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
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
7 drinks for every winter need possibleThe Week Recommends Including a variety of base spirits and a range of temperatures
-
'We have made it a crime for most refugees to want the American dream'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Was the Azerbaijan Airlines plane shot down?Today's Big Question Multiple sources claim Russian anti-aircraft missile damaged passenger jet, leading to Christmas Day crash that killed at least 38
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talksSpeed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tourSpeed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
