#StaffTheSwamp: Anti-Establishment Trump Choosing Establishment Staff

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This is a guest post by ClimateDenierRoundup

By now, we all know that despite his supposedly populist sentiment, Trump is being advised by some of DC’s longest-serving insiders, including  20-year House Rep. Newt Gingrich and disgraced Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. And Politico has a couple great looks about all the DC power brokers and other elites jockeying for positions in Trumplandia. RNC chair Preibus is considered to be a prime candidate for Chief of Staff, while former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin is being considered for Treasury Secretary. Because Hillary giving speeches to Goldman Sachs executives is damning, but giving one the Treasury Department is populist.

Now PoliticoPRO has an organizational chart for Trump’s transition, and by looking at all the lobbyists and beltway insiders, one would be forgiven for assuming his last campaign catchphrase was #StaffTheSwamp. Apparently Trump’s plan to #DrainTheSwamp entails pulling all the swamp things out of the water, and into the White House.

Homeland Security transition is being led by tobacco giant Altria’s Cindy Hayden. Leading labor is Steve Hart, chairman of Williams & Jensen, who represents small businesses like Coca-Cola, General Electric, HSBC, and VISA. The agricultural sector is being managed by Michael Torrey, who represents lil’ ol’ American Beverage Association.

But what about our core issues of environment and energy? For the Energy Department, Trump’s taking advice from Michael McKenna, who works for MWR Strategies, which represents the chemical giant Dow, the Kochs, and coal giant Southern Company. It’s been reported for months now that fracking magnate Harold Hamm is in the lead for Secretary of Energy.

For Interior, if Trump doesn’t give the position to Trump Jr. (because what did we overthrow British rule for, if not nepotism?) then it may go to Forrest Lucas, co-founder of Lucas Oil.

And for the EPA transition, Trump has tapped none other than Myron Ebell. He not only works for CEI, which is funded by Exxon, the Kochs, big tobacco and other industries, but also directed the Cooler Heads Coalition, which was more or less a front group for Koch front groups.

Ebell’s got quite a history of meddling at the highest level. Back in the George W. Bush administration, he was contacted to help suppress climate research coming from the government, and suggested then-EPA head Christine Todd Whitman be fired for allowing the EPA to commit the mortal sin of releasing a report about the reality and dangers of climate change. Now he gets to present to Trump candidates to choose from, which should cut down on the need for Ebell to have them fired in the future. (Assuming he doesn’t take the job himself, which is rumored that he might.)

Seems like Trump’s commitment to being anti-establishment is as serious as his commitment to his wives.

Image credit: DC swamp by Michael via Flickr CC 2.0

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