alpha male.

As soon as they agree to one unqualified cabinet nomination or egregious claim of executive power, he will dare them to reject something even more ludicrous.

Like a middle-school bully, he will never stop pushing the boundaries. After half a century of practice, Mr. Trump has perfected this game, and his Republican minions will be no match for him.

Congressional Republicans can either start saying “no” now, or give up on retaining a shred of self-respect.

Bruce Harville
Madison, Wis.

To the Editor:

Donald Trump is playing a game of chicken with America. Ratcheting up his outrageous statements on the campaign trail, he gauged responses and reaped the rewards of millions of voters’ support.

With each cabinet nominee he appears to be repeating this pattern: Exactly how unqualified must the person be to force “responsible” people to respond? Now we must depend on the Senate to be the adults in the room and recognize the necessity of supporting qualified candidates, rather than merely loyalists, in leadership positions.

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