A rank-and-file Democrat almost no one has ever heard of has come up with a weak, pathetic plan to “oppose” President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda despite the fact that he overwhelmed Vice President Kamala Harris in the Electoral College and became the first Republican presidential contender to win an outright majority of votes since the early 2000s.
Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-NC) has proposed the establishment of a Democratic “shadow cabinet” to counter the policies of the incoming Trump administration. Speaking on the House floor, Nickel described the initiative as an essential move to offer an alternative perspective and publicly challenge the administration’s agenda.
“If Trump attempts to weaponize the justice system against his political opponents with Matt Gaetz at the helm, we could see incoming Senator Adam Schiff as our shadow attorney general, arguing against replacing our independent prosecutors with Trump loyalists,” Nickel stated. The proposal resembles a parliamentary-style opposition framework and has sparked immediate comparisons to political tactics in countries with shadow governments. And for the record, Trump has never said he would “weaponize” the Justice Department, only reform it so Americans have trust in the institution and the FBI again.
Nickel laid out his vision in detail, naming potential figures to fill key roles in the shadow cabinet. “If Trump seeks to eliminate the Department of Education, Congresswoman Jahanna Hayes (D-CT), a former Teacher of the Year, could step up as shadow education secretary to loudly defend public education in the United States,” he added, without mentioning that every state in the country has its own education department and that the federal agency has been co-0pted by the left-wing teachers’ unions.
Republican lawmakers criticized the proposal, arguing it secretly seeks to weaken the executive branch and questioning its legality. Rep. Nickel, however, defended the plan as a democratic tool. “If Trump orders Marco Rubio to hand Ukraine and much of Eastern Europe to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Congressman Greg Meeks (D-NY), as shadow secretary of state, could be a strong voice in support of maintaining international relationships and protecting democracy at home and abroad,” he argued.
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Other names being considered for the shadow cabinet include Senator Michael Bennett (D-CO) as shadow treasury secretary and Congresswoman Susan DelBene (D-WA) as shadow commerce secretary. Nickel claimed their potential roles would be “ensuring the middle class and small businesses have a voice in government and calling out Trump’s proposed tax cuts for billionaires and corporations,” though he didn’t address why his party refused to pass legislation that actually helped ease middle-class inflation and financial pressures during the four years of Biden-Harris.
Nickel expressed concerns about military and environmental policies during a Trump presidency. “As shadow defense secretary, Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA), a great representative for the people of Washington and not a Fox News host, could counter Trump’s threat to use military force against his political opponents and work to ensure that the Department of Defense stays loyal to the Constitution and not some wannabe dictator,” he claimed.
“New times require new solutions. The shadow cabinet isn’t just about opposing extreme MAGA attacks on our government. It’s also about making clear what we stand for, not just what we’re against,” he concluded, proving again that Democrats simply refuse to admit when they and their policies are soundly rebuked by the American people.
This effort at opposing Trump, who was elected with a clear mandate, just for the sake of opposing him is liable to backfire on Democrats, which will be a good thing for the GOP and will help them expand their majorities during the midterms.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.