No one has ever accused Donald Trump of not being honest about how he feels, and that penchant for venting his true feelings reached a new level of hilarity on Friday. In what was easily the funniest presidential appointment announcement of all time, Trump named Morgan Ortagus, podcast host and former spokesperson for the State Department, as “Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace.”
RELATED: Adam Schiff Withers When Pressed on Steele Dossier, Mumbles About an ‘Erection’
As an aside, the fact that these titles have gotten that long probably says the executive branch is just a bit too large, but it was what the incoming president said about Ortagus that had people rolling.
“Morgan fought me for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson,” Trump wrote in the post. “These things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them. Let’s see what happens.”
Well, that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. It’s like saying, “Yeah, she fought me for years on foreign policy and is a neocon RINO, and she’ll probably get fired, but others like her so let’s give it a shot.” Credit where credit is due, I suppose. Trump isn’t hiding the ball about his reservations regarding the appointment. Why he made it when he is already washing his hands of her, I’m not sure. Perhaps Steven Witkoff, who will be her boss, specifically requested her for the position, or maybe incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles likes her.
I don’t know, but whatever the reason, Ortagus is starting off her new job on thin ice. In fact, the entire first paragraph seems like a bit of a warning shot to everyone who has been nominated for an executive position: Get in line, or you’re gone.
From the tone of the statement, you could almost get the idea that Trump realizes many of these positions are ridiculous filler put in by past administrations to expand the power of the presidency. Maybe that’s a sign he’ll be looking to slim down the number of people serving under him once he takes office, which would be a very good thing for the nation. When he left some positions unfilled during his first term, the press had a national freakout over it, but who cares what they think?
With all the serious stuff out of the way, though, you can’t deny how funny this all is. I’ve long said that I wanted Trump to win for the entertainment value alone, and I was only half joking. Yes, I’d like substantive things to get done and expect that to happen, but it’s also nice to have a president with a sense of humor again. For four years, Americans have had to suffer the public musings of a senile bump on a log who can barely remain awake during speeches. With Joe Biden on the way out, that’s going to change, and it’s going to be hilarious.
