Last week, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned in disgrace amid accusations of drinking on the job, infidelity, and sexual harassment of staff by her husband.
It was an ignominious end to one of the few Trump cabinet appointments which began with some bipartisan hopes and an expectation of at least minimal competence.
Instead, Chavez-DeRemer became a lesson in the signal truth of Trump’s second term: He hires for spineless sycophantic loyalty, and anyone who is spineless and sycophantic enough to satisfy him is committed to grotesque fascism, corruption, or both.
Those who agree to work for Trump are, by definition, unqualified and evil. There are no exceptions, and, by this point, there is no excuse for pretending otherwise.
A brief hope
On paper, Chavez-DeRemer was one of the most potentially reasonable cabinet nominees of Trump’s second-term team of Nazis, scoundrels, cowards, and fuck-ups. She was elected to Congress in Oregon’s purple fifth district in 2022, and in line with her constituency she attempted to craft a moderate record.
During her term in Congress, Chavez-DeRemer introduced successful bills expanding healthcare services to veterans and funding overdose prevention programs — pragmatic nonpartisan measures. She lauded Biden’s infrastructure bill and the money it brought into Oregon, and joined Democrats in supporting federal transportation and bridge projects in the state.
