Despite his bombastic nature, two impeachments and four indictments, Donald Trump was given a second chance of being the president of the United States for one reason: to fix the failings of Joe Biden’s progressive policies.

As this column has previously stated, the best forecast for the next Trump term is the candidates he chooses to head the nation’s top institutions. Thus far, the Trump picks have been largely reflective of the man himself: some solid picks that will advance the nation’s interests with a mix of insidiously dark individuals who should never come close to holding the reins of power.

The good picks come from a background in Washington, the military, large businesses or some combination of the three. Take Marco Rubio as an example. Trump tapped the Florida Senator to be his new Secretary of State, tasked with handling the administration’s foreign policy. Rubio has a track record of being tough on Iran and Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. He is a good choice to confront a dangerous world in the face of years of American retreat as foreign policy.

Rep. Elise Stefanik is a decent pick to serve as United Nations Ambassador. Despite the current mainstream spin, she has a voting record that tends toward more moderate positions, frequently voting against Trump during his first term. Perhaps her biggest qualification, though, is her ardent stance against antisemitism – a view that is sorely needed in the U.N. in the current global climate.

The Interior Department will be in good hands as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will be both its new secretary and the nation’s new “Energy Czar.” Burgum has experience working with natural gas and fracking and served as an energy liaison to the campaign. The dual position ought to allow Burgum to restart America on the road back to energy independence.

There are some wildcard picks, too. Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been chosen to be the new Director of National Intelligence, the department tasked with providing the president a daily intelligence report. One of the great abuses of our justice department came from the accusations Gabbard was somehow a foreign asset, which ultimately resulted in her being placed on a terror watchlist.

But Gabbard has earned the rank of lieutenant colonel in the army reserves and served in Iraq. She has sounded off in the past about America not doing enough to combat terror in the Middle East and holds more dovish views on American interference in countries where it has no real interest. This non-categorical take on foreign policy should provide a more nuanced and balanced voice in contrast to the more hawkish picks.

Pete Hegseth’s nomination as Secretary of Defense has also raised eyebrows. Despite the many opportunities one can expect to find after life on Fox News, Hegseth is not without some merit. He holds degrees from both Harvard and Princeton and previously served in Afghanistan and Iraq. The main benefit he may bring with him is an increase in recruitment — an issue that currently stymies our armed forces — as he has the profile and personality to appeal to those who may chose to enlist in military service.

The risk comes from experience. While the role of Secretary of Defense is meant to be a civilian, the world is more dangerous than it was during Trump’s first term and the Defense Department is a sprawling bureaucracy that tests even the most seasoned appointees. It may not benefit from a pick that markets himself, foremost, as a cultural warrior. 

Critics who attempt to equate the threat of these nominations will further damage their credibility when we need them to be at their best — because there are far worse names on Trump’s nominee list. 

Trump’s worst pick is his choice for Attorney General: the now former Florida House Representative Matt Gaetz. Yes, it is somehow possible to do worse than Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Gaetz is a performer first and representative to his constituents never. His chief political accomplishment was to lead a coup that resulted in Congressman Kevin McCarthy losing his position as Speaker of the House and spiraling the House into chaos.

This is to say nothing of his utter lack of experience practicing law.

Gaetz also brings with him a deeply troublesome personal life. He was investigated by the Justice Department for sex trafficking. Ultimately, they declined to charge him, but that didn’t stop his fellow members of Congress from lobbing further allegations at him.

One of those accusations came from Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, who told CNN last year that Gaetz would show videos on the House floor of the girls he was sexually involved with. 

“He bragged about how he would crush E.D. medicine and chase it with energy drinks so he could go all night,” Mullin told CNN reporter at the Capitol.

Gaetz, unlike the other House members Trump has nominated, has already resigned from Congress. He did so on Wednesday, just two days before a House Ethics Committee report surrounding Gaetz’s illicit behavior was set to be released.

It’s hard to come to any other conclusion that Gaetz, in combination with Kennedy, was the reason Trump called on the Senate to allow recess appointments for his cabinet picks. The Senate should resist this norm-defying, constitutionally dubious request. 

It is the Senate’s duty to protect Americans and the future administration from the worst impulses of Trump. That is the purpose of the checks and balances of the Constitution.

Even if the Senate does block these picks, it is still deeply troubling that Trump had asked them to abdicate their responsibility to properly vet candidates who will staff posts with great power vested into them. Trump was given a mandate by the voters to correct a government that become mired in progressive policies, not to sow chaos with an unserious clown running the Justice Department.

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