Lori Falce: NomineeMania Smackdown 2025!

“Holy s—-! I didn’t see that coming!”

That was the reaction of U.S. Sen. John Fetterman to Matt Gaetz withdrawing his name from consideration to become U.S Attorney General.

It was also the reaction of many people when President-elect Donald Trump nominated Gaetz — who resigned from the House of Representatives as an ethics investigation report on him was due to be released. That resignation ended the investigation. The panel subsequently deadlocked on release of the report, keeping it under wraps.

Fetterman said he felt like Trump’s pick was “nothing but trolling” just a week ago.

A week ago? Is that all it was?

It’s easy to lose track when every day seems to bring a new pick that is, to be charitable, puzzling.

Former Congressman Sean Duffy’s chief qualifications for secretary of transportation would seem to be his tenure on the reality show “Road Rules.” Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s own descriptions of his actions — like toting a dead bear cub, as described to Roseanne Barr — and health issues — yes, the brain worm — would seem to disqualify him for most offices, but none more than running Health and Human Services.

Pete Hegseth for the Department of Defense? Really? This has nothing to do with his work for Fox News. It’s that the work of a broadcast media personality and the work of deploying the 2.8 million civilians, active military, National Guard and reservists have zero overlap.

Fetterman’s “trolling” comment seems to be the only reason for tapping South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for Homeland Security or former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard for director of National Intelligence. Noem’s chief claim to fame is admitting to shooting her own dog. Gabbard is known for pro-Russia comments, which raise eyebrows when someone is tasked with national security in the midst of a war.

“Gabbard, like Gaetz, is like a hand grenade ready to explode,” said John Bolton, Trump’s first term national security adviser and George W. Bush’s ambassador to the United Nations.

That is not to say all of the proposed picks are completely unqualified.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, who lost his Senate bid to Fetterman in 2022, is named for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He was a respected cardiothoracic surgeon long before Oprah Winfrey made him a TV star. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s state has five national parks, trails and historic sites; he has the background and experience to run the Department of the Interior. Hours after Gaetz resigned, Trump named his replacement nominee, former two-term Florida attorney general Pam Bondi. Like her politics or not, she does have the resumé for the job.

There was no shortage of support for Trump in many corners of the Republican Party. Elected officials, former elected officials, people with long and established pedigrees in many areas stood in his corner, cheered his campaign and worked toward his goals.

Why are there not better qualified people put forward to do important and vital work for the American people — and to do it for Trump? Doesn’t the former and future president deserve better for the Department of Education than Linda McMahon, who made sense in his first term for the Small Business Administration. But unless we are going to teach our kids how to club each other with folding chairs, the former head of WWE doesn’t appear right for learning.

But if Fetterman is right and this is trolling, maybe McMahon is exactly what we need. Maybe the confirmation process could be replaced with a pay-per-view cage match. The money could go toward the national debt.

Holy s—-. I didn’t see that coming.