Trump has left America vulnerable to attack

[bigtree]

Raw Story? @RawStory 7h7 hours ago
Trump’s ‘sluggish’ pace filling federal jobs is making US more vulnerable to terror attacks http://ow.ly/gPMq30cjj48


A Sunday night report from Politico pointed to the record number of “vacancies across the government,” federal jobs that Trump has not bothered to fill. No U.S. presidential administration in history has taken this long to staff critical national security and law enforcement positions.

“Top ranks at the State Department remain largely unfilled, as are some key ambassadorships. Trump has not named anyone to lead the Transportation Security Administration, which screens people at airports, or to run the Homeland Security office charged with protecting the country’s physical and cyber infrastructure,” wrote Politico’s Andrew Restuccia. “His choice to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency is awaiting Senate confirmation, but Trump has not named a deputy.”

Trump has yet to name an Assistant Attorney General of National Security at the Justice Department, nor has he named a deputy at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Trump has yet to nominate a director for the National Counterterrorism Center and there is still the pressing question of a permanent director for the FBI.

read: http://ow.ly/gPMq30cjj48
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Vera Bergengruen @VeraMBergen
Trump has filled 5 out of 53 top jobs at the Pentagon, and 2 out of 16 at the Department of Homeland Security.


Caroline O.? @RVAwonk
"Tough on terror"? Not exactly. Trump hasn't even appointed a director of the National Counterterrorism Center.


Robert Moore? @robertmooreitv
Amid Trump tweets, notable there is no FBI Director; no US Ambassador to London; and the State Department is missing leaders at all levels.


Schumer hits Trump over budget cuts following London attacks

[joshdawg]

1. Did he not at one time say, " I alone can fix it"?

Perhaps he believes that he and his overblown ego are all that is needed to fix anything. He alone will stop the terrorists. He alone will solve economic problems. He alone.......etc. ad nauseum.
This pos makes me ill.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. But, but, but, ... that would take time for golf & tweet from Republican Pres. tRump.

(found those tweets at spiceylies.com, not personally verified)

[safeinOhio]

3. With the kind of people he has picked for top jobs,

we might be even more vulnerable if he did fill those key jobs.

[Achilleaze]

4. America's adversaries are licking their chops

It's damn dangerous having a compromised republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief prancing about pretending to be an economic and military genius, while SUBMISSIVELY surrendering the USA to our adversaries.

[Botany]

5. And no person would now want to buy a ticket on the Trump Titanic.

n/t

[bresue]

6. MSNBC were discussing possible interviewees for these openings..

Basically it comes down to most possible candidates see any role in the Dump's WH as political suicide. They see this WH as being toxic and poisonous and will kill their careers afterwards. Not, to even mention the illegal workings of this WH and possibility of being charged with the rest.

In addition, Dump's temperament, micro management, and totalitarian style would not allow them to accomplish anything...which they could use for resumes.

[greymattermom]

9. and financial suicide too

as they will all be hiring their own lawyers soon at the DC hourly rate.

[bresue]

18. Yes...I heard that many of the lower staff have to pay their own legal fees.

[Lil Missy]

7. He sure has. I was wondering when someone was going to get around to saying this out loud.

He has all but assured that It will happen

[FailureToCommunicate]

8. Trump would relish an attack of any sort. It would distract from the storm of justice

brewing on his horizon. Maybe he's leaving all those important positions open on purpose?

[47of74]

16. He wants his reichstag fire.

[CousinIT]

10. By not filling vital positions....and in SO many other ways.

Privatizing infrastructure, pulling out of Paris Accord (yep - climate change is ntl security issue), etc, etc.

[Initech]

11. It's like they're trying to provoke a terrorist attack.

Nevermind that one happened in Portland last week.

[frankieallen]

12. Well, so what? Their are interim appointments in these positions, it's not like they are empty.

I feel better with the current office holders than who Trump is going to pick. Don't we agree on that?

[bigtree]

13. many of those career folks are speaking out about the vacancies

...it's more than just staffing, it's the lack of a clear mission.

Trump gutted the State Dept. demanding resignations en masse and firing dozens of key officials. Those who are left have the burden of either stretching to cover those initiatives that were carried out, or just completely abandon them, so it's also a dearth of real, on-the-ground expertise and management.
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WT: Midlevel career diplomats are working as acting managers for most of the department’s many bureaus, which include specific regions of the world; political-military affairs; democracy, human rights and labor issues; and international narcotics and law enforcement... more than 100 management posts and foreign ambassadorships awaiting even a nominee, let alone a Senate confirmation. Just three ambassadors — to China, Israel and Britain — have been named.
________________________

All of this supporting Tillerson who has no experience running such a huge agency. Who is going to step in when a real crisis hits the U.S? What roles will go unfulfilled?

Of course, it's basically the same question if Trump fills the positions with inadequate, corrupt, or ineffective individuals.

[frankieallen]

14. Tillerson...perfect example of what i am talking about. I just have a hard time complaining

that Trump has not put a bunch of old, rich, white guys in the State Department.
I think we should be celebrating.

[bigtree]

15. essential functions of our nation's diplomacy and democracy have been essentially abandoned

...this is nothing to celebrate.

The result is a centralizing of decision-making with little or no input from the very career folks you think can handle this. Fact is, those folks are gone, leaving a skeleton of senior officials to flesh out Trump's boast that he can do it all himself.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Wounded Bear]

17. The real problem is that Trump has not left the country...

he should leave. Leave the office, leave Washington DC, leave the country.

You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!--Oliver Cromwell