A major element that usually is missing in presidential campaign dialogue is the question of who the candidates would bring on to staff their administration, aside from the vice president – that is, who would actually deal with the details of managing the federal government over the next four years.

But we have the existing Cabinet of President Biden, an assemblage of experienced officials of demonstrated competence, public spirit and good-faith dedication to the overall welfare of the country – the likes of Antony Blinken at the State Department, Janet Yellen at Treasury and Merrick Garland at Justice. One could reasonably expect a cabinet of similar quality in a second Biden administration.

On other hand, members of the 2017-2021 Trump administration ranged from the perfectly acceptable, at least at first, to seriously inexperienced (including members of Trump’s own family) or hyperpartisan and, in some cases, hostile to the missions of the departments or agencies they were leading. We can only speculate on a second Trump administration. But the conservative America First Policy Institute, or the Heritage Foundation, offer a foretaste. The latter offers its “Project 2025” plan to, among other things, introduce radical change throughout government departments and agencies.

And this doesn’t even touch on Trump’s own wild campaign rhetoric of revenge, retribution and threats of domestic military deployment against his opponents. He and his supporters are warning us. We’d be well advised to keep all this mind when we go to the polls.

Thomas Eichler
Wiscasset

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