Por/By Mel Gurtov
En la primera parte, escribí sobre los grandes donantes y leales que llenarán el gabinete, el círculo íntimo y las embajadas de Trump. ElonMusk se destaca naturalmente en ese grupo, y ahora el New York Times nos ha presentado el círculo íntimo y externo de Musk. Tres cosas me llaman la atención de ese perfil: los capitalistas de riesgo y otras personas con una riqueza extrema dominan las relaciones cercanas de Musk; prácticamente ninguna mujer, aparte de sus esposas y su madre, es influyente; y Musk está utilizando su papel de persona privilegiada para presionar a personas de sus días anteriores en PayPaly de sus programas espaciales actuales para que obtengan puestos en el Departamento de Defensa. Los conflictos de intereses que Muskestá creando son legendarios.
La familia
El tercer grupo es la familia extensa en la que Trump se apoyará, en particular para formular la política en Oriente Medio. El yerno Jared Kushner está una vez más hundido en la corrupción, esta vez siendo lo suficientemente inteligente como para mantenerse al margen de un puesto oficial en la administración entrante.
En un artículo publicado en la revista digital Popular Information, Judd Legum y Noel Sims rastrean la explotación que Kushner hizo de sus conexiones saudíes para ganar millones de dólares ofreciendo asesoramiento en materia de inversiones. El fondo de capital privado de Kushner, Alliance Partners, depende principalmente de fondos del Fondo de Inversión Pública de Arabia Saudita, que está sujeto a las decisiones finales del notorio Mohamed bin Salman, el amigo de Kushner.
Así, mientras que el PIF no ha ganado ni un centavo, Kushnerobtiene enormes sumas en honorarios de gestión de inversores que ahora incluyen a Qatar y los Emiratos Árabes Unidos. Esas inversiones suman alrededor de 5 mil millones de dólares.
El conflicto de intereses de Kushner ahora que su suegro está a punto de regresar a la Casa Blanca es obvio. Kushner sigue asesorando a Trump, mantiene relaciones con dictadores de Oriente Medio y con la administración de Netanyahu en Israel, y habla regularmente por teléfono con personas dentro y fuera del gobierno que quieren asesoramiento sobre política en Oriente Medio. Por ley, Kushner debería ser un agente extranjero registrado de Arabia Saudita, pero no cuenten con que haga nada por el estilo.
Al contrario, es probable que Kushner disfrute de todos los beneficios de un conocedor de la política sin tener que divulgar nada sobre lo que está asesorando.
El padre de Jared, Charles, no se involucrará en asuntos de Oriente Medio, sólo en asuntos franceses, ahora que ha sido nominado para ser embajador en París. Charles Kushner es un delincuente convicto: se declaró culpable en 2004 de 18 cargos de evasión fiscal, manipulación de testigos y contribuciones ilegales a campañas. Trumplo indultó y le dice a un periódico francés que Charles es familia.
Steve Witkoff, designado para ser el enviado de Trump a Oriente Medio, es un magnate inmobiliario sin experiencia diplomática. Poco antes de las elecciones, Witkoff formó una empresa de criptomonedasque incluye a Trump como inversor.
World Liberty Financial Inc. se ha asociado con la red Tron, un rival de Bitcoin en las transferencias de criptomonedas. El problema aquí: Tron está asociada con grupos designados como organizaciones terroristas por Israel, Estados Unidos y otros países. Uno de ellos es Hamás, según Reuters en un informe de 2023.
Kimberly Gilfoyle, la ahora ex prometida de Trump, Jr., está programada para ser embajadora en Grecia. Tiene un historial bien documentado mientras estuvo en Fox News de acoso a un asistente, intentos de comprar el silencio del asistente y comportamiento sexual inapropiado en el trabajo.
Adular a los ricos y poderosos era su juego entonces y lo es ahora. En 2015, llamó a los griegos “gorrones”, perezosos y faltos de ambición, por buscar ayuda externa en la crisis de deuda de Grecia. Pero recientemente cambió de marcha, y se deshizo en elogios sobre su gran amor por Grecia cuando habló con un multimillonario greco-estadounidense. Sospecho que Kimberly ha sido enviada a Grecia para sacarla del camino de la última búsqueda amorosa de Junior.
Luego está Massad Boulos, suegro de Tiffany Trump, a quien Trump ha promocionado como un “negociador” y un “líder muy respetado en el mundo de los negocios, con una amplia experiencia en la escena internacional”. De hecho, Boulos es un ejecutivo de una empresa de camiones en Nigeria que apenas es rentable. Boulos no es dueño de la empresa; es propiedad de su suegro. Todo lo que Boulospuede afirmar en cuanto a su experiencia en Medio Oriente es que ayudó a Trump con los votantes árabes estadounidenses.
Kakistocracia
Hay una palabra para el tipo de régimen que se está instalando bajo Trump: kakistocracia: gobierno por los menos competentes. Pero estos nominados, con raras excepciones, no solo son claramente incompetentes, sino que son peligrosos.
En un sistema político basado en el mérito, no pasarían las pruebas de confirmación del Senado. Pero incluso suponiendo que el Senado llegue a interrogarlos, no cuenten con un voto para rechazarlos. Observen cómo los supuestos republicanos escépticos cambian de opinión bajo la presión de Trump. Después del desastre de Matt Gaetz, Trump probablemente logrará convencer a suficientes senadores republicanos para que su gente pase. Después de todo, ¿quién de ellos se atrevería a contrariar a este presidente?
The People’s List of Trump’s Worst (Part 2)
Note to Readers: In Part 1, I wrote about the big-time donors and loyalists who will populate Trump’s cabinet, inner circle, and ambassadorships. Elon Musk naturally stands out in that grouping, and now the New York Times has introduced us to Musk’s inner and outer circle. Three things stand out for me from that profile: venture capitalists and others with extreme wealth dominate Musk’s close relationships; virtually no women other than wives and his mother are influencers; and Musk is using his insider role to push people from his former days at PayPal and his currenAt space programs to obtain positions in the defense department. The conflicts of interest Musk is creating are legendary.]
The Family
The third group is the extended family that Trump will rely on, notably in formulating Middle East policy. Son-in-law Jared Kushner is once again knee-deep in corruption, this time being clever enough to stay out of an official position in the incoming administration.
Writing in the online journal Popular Information, Judd Legumand Noel Sims trace Kushner’s exploitation of his Saudi connections to make millions of dollars offering investment advice. Kushner’s private equity fund, Alliance Partners, relies mainly on funds from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which is subject to final decisions by the notorious Mohamed bin Salman, Kushner’s buddy.
Thus, while the PIF hasn’t earned a dime, Kushner draws huge sums in management fees from investors that now include Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Those investments total around $5 billion.
The conflict of interest for Kushner now that his father-in-law is about to return to the White House is obvious. Kushner continues to advise Trump, maintains relations with Middle East dictators and with the Netanyahu administration in Israel, and is regularly on the phone with people in and out of government who want advice on Middle East policy. By law, Kushner should be a registered foreign agent of Saudi Arabia, but don’t count on his doing anything of the sort.
To the contrary, Kushner is likely to enjoy all the benefits of a policy insider without having to divulge anything about what he is advising.
Jared’s father, Charles, won’t be involved in Middle East affairs, only French, now that he’s been nominated to be ambassador to Paris. Charles Kushner is a convicted felon: He pleaded guilty in 2004 to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering and illegal campaign contributions. Trump pardoned him, and tells a French newspaper that Charles is family.
Steve Witkoff, slated to be Trump’s Middle East envoy, is a real estate mogul with no diplomatic experience. Shortly before the election, Witkoff formed a crypto business that includes Trump as an investor.
World Liberty Financial Inc. has partnered with the Tronnetwork, a rival of Bitcoin in crypto transfers. The problem here: Tronis associated with groups designated as terror organizations by Israel, the United States and other countries. One of them is Hamas, according to Reuters in a 2023 report.
Kimberly Gilfoyle, the now ex-fiancée of Trump, Jr., is slated to be ambassador to Greece. She has a well-documented history while at Fox News of harassment of an assistant, attempts to buy the assistant’s silence, and inappropriate sexual behavior on the job.
Sucking up to the rich and powerful was her game then and is now. Back in 2015, she called Greeks “freeloaders,” lazy and lacking ambition, for seeking outside help in Greece’s debt crisis. But just recently she reversed gear, gushing about her great love of Greece when talking with a Greek American billionaire. I suspect Kimberly has been sent to Greece to get her out of the way of Junior’s latest love pursuit.
Then there’s Massad Boulos, father-in-law of Tiffany Trump, whom Trump has touted as a “dealmaker” and a “highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the international scene.” In fact, Boulos is an executive with a trucking company in Nigeria that is barely profitable. Nor does Boulos own the company; it is owned by his father-in-law. All Boulos can claim by way of Middle East expertise is that he helped Trump with Arab American voters.
Kakistocracy
There is a word for the type of regime being installed under Trump: kakistocracy—government by the least competent. But these nominees are, with rare exception, not just distinctly unqualified, they are dangerous.
In a political system based on merit, they would fail the Senate’s confirmation tests. But even assuming the Senate does get to interrogate them, don’t count on a vote to reject them. Watch as the supposed Republican doubters change their minds under Trump’s pressure. After the Matt Gaetz disaster, Trump will probably prevail on enough Republican Senators to get his people through. After all, who among them would dare to cross this President?
If there is any consolation for this kakistocracy, it might be the chaos that is endemic to Trump’s leadership style. Incompetence (or competence, for that matter) will be balanced out by Trump’s well-known inattention, egotism, and heavy reliance on Fox News. Before long, if his first term is any guide, these new nominees will be either ignored or replaced. As an article in The Hill reminds us:
“Within months [of taking office in 2017], Trump had replaced his chief of staff, national security advisor, press secretary and counselor to the president. Ultimately, in a four-year period, Trump would go through four chiefs of staff, four national security advisors, four press secretaries and five counselors to the president.”
So sit back and watch the show.
[PS: Two other people can now be added to the Part 1 list: Billionaire Stephen A. Feinberg, co-owner of a private equity firm, has been nominated to be deputy secretary of defense. Feinberg was a major contributor to Trump’s campaign. In the loyalist column, add Michael Duffey, who distinguished himself in the first Trump administration by pushing for withholding aid to Ukraine until Pres. Zelensky agreed to investigate Joe Biden. Duffey’s nomination is for undersecretary for acquisitions and sustainment in the Pentagon.]
Mel Gurtov, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Portland State University and blogs at In the Human Interest.
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