When The President Is A Criminal, Should His Appointees’ Backgrounds Matter?

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON — When Americans elected a coup-attempting, sexually abusing, fraud-committing criminal as president, did they by that choice also lower the bar for those serving in his administration? “This question breaks my heart,” said Jennifer Horn, the former chair of New Hampshire’s Republican Party who broke from Trump soon after he was first elected in 2016. Thirty-two years later, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew as Trump’s attorney general pick after Republican senators said they expected to see a still-secret House Ethics Committee report that reportedly details Gaetz’s payments to a 17-year-old girl for allegedly having sex with him at a drug-fueled party. Idaho’s Michael Crapo said he was fine with whatever Trump wants, even if he submits names that have not undergone an FBI background check, as has traditionally been done prior to receiving a security clearance. “And when it comes to any of these nominees who couldn’t pass an FBI background check,” he added, “we need to remember this: Trump couldn’t pass an FBI background check either.” Trump was convicted in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to a porn star just before the 2016 election.