For those who hoped that President-elect Donald Trump would “drain the swamp” of Washington insiders and corporate lobbyists after assuming office, the past few days have likely come as a disappointment. Various shortlists for the next administration’s cabinet have included high-profile mayors, congressmen, governors, and even a few big bankers—many of whom, as Samantha Bee pointed out on Monday night’s Full Frontal, have awfully sketchy records.
Bee pulled together the many disparate headlines and rumors to showcase a disturbingly clear indication of how the Trump cabinet is coming into place: a Goldman Sachs executive as treasury secretary, a climate change denier heading the Environmental Protection Agency transition team, a white nationalist in the role of “chief strategist,” Sarah Palin in energy. It’s one thing to hear about these potential appointments individually, but Bee’s method of presenting them (and their, well, issues) one by one builds up a renewed sense of dread, in terms of what exactly could be in store for the country. As she sums it up: “Enjoy the parade of misfits, deplorables, zealots, and extremists who—come January—could be packing their bags for the White House.”
