Campaign Promises and Reality

Rubber Stamping Trump Appointees?

By Andrew Zuelke

Chairman, Constitution Party of Wisconsin

In a February 12 press conference, Karoline Leavitt was asked by a reporter, “How does the administration view Senator McConnell? Can he be a partner in the President’s legislative agenda? Are you disappointed that he [McConnell] voted against not only Tulsi Gabbard but Pete Hegseth to be Defense Secretary?” McConnell was the lone no-vote on the Republican side.

Karoline Leavitt
YouTube channel called White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Now, like all of you, I am no fan of RINO McConnell. I also know he hates Trump and voted NO on his nominees to spite him, but Leavitt’s reply was disturbing and what I would expect to hear from a leftist. She said, “I think we’re greatly disappointed in any Republican who chooses willfully to vote against the President’s exceptionally qualified cabinet nominees and picks to lead his America first legislation.” Then she added, “And so I said it repeatedly from this podium; I addressed it at the beginning of my remarks.  We expect all Republicans to vote, to stay tough and strong, vote for President Trump’s nominees, so we can get to work, and continue to work very hard to implement this President’s agenda.” [bold print emphasis mine]

Fall in Line

Any Republican and all Republicans? Is Leavitt suggesting every single one of President Trump’s nominees be rubber-stamped and pushed through no matter what? Is she, a hired employee, demanding elected senators “fall in line” and vote a certain way on every single issue? Well, then it sounds like she is suggesting we forget about the Senate’s Article 2, Section 2, Clause 2 advice and consent obligation, and that GOP senators instead say, “We are not going to hold committee hearings and allow senators to question Trump nominees. We are going straight to a vote.”

Becoming Like the Democrats

Barak Obama
Ari Levinson (Autumnfire), minor cleanup edit by Chicago god., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Friends, we didn’t just escape four years of being told by addle-minded, partisan hack Joe Biden that we can’t have dissenting voices on issues leftists told us are “settled” (covid vaccines, climate change, hate speech is not “real” speech and should be banned, etc.) only to move over into a new president whose subordinates are telling fellow party members (and us?) that we must all agree and get behind this president. No, we do not want to become like the Democrat Party which lectures us on defending democracy and the democratic will of the people even though Dem leaders did not allow their members to vote for a nominee; they just anointed Harris for president.

Think back to when Barack Obama was president. If you criticized him, especially if you were white, you were accused of being a racist who just “wanted a black man to fail.” So, now if we have a criticism of President Trump, does that mean we do not want to “make America great again,” and we want America to fail? Do we get to disagree with President Trump on anything without having our motives – or our love of country – questioned?

Redress of Grievances

Sorry, Karoline, but “We the People” will not apologize for invoking our inalienable 1st Amendment rights to “redress the government for grievances” and “free speech” when we feel our leaders are in error. If we have a criticism of the president, we will speak out. The people we elected to Congress do not work for the President of the United States; congressmen are supposed to answer to us. Donald Trump won an election; this makes him a politician. We have the right to critique our employee and his performance while on the job.

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