Kakistocracy is a term which means government by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous people. It is a word that’s unfortunately most apt today.
In his second term, Trump has assembled perhaps the least distinguished Cabinet in modern history, abandoning any pretense of picking people based upon competence. That means incredibly poor performers remain while conscientious people who show the slightest scruple are shown the door.
For example, his Health & Human Resources Secretary, who lacks any public health credentials, issued his first major report studded with citations to non-existent studies and multiple misquotes. Eschewing a fact checker, Secretary Kennedy instead mindlessly relied on artificial intelligence.
Speaking of AI, we have an Education Secretary who does not know what it is, calling it A-One, like the steak sauce.
Meanwhile, signs have been posted at hundreds of national parks asking visitors to identify any interpretive displays they thought were negative. Yet, the person who gave the order requiring the signage, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, said in response to a reporters’ question: “First I’ve heard about it is right now. And I’ve been at national park units this very week. I’m completely unaware of it.”
None of these people will be fired no matter how dumbfounding their mistakes. But, believe it or not, it is about to get even worse. Trump has nominated a hyper-partisan 30-year-old blogger with less than one year of legal practice to serve as the U.S. Special Counsel, leading the office responsible for protecting whistleblowers and the federal merit system.
This nominee, Paul Ingrassia, expresses views in his social media posts that are disturbingly extreme and completely antithetical to the role of the Special Counsel, including –
- Contempt for Civil Servants. The Special Counsel is supposed to protect civil servants from unlawful discrimination. Yet, Ingrassia characterizes career federal employees as “parasites” and “bugmen” who “leech off the diminishing lifeblood of the dying Republic” with “no real skill sets to offer”;
- Trump Sycophant. The Special Counsel is supposed to enforce the Hatch Act which outlaws electioneering in federal workplaces. Yet, Ingrassia is worshipful of his patron, writing “Our age’s Apollo is personified by none other than Donald J. Trump” and “Trump represents the kind of great man found throughout history.” He is unlikely to defend any whistleblower who reveals wrongdoing by other Trump appointees; and
- Racist and Anti-Semitic. Ingrassia calls the October 7th attacks by Hamas a “psyop” suggesting it was staged, expresses an affinity for the Confederate flag, and wrote that “exceptional white men are not only the builders of Western civilization but are the ones most capable of appreciating the fruits of our heritage.”
In sum, Paul Ingrassia is not qualified for an entry level position at the Office of Special Counsel let alone to head the entire office. Fortunately, the Senate recently postponed a confirmation hearing on Ingrassia. If the Senate confirms him, it suggests that this once august body would confirm a ham sandwich if Trump asked.
Ingrassia’s nomination highlights that loyalty alone is all that Trump requires; basic competence is completely dispensable. Unfortunately, Trump is also trying to extend loyalty requirements to all senior civil servants through his plan to convert any federal employee who has responsibilities relating to policymaking into an at-will employee.
Further, the administration is continuing to push an ironically named “Merit Hiring Plan” which would require virtually every new civilian hire to submit an essay about how the applicant would further the Trump agenda.
Like his cabinet choices, these are attempts to dumb-down federal service. These are illegal executive actions which PEER is the vanguard resisting.
What is at stake is the survival of a competence-based merit system. This is a battle that, for the sake of the health, safety, and welfare of the American public, we can ill afford to lose.
Jeff Ruch is the former Executive Director and Pacific Director of PEER. He now serves as Senior Counsel.
