Bondi and Hegseth make mistakes but meet Trump's expectations

Bondi and Hegseth make mistakes but meet Trump's expectations

When President Donald Trump picked his top Cabinet secretaries, there was no flair for smooth government in the job description. The growing frustration among White House staff over the chaos in the offices of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi therefore seems a bit hypocritical. Trump is getting exactly what he should expect after rejecting traditional officials and filling the most important positions with prominent Fox News figures, MAGA supporters, conspiracy theorists and archtypical characters who have little knowledge of the inner workings of Washington.

Chaos in the cabinet

The most disruptive president in modern history has never shown much interest in governance. His administrative arson is crucial to his image as an antagonist to the establishment. But even in his unorthodox administration, there is a point where the conservative media's constant playing with the bizarre fringe clashes with the interests of Trump and the nation itself.

Hegseth, after about trouble-filled six months in the Pentagon, is under pressure again - this time for the Cessation of US arms deliveries to Ukraine without informing the president. This followed his offensive boasts about US overreach in Yemen in a group chat that was leaked earlier this year.

Criticism of Bondi and other Trump confidants

Bondi has to now bear the consequences for her penchant for pandering to the MAGA media after failing to deliver on her earlier promises about spectacular revelations from dossiers on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's death and clients.

Two other high-ranking officials, FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino, who had previously made a name for themselves by spreading right-wing conspiracy theories, were also found damaged retreats against the background of this situation again.

They're not the only Trump surprises under increasing scrutiny. Trump's decision to put anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the head of the Department of Health and Human Services comes after the highest cases of measles, recorded since the disease was eradicated in the United States a quarter century ago, more controversial.

The challenge for the Trump cabinet

Kennedy advised parents to have their children vaccinated against the disease. But recently he instructed a panel of experts from vaccine advisers who helped shape the government's vaccination policy, sparking concern among the U.S. public.

Although RFK Jr. is not directly responsible for the current measles outbreak, a president appointing the country's most prominent anti-vaxxer clearly sends a message to families who distrust government health protections. If the outbreak worsens and the administration is blamed, Trump will face the consequences of his actions while trying to fuel his base's distrust of federal health guidance that has existed at least since the Covid-19 pandemic.

But even Kennedy can't match the ultimate example of Trump's penchant for appointing eccentric icons who then, in the president's words, "got out of control." The only surprise about Elon Musk is that the chainsawing Tesla boss stayed at the Ministry of Government Efficiency for so long before his and Trump's bromance imploded.

Hegseth is under pressure again

The latest storm surrounding Hegseth has reignited speculation about the length of his stay at the Pentagon. CNN reported Tuesday that the defense secretary failed to inform the White House before approving a pause on arms sales to Ukraine last week. That decision, confirmed by five sources, led to a frantic scramble within the administration to sort out what was going on and how to approach Congress and the Ukrainian government.

It was the latest display of administrative confusion surrounding Hegseth, who has no experience in government and is tasked with running one of the world's most complex bureaucracies and has already fired several senior staffers in a purge that likely deepened disarray in his political apparatus.

Still, he could be forgiven for not foreseeing Trump's sudden change of heart on Ukraine. After Trump criticized his predecessor Joe Biden for supplying Kiev with weapons, the president has suddenly and belatedly had enough of President Vladimir Putin, who has exposed Trump in a peace attempt that he had hoped would result in a Nobel Peace Prize.

The White House denied that Hegseth had not informed Trump about the suspension of supplies to Ukraine, and the administration said they would resume. But broader uncertainty remains over whether Trump's turn against Putin — to whom he has always been favorable — will last or whether it is a bargaining game to bring the Russian president to the table.

But as long as Hegseth doesn't cross Trump's invisible red line, he could survive. That's because he constantly delivers what Trump really wants. Hegseth shows complete loyalty to the President and is the only Cabinet member who comes close to him in mastery of stunt politics.

Bondi's criticism and the challenges

Bondi has had a successful career as a lawyer and public official in Florida, and like anyone aspiring to a position in the Trump Cabinet, she is good on television. But her willingness to encourage the MAGA camp's obsession with conspiracy theories — which got her the job in the first place — has gotten her into trouble.

It has long been an article of faith on the extreme fringe of the conservative movement that Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, was murdered and once kept a list of famous people who used him to gain access to underage girls.

Bondi promised to reveal the truth. But the truth turned out to be a banal fact: Epstein was not murdered and there was no list. Bondi's problems began with a Fox interview in February in which she suggested the Epstein list was on her desk. She organized a large photo op at the White House, where conservative influencer files on Epstein were presented. The plan failed because these files contained no revelations. As is often the case with conspiracy theories, the opacity only served to further fuel the conspiracy theory.

This may be a case where a lack of experience in national politics is to blame. There may no longer be a line between governance and conservative opinion shows on television, but Bondi's light comments on the issue raised expectations and created political chaos.

The White House tried to gloss over the matter by saying her quotes on Fox had been misinterpreted. But that didn't stop Francophone influencers like Laura Loomer — who had previously convinced Trump to fire senior National Security Council staffers — from calling for Bondi's firing.

Bondi also said Wednesday that she could not release large amounts of video footage from the Epstein case because it contained child pornography. But the online community is now focused on a “missing minute” in the surveillance videos.

Trump seemed frustrated by the story, which distracts from a period of political success. “Are people still talking about that guy, that Creepy?” Trump said of Epstein on Tuesday. He could be right about that. While this is a huge issue for certain conservative media members, it's unclear whether most Republicans really care that much about it.

Trump expressed no public frustration with Bondi. But CNN reported Tuesday that there was dissatisfaction in the West Wing over how the matter was handled.

It's not the first time Bondi has come under criticism. She was ridiculed earlier this year after claiming in a previous Cabinet meeting that Trump's crackdown on fentanyl at the border had saved 258 million lives — in a country of about 340 million people.

Still, like Hegseth, Bondi Trump offers real value. She is an enthusiastic partner in Trump's efforts to exact revenge on prosecutors, law firms and political opponents who have investigated or stood in his way.

In a new bombshell on Wednesday, CNN reported that former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan — both vocal Trump critics — be investigated by the Justice Department for possible false statements to Congress. The investigation stems from one of Trump's long-standing obsessions - a realization by the intelligence community that Russian interference in the 2016 election was designed to help him beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Bondi's prosecutors have upset district courts in recent months and are the front line in Trump's war on the justice system. Her team has won several major Supreme Court victories as Trump pushes his power to the limit.

Therefore, as with Hegseth, there are good reasons for Trump to keep her. In any case, if promoting conspiracy theories, engaging in bombast and hyperbole, and politicizing the legal system and military while causing chaos in government were disqualifications for high office, Trump would never have made it back to the White House.