Trump’s chosen ones: Why I can’t sleep at night by Maria Grant

 

I worked in federal government consulting in DC for several years. During that time, I worked with nine different government agencies, three of which were intelligence agencies that required a top-secret full-scope poly clearance. As a partner in charge of a practice, I received notifications when practitioners in our firm and several other smaller firms that we partnered with were approved or denied clearances, or had their clearances revoked. 

The most common reasons for denial or loss of a security clearance are  illegal drug use and excessive alcohol consumption; personal conduct issues such as dishonesty, associating with criminals, sexual harassment; financial issues such as excessive debt, fraud, tax evasion; and international issues such as possessing  dual citizenship, sharing a house with a person who is connected with a foreign government, or having substantial financial interests in other countries.  

So, here’s why I’m having difficulty sleeping at night. There’s no way that several of Trump’s picks to run government agencies, serve as ambassadors or top administrators could qualify for a secret clearance—let alone a top-secret one. So how weird is it that Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence—the umbrella agency for all intelligence agencies; Kash Patel, for FBI Director; Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to run the largest government agency—Defense—; Kristi Noem for Department of Homeland Security; and Charles Kushner, for Ambassador to France, are under consideration for these extremely sensitive, high-powered posts?  (The misdeeds of RFK Jr. for Health and Human Services Secretary would require a whole separate column.) 

And then there is Donald J. Trump himself—a man who will have access to the nuclear codes—who checks three out of four boxes for most common denials of security clearances.

For many years, I witnessed the complexity, sophistication and expertise high-level officials in these agencies possessed. I saw the detail and extreme care they used when discussing tradecraft and highly sensitive matters. And I saw time after time the importance they gave in ensuring that individuals in their employ understood their commitment to telling “truth to power.”

Now let’s take a cursory look at the cast of characters who are being considered for high level posts in Trump’s second administration.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s choice for Director of National Intelligence, would oversee 18 intelligence agencies with a total budget of $100 billion dollars. In the past, Gabbard has blamed the U.S. for the war in Ukraine, and she has met twice with Syrian’s authoritarian leader Bashar al-Assad. She has claimed that she doubts Assad used chemical weapons even though the U.S. has overwhelming evidence that he has done so. There is no way that Gabbard could get a security clearance. Add that to the fact that she has no intelligence experience.

Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI Director, was formerly a government lawyer in the Justice Department and rose to some top national security positions inside the Pentagon and White House. He also helped Trump try to overturn the 2020 election. In his memoir, Patel accused the FBI and 60 specific people of being part of the “deep state.” He has made clear that he is on Trump’s retribution train to seek out and prosecute Trump’s perceived adversaries. Patel has no experience managing large groups of people. The FBI has approximately 35,000 employees. Many former FBI officials project that dozens of career FBI employees will take early retirement or resign should Patel be confirmed as FBI Director. 

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to head the Department of Defense, also has never managed large groups of people. The Department of Defense has more than a million employees and a budget of approximately $776 billion. Through poor financial mismanagement, Hegseth has run two small nonprofits into the ground. For sure he checks at least three of the four boxes for security clearance denials, including drug and alcohol abuse, sexual harassment, and financial mismanagement. In the past, he has said he wants to get rid of “woke generals,” doesn’t think women belong in combat, and mocks LGBTQ and transgender members of the military. 

Kristi Noem, Trump’s pick for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, is currently governor of South Dakota. She has been accused of misusing her position to help her daughter which resulted in a settlement of $200,000. She is banned from nine tribal reservations because she accused them of running drug cartels. She used taxpayer money to send the National Guard to the Mexican border at least five times as a publicity stunt. Her office has experienced massive turnover, and the state government is involved in a massive corruption scandal involving former employees. And then there is, of course, the fact that she killed her dog. And oh, by the way, she has no law enforcement experience. 

Trump has selected Charles Kushner, a major donor to his 2024 campaign and his son-in-law’s father, as his pick for Ambassador to France—a highly coveted prize. Kushner pleaded guilty to 16 counts of tax evasion and admitted to hiring a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law. Trump pardoned Kushner after he served two years in prison. There is no way this guy could get a security clearance. And his reward for all his wrongdoings—serving in one of the most coveted ambassadorial stations in the world and living in a stunningly lavish estate. What kind of message does it sent to France when the U.S. sends a convicted felon as its representative? (You may also remember that Kushner’s son, Jared Kushner, was denied a security clearance in Trump’s first administration but Trump overruled the rejection. During Trump’s first administration, Kushner took several trips to Saudi Arabia. Six months after Trump left the White House, Kushner secured a $2 billion investment from a fund led by the Saudi crown prince.)  

I’ve never understood why it’s not a requirement for people who decide to run for senator, representative, governor, president, etc., to first be required to undergo a background check similar to the one thousands of government employees must pass to qualify for certain government positions. If we did so, it might have prevented the George Santos (R-NY) debacle and so many others. 

Who among this ragtag team do you think will tell “truth to power?”  How will America learn the truth of what’s really happening around the world? (Should you think I’m overreacting about the upcoming difficulty of knowing the true story, just this weekend, Trump blamed the Texas-born U.S. veteran terrorist who killed 14 people in New Orleans on illegal immigrant invasions. He also hosted a documentary screening at Mar-a-Lago—a film about asking Congress to overturn the 2020 election results where Peter Navarro, Michael Flynn, John Eastman, and Rudy Guiliano were present—all of whom continued to tout the stolen election lie.)  

Keep in mind that the General Miley’s and John Kelly’s of the world will be long gone in this next Trump administration. The band of sycophants who remain is frightening to say the least. And how likely is the Republican-led Senate to vote against these nominees? I’m not holding my breath. 

All in all, to say I’m disappointed in America is an understatement. The first time around, I gave us a pass. Trump’s win was a bit of an adventure into the unknown. Not this time. This time it’s on us.

Maria Grant was the principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.