Maddow: Trump Cabinet too rife with scandal to designate a 'survivor'
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What is the significance of the designated survivor tradition during the State of the Union?
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The American people are basically telling the president that they are not okay with any of this.
Sign up for the Project 47 newsletter at ms.now slash project47. Thanks to you at home for joining us this hour. Really happy to have you here. So who's going to be the designated survivor? It is the most morbid thing, but it's a real thing. They do it every year. Every State of the Union, they pick somebody, some lucky stiff from the administration, from the cabinet, to be a designated survivor, to not go to the State of the Union address.
How does Trump's Cabinet compare to previous administrations in terms of scandal?
It feels like it's left over from the mutually assured destruction days of the Cold War or something. But the logic of it really is apocalyptic. The logic of it is that if some catastrophe... physically happens at that event at the State of the Union while all of Congress and the President and the Vice President and the Joint Chiefs and the Supreme Court and everybody are all in that same physical place. If something, God forbid, terrible happened there during that event, the designated survivor, by virtue of the fact that that person didn't attend the event, that designated survivor would be the one would be the person who would reconstitute the government of the United States and keep the government going after the president and the vice president and the whole rest of the cabinet and the whole Congress were all swallowed up in a hell mouth or something.
It's very weird. The whole idea of it is very dystopian and weird, but they do it every year. And, you know, you'd think given the responsibility associated with being the designated survivor, you'd think they'd pick like the most widely respected person. They'd pick the person who everybody agrees would be the best choice to take over the country in the wake of an unimaginable disaster.
What is the current status of Lori Chavez de Riemer's investigation?
You'd think it would be like a really high profile person they picked every year. They don't do that. Actually kind of the opposite. The person does get some attention for being picked as the designated survivor every year, but usually the person is kind of not well known. And so like in this cabinet, You might expect that they'd pick maybe the labor secretary, right? Labor is not a particular area of interest for this president or really for any Republican president. So maybe they just, you know, keep things quiet, pick somebody low key, make the labor secretary the designated survivor this year. Could they do that? Oh, no.
How are federal judges responding to Trump's Department of Justice?
No, no, no. No, can't do that. Trump's labor secretary is Lori Chavez de Riemer. And if they pick Lori Chavez de Riemer as the designated survivor, then people will Google Lori Chavez de Riemer. And this is what they will find. Headline, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez de Riemer under investigation for, quote, inappropriate relationship with employee. These are reports that started with a complaint that was reportedly filed with the inspector general of the Labor Department. Trump Labor Secretary, quote, accused of drinking in her office during the workday and committing travel fraud by having her chief of staff and deputy chief of staff both of whom are now on leave, quote, make up official trips to destinations where Chavez de Reimer can spend time with family or friends on the taxpayer's dime.
Headline, Trump's married labor boss accused of booze-filled fling with staffer.
What are the community reactions to Trump's proposed ICE prisons?
Headline, Chavez de Reimer's security staffer placed on leave amid scandal investigation. The labor secretary has been accused of engaging in a romantic relationship with said security staffer. Headline, Lori Chavez Dorema reportedly under investigation for misusing funds. Headline, Trump Labor Secretary accused of taking staff off, taking staff to a strip club on an official trip. That's a real headline. Now, amid everything else, you are probably a nice person, an empathetic person.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the significance of the designated survivor tradition during the State of the Union?
0:01–0:53
2
How does Trump's Cabinet compare to previous administrations in terms of scandal?
0:53–2:17
3
What is the current status of Lori Chavez de Riemer's investigation?
2:17–2:58
4
How are federal judges responding to Trump's Department of Justice?
2:58–3:54
5
What are the community reactions to Trump's proposed ICE prisons?
3:54–4:53
6
How is Congressman Pat Ryan addressing local resistance against ICE facilities?
4:53–5:49
7
What implications do the proposed prison camps have for local communities?
5:49–6:37
8
What are the broader impacts of Trump's policies on immigrant communities?
6:37–44:53
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from The Rachel Maddow Show
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