Samantha Bee digs through Donald Trump's 'nightmare' cabinet list, looking for less-bad news
On Monday's Full Frontal, Samantha Bee took a — let's say skeptical — look at Donald Trump's real and prospective picks for top advisers and cabinet positions. She started with Trump's chief of staff, outgoing RNC chairman Reince Priebus — "establishment Republican, good fundraiser," she shrugged, adding that because "Trump's populist base hates him," Trump also needs an outsider. And for that, he picked "alt-right hand man" Steve Bannon, Bee said, and that's terrifying. "He's the milkshake that brings all the deplorables to the yard," she said, running through some racist, sexist, anti-Semitic headlines Bannon's publication, Breitbart News, published. "He's now our president-elect's Karl Rove," Bee said. "Would the Party of Lincoln care to comment?" No, it would not.
"This cabinet list isn't just a liberal's nightmare — a liberal's nightmare is running out of almond milk at a brunch party — this is a nightmare for anyone who thinks job candidates should have relevant experience and education beyond the qualification of being named Steve," Bee said. Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and Rudy Giuliani are just the most famous names being floated, and it's possible Trump is floating them to make his actual terrible picks seem slightly less bad, Bee said, unconvinced. It isn't all awful news, she added, noting that if Trump taps Ben Carson for education secretary, that's great for rocket scientists: "America will no longer be using 'brain surgeon' as a cliché for smart." And "fortunately, the men being considered to run Treasury and Commerce are smart and have tons of experience — at Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan," Bee said. "Oh, gosh, I hope they weren't tainted by listening to any of Hillary's speeches." Watch below. Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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