Republican lawmakers 'shocked' that Trump is still Trump

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine

Republicans are expressing surprise in both public and private that with the announcement of his slate of unqualified Cabinet picks, Donald Trump is still as unhinged as he has always been.

In a flurry, Trump has nominated alleged sex-trafficker Matt Gaetz as attorney general, conspiracy theorist Tulsi Gabbard to head national intelligence, and notorious anti-handwasher Pete Hegseth to run the Department of Justice, among others.

These picks are in line with Trump’s demonstrated leadership style, valuing people who appear on Fox News to say nice things about him over qualified experts. It is the leadership style that, in his first term, led to results like the failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a net job loss when other presidents, even Republican George W. Bush, managed to increase jobs.

Despite this, there are new signs of supposed confusion and bewilderment from the GOP establishment.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley committed a cardinal sin in Trump world by running against him in this year’s Republican presidential primary, though she later came crawling back with an endorsement of his campaign. Trump made it clear she won’t get a position in his administration, and Haley appears to be shocked, just shocked, to hear it.

“He can be shallow at times, and I think he showed that,” Haley complained on her satellite radio show, which is seemingly a consolation prize for her poor primary showing.

Haley worked under Trump as his U.N. ambassador and has been an eyewitness to his behavior in public office. After all, she herself called him “unstable and unhinged” earlier this year. It makes little sense that her takeaway now is that he is shallow “at times.”

Axios reported on anonymous Republican lawmakers expressing that they are “stunned and disgusted” by Trump’s selection of Gaetz, representing a return to a cowardly style of commentary that has marked Trump’s tenure as head of the Republican Party.

Meanwhile, Texas Sen. John Cornyn merely rolled his eyes at reporters asking about Gaetz, and incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune punted queries about the selection to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The upcoming head of that committee, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, told reporters, “Don’t ask me any other questions” about the pick.

Republicans who did go on the record offered limp commentary. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she was “shocked,” while Trump loyalist Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa said Gaetz has “got his work really cut out for him” to prove he is worthy of the nomination.

The Republican response to these actions is not credible. To Trump’s credit, he has not seriously pretended to be different on this topic than the same person he was when he called Mexican immigrants rapists in 2015. The same man who hosted an event calling Puerto Rico “garbage” was unlikely to turn into a solemn and clear-headed leader after voted back into office.

Republicans chose Trump to lead their party almost a decade ago. He hasn’t changed. Their purported surprise that he hasn’t changed is the only “shocking” part of this equation.