Dec. 26, 2018: Then National Security Advisor John Bolton and President Donald Trump, hold a call with Iraq Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi during their visit to Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq. (White House /Shealah Craighead)
Weekend news that “Neocon Nikki” Haley is in talks to hit the campaign trail for Donald Trump should raise red flags to everyone cautiously optimistic that Trump 2.0 will avoid some of the personnel disasters that Trump 1.0 fell into time and time again.
Haley was nicknamed “birdbrain” by Trump in the primaries and he swore that anyone supporting her campaign would be “permanently barred” from Trump’s MAGA camp.
For her part, Haley accused Trump of being “unhinged,” “just toxic” and “lacking moral clarity.”
She even latched on to the left-neocon “Russiagate” narrative that former President Trump was soft on and even beholden to Russian president Vladimir Putin, accusing Trump of “siding with a murderous thug.”
The former U.S. president’s son, Don, Jr. (accurately) quipped that Haley was “created in a laboratory by the neocons.”
Now that Trump looks more likely to re-take 1600 Pennsylvania, however, Nikki’s back and ready to stump for Trump.
And she’s not alone. The one thing neocons understand is how to maneuver around the shifting Washington sands of political power to make sure no matter who wins, they remain in charge.
That’s why some neocons like Bill Kristol and Liz (and Papa) Dick Cheney rallied around the Democrats’ Kamala Harris train.
Trump has very publicly renounced and denounced many of the very people he had serving under him in his first administration, including his former National Security Advisor John Bolton, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Vice President Mike Pence, and many others.
For most of his administration it appeared his own staff was actively working against him and as soon as he was out of office most of his former “trusted” appointees lined up to attack their former boss.
That is why it is also curious that Politico — a publication with a pronounced anti-Trump bias — put out a piece speculating on how a Trump 2.0 cabinet might be populated.
Now Politico is far from the worst, and in fact we consult it fairly often when thinking about the Ron Paul Institute’s daily Liberty Report, but astute people in our era must consume mainstream media as in the Soviet era and look for the “who or whom” — of the whole thing.
Trump with Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., at the U.N. on Sept. 24, 2018. (White House/Shealah Craighead)
What is Politico really trying to say in the piece? Are they trying to inform or disrupt? At least they admit that they are “spitballing” in their speculation about who Trump might put into top diplomatic, military and national security positions in his 2.0 administration if it comes to that.
But apparently they base it on his references to each person and whether he gets a positive or negative comment – which itself is a bit of Kremlinology.
For secretary of state, Politico suggests that among five choices he may choose either … neocon Ric Grenell, neocon Robert O’Brien, or…drumroll … neocon “l’il” Marco Rubio!
Likewise for defense secretary, Politico reads the tea leaves and comes up with, among three possibilities, Sen. Tom Cotton or … drumroll …Mike “Lie, Cheat, Steal” Pompeo!!!
The bottom line is that the neocons are flocking back to the Trump world knowing that it is where the (nominal) seat of power may soon lie.
They will flatter him and they will cajole those around them, and a propagandized public will smile and wink that the “experts” are flocking to his administration.
But what have these “experts” achieved? Nothing but failure for the past 25 years, starting with the failed response to 9/11 to the idiotic attack on Iraq to the fake justification for violence embedded in the “Arab Spring” narrative, to our current situation of being on the verge of war with Russia, Iran, China and even BRICS.
They are fully terrible, but they know how to weasel their way into power. Will Trump 2.0 finally banish these parasites to the hinterlands where they belong? “Nikki…buh bye!”
Daniel McAdams is executive Director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity and co-Producer/co-Host, Ron Paul Liberty Report. Daniel served as the foreign affairs, civil liberties, and defense/intel policy advisor to U.S. Congressman Ron Paul, MD (R-Texas) from 2001 until Dr. Paul’s retirement at the end of 2012. From 1993-1999 he worked as a journalist based in Budapest, Hungary, and traveled through the former communist bloc as a human rights monitor and election observer.
This article is from the Ron Paul Institute.
Views expressed in this article and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
I found all the above comments interesting and thoughtful. It’s encouraging, to say the least.
Bottom line is this:
The Dems are after censorship in all areas, meaning the end of the First Amendment, which they call, “dangerous.” That’s the basis for fascism and this fascism will be the worst the world has ever seen; the power to enforce this censorship is extensive in a way heretofore has not existed, what with mass media control, digital IDs and CBDCs. Also, they have been joined with the worst of the worst war mongers. The Democrats are the opposite of what I grew up knowing.
The Republicanss are against censorship. That’s the most important thing they offer. Also, the voices in Trump’s ear are no longer the Pompeos and Boltons, et.al. The voices are those of reason: Gabbard and Kennedy. As soon as someone makes sense in the US, s/he is called a “Putin puppet,” and assume that’s a black mark. In my opinion, it’s not, Putin being the world’s adult in the room. (My question always is, “Have you been there?” Russia is a wonderful place to live, unlike here.)
[As for:
“But apparently they base it on his references to each person and whether he gets a positive or negative comment – which itself is a bit of Kremlinology” …that’s a sentence that makes no sense.]
Both Gabbard and RFK jr support Israel and Netanyahu, as does Trump, and that includes current activities as with Gaza. Voices of reason?
I imagine that Israel will tell Trump or Harris who they must have in their teams. So whomever are the most unhinged, genocidal maniacs they will be guaranteed a job. Brave new world, but not this one.
Anything to win then the party underground takes over with whatever secret plans they have negotiated. Mostly our military agenda ruling from NATO headquarters kicks.
Intelligent people know that Iraq was a disaster both for the Iraqis and the Americans. But for the ideology-consumed Zionists in Israel and the United States, the destruction of Iraq and murder of Saddam Husein got rid of a major enemy and signaled one more step in their desired dominance of the region, a dog mark of ‘Greater Israel’.
I’d wager Zionists were pretty unhappy with the destruction of Iraq. Saddam Hussein and Iraq were a great counter-balance to Iran. The Iranian proxy strategy of arming and funding various fundamentalist militias like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis bent on wiping Israel from the face of the earth only emerged after the end of the Iran-Iraq war. Saddam Hussein was the classic example of the enemy of my enemy is my friend. He may have hated Israel, but his even greater hatred of Iran made him a strange bedfellow of Zionists.
The destruction of Syria and Libya by western neocons also hurt Zionists, as both were fairly stable states that may not have been friendly to Israel, but that mostly minded their own domestic affairs without getting too worked up over the Palestinian issue. After their near collapse (in the case of Syria) or total collapse (in the case of Libya), large chunks of both countries were taken over by violent Islamist militias that were very interested doing harm to the Great and Little Satan (USA and Israel) without giving much/any thought to making life better for the people who lived in their supposed Caliphates.
The neocons Middle Eastern wars haven’t done Zionists any favors.
Harris may occasionally talk to us, the working class, but that doesn’t mean she’ll actually DO more than the last few D presidents did. They’re all neolibs. Corporate accounting dismisses devastation of human and natural resources as irrelevant externalities and capitalism must have endless growth, so the econopathy will continue until there is nothing left to extract anywhere. Though there will be end times entertainment watching the billionaires turn on each other. Too much is never enough for them and they all want to be the biggest winner.
As I keep pointing out to people desperate to believe the Ds, fact is Dick Cheney trained neocons are running Biden’s Dept. of State. Their fantasy is a unipolar world, empire requiring endless wars. That Cheney endorsed Harris is not because Trump is intolerable. Rs haven’t objected to narcissistic multimillionaires in power since the Progressives of the 1920s. Cheney must be certain Harris will keep his people at State. Another implication is the neocons believe they can depend on the D elite whereas they doubt they can fully control Trump and the cult cadres loyal to him alone.
Neolibs and neocons refuse to see anything outside of their narrow reality tunnels. Including crumbling infrastructure. Spiraling healthcare costs. Increasing ecological disasters. Or that the rest of the world outside of a few W. Euro sycophants (emphasis on “sick”) disagrees. Not to mention the entire biosphere upon which all life on Earth depends and even the most dedicated plutocrats cannot buy their way out of.
Neocons were FURIOUS about Trump’s Abraham Accords, which upended decades of ‘expert’ neocon diplomatic opinions on how to manage the middle east. They were also none to pleased that he was looking to a bit too closely at their money laundering operation in Ukraine (which is why they impeached him for it). These are the same people who assured us the Hunter Biden laptop and ‘10% for the big guy’ were Russian disinformation.
As Jesus said, “Where the vultures (carrion) are, there you will find the body.” Down here in Texas, the buzzards are so very graceful and beautiful in flight, but when they land and congregate, they are super ugly.
Putin described it perfectly well several years ago.
Once the new president arrives in the Oval Office, guys in dark suits carrying briefcases show up and tell him exactly how things run in Washington.
Amen! Putin understands his adversaries in the US very well regardless of which political cult happens to occupy the White House. The seat of power lies in Langley and Wall Street, not Washington.
The author must be ignorant of the facts, as if the DT is not a rabid Zionist genocidal freak, just like KH and the Ds.
The DT is taking MILLIONS of dollars from an ISRAELIl oligarch ffs! (Adeslons) DT’s daughter converted to Judaism to marry Jared Kushner ffs! Kushner wants Uncle Bibi to sell him waterfront property in Gaza for cheap, after the Palestinians are all dead. Nice folks eh?
Why do people believe lie after lie, when the facts are plain to see?
Hoooray for US Democracy! Vote R, we get kleptocracy, oligarchy and genocide. Vote D, we get kleptocracy oligarchy and genocide.
So, vote early, vote often and Vote Genocide 2024!
It always amuses me how trashing Sheldon Adelson as a scumbag billionaire who tries to buy elections is totally fine and within the Overton window of acceptable rhetoric, but saying the exact same thing about George Soros or his soft-handed son is antisemitism and will get you called a Nazi. I think most conservatives would gladly kick Adelson to the curb provided progressives would do the same with Soros. That’s the very definition of a win-win.
Audio Clip: Beats-Me, Ledeen-Clip from Scott Horton’s show
hxxps://soundcloud.com/jueri-svjagintsev/beats-me-ledeen-clip-from-scott-hortons-show?si=ad2a0020ec1d4587981fc651b24ac079&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
What accounts for this ever present Neo-con, con? We need some insight here, as to what the basis is for this ability to never not be where the power is.
What accounts for their ever presence is the naivete and stupidity of our so-called “leaders” who can be led to any trough containing money – combined with the monumental profits that can be had (at the expense of taxpayers) by those who fill those money troughs.
I call them The “Apex Predator Class’ and you can guess who is their prey….
Its a good question you pose, given that these maniacs are doing their best to drive us over a cliff. You’d think by now, someone would wake up, before we have mushroom clouds on the horizon.
They work in the shadows on the inside. George H.W. Bush is the perfect example of one who cultivated and employed this type of individual. Check his early political career, entered politics in Feb 1963. Elected to the US House 1966 and was in D.C. circles and such until 1993. 26 years.
I know I get heavily criticized for this but humor me wiki ‘NEOCON George H.W. Bush’. Do you what comes up at the top of the list Wikipedia and the title is NEOCONSERVATISM. go and check it out.
The first section titled Neoconservatism, read it and notice the Robert Kagan, husband of Victoria Nuland of Joe Biden’s a former spokes person for the U. S. Department of State, then study her actions during her stint. Pretty actively engaged in the application of U.S. Foreign policy if you ask me.
Did you know or did you care that her husband in 1997 co-authored the Plan for the New American Century with William Krystol.
Typical for scum which floats to the of the swamps other wise known are D.C ‘think tanks’. They seem to just float around in the shadows until some power broker needs a useful idiot!
Bush used useful idiots, and is rumored to have been closely tied to the CIA, in fact he is the only person, formerly of CIA to ever have been VP or President.
I do not believe in coincidences. Ever hear of BCCI Bank or the Iran Contra Affair?
These people are SICK!
The amazing thing is that with all their malign influence and pressure from Bolton, Pompeo, Pence, etc, Trump did not follow the neocon path. For example, I understand from Mercouris that after the assassination of Soleimani, that was set up by Pompeo, it was Trump who reached out to the Swiss to negotiate calm with Iran. That is simply not neocon behavior.
I do not necessarily like Trump, however the salient difference for me between Trump and the Democrats is that, despite the packaging, the Democratic Party and its candidates are now full blown neocons running with the bit in their teeth. Trump on the other hand, whatever else he is, is not a neocon. It is simply not his nature. And neither is Vance. And that, right now, will have to be enough because the Democrats are fully and utterly despicable since HRC’s rise as the party’s queen in 2016.
And not as important, or perhaps even more important depending, at least Trump is entertaining, certainly as compared to Harris who will immediately lose her smiles and flowers if elected.
Trump is as devoted and obeisant to the Israeli death cult as anyone in Washington, if not moreso.
nwwoods: Yes, could be. Awful. But the alternative is Israeli death-cult + full blown neocon aspirations. Neocon is the ongoing status quo of suicide. We certainly need better choices. Unfortunately, they are not coming from either of the two mainstream parties.
The US National Civic Public Relations Stunt (aka “elections”) offers no meaningful choice. Congress is openly and legally bribed. Oligarchs are PAYING people to support candidates. Yet the gullible masses still “believe” that it will be different this time. (definition of insanity) They still believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and US democracy. The same BS happens every 4 years, we are told to “vote” for one of two BigMoney, Oligarchy-backed candidates. yet things just get worse.
Let’s not make excuses for either DT, nor KH. There is no such thing as lesser genocide. Millions will vote for one of the two racist Zio genocide freaks. So go ahead and join the crowd and vote genocide, millions of others will as well.
Johnny: I don’t disagree at all. So, sit it out; hope for the best; get drunk..? I’ve tried all that and more. You’ve identified the reality. Now, if you have a plan, this is a good time.
I’m shocked by Mgr’s comment. Neocon Trump bragged at 2020 rallies that he killed Soleimani, laughed about it, and his 2020 rally attendees cheered. In 2015-16 he would’ve been booed for this. His 2015-2016 rallyers believed him when he said US had to stop being “global bully,” reduce foreign aggression and interference. I guess Pompeo was president because you blame him for Soleimani murder. I’ve heard the “blame Pompeo” for this before. I replied that if this wasn’t a Trump decision Trump should’ve resigned immediately, that presidents are responsible for assassinations during their admins. Especially when they brag about them afterward. The “blame Pompeo” person flew into a rage against me for this view. The “slicing and dicing” to defend poor Don has reached new levels with your “proof” that Don was a good guy because he called the Swiss about it. The world isn’t a one way street. Iran would be totally justified in retaliating against US barbarity including killing Trump. Since Trump was ignored by the Pentagon his entire 4 years, and in Aug. 2017 Congress removed all Russia matters from Trump, thus showing the world he was powerless, he should’ve resigned. Medvedev commented at the time that Trump had been humiliated and that his admin. would be unable to have a relationship with Russia. In July 2017 Don went on tv and announced he’d changed his mind about endless Mideast wars, now thinks they’re necessary. Everyone knows Don was powerless but to this day he brags about what a great relationship he has with Putin, that he’s “tougher” on Putin than anyone else, threatened to bomb him, and approved two shipments of lethal weapons to Ukr to kill Russians. US taxpayers must be freed from enslavement to US wars. The only solution is that US must be broken up into at least 3 separate countries. Don is irrelevant.
susan: Actually, it was Alexander Mercouris’s comment on Trump and Soleimani, not mine.
I don’t know that breaking up the country into three is on the ballot this time, but I am in favor of anything, including that, if it helps to break the neocon hold over the US and the Western world in general.
If I thought that Harris would do that to any degree, I would, as they say, hold my nose and vote for her. But I believe that possibility is out of the question. I don’t know precisely what Trump will do this time. I don’t have high hopes. But I do know exactly what Harris and the DP will do and that is simply out of the question. I would be happy to vote for Jill Stein and have done that before. But there is no way that I will contribute to a DP victory this time, even passively.
So, ballot in hand, what is your plan..? It really sucks to be trapped in the US’s form of democracy, does it not..?
Finally you made some sense with what your wrote here. Be honest this problem has plagued U.S. voters since before the death of JFK.
That is correct I’m going there once again.
I convinced the NEOCON has been lurking in the shadows of D.C. since shortly before Truman and the creation of the CIA. The absolute secrecy the agency was mysteriously awarded is killing the country.
You statement the third, forth and fifth lines , “if it helps break the hold over the US and the western world in general.” Pure Pax Americana.
You then justify you backing of Trump. You lament the NEOCON hold over the U.S., which in my opinion is correct, but insinuating this condition is one the democrats only are responsible for. Nothing could be further from the truth. Go ahead and admit it.
Why not be crystal clear about this and admit this condition was the result of the CIA’s intervention by the removal of a sitting president. Yes sir, I went there again and much like your self my beliefs are entrenched in my being. My belief is again the death was the result of pure Pax Americana.
My belief is I feel the exact same way about re-electing Trump, killing JFK was a mistake and so is re-electing Trump. The man is scary and dangerous and you don’t have to take my word for this. You want a dictator move to a country that has one.
The solution to this may be coming soon but it is not my place to educate others as to why I have this thought.
I will however urge everyone to keep close tabs on the JFK murder saga. Kennedy was murdered by his enemies in and around our own government.
mgr I have a plan and I’ll be voting for whomever.
Thanks CN
If even a Genocide doesnt convince you that you might not have all the facts, nothing else will. There is not a single thing that Trump has done at his very worst moment, that comes close to a Genocide. You have to go all the way back to Adolph Hitler to find a comparable to what Netanyahu AND Biden are doing.
After the idiotic Soleimani assassination, Trump came on the airwaves with “He was a very very baaad man.” Not following the neocon path? He wasn’t responsible? What is this man responsible for other than simplistic ego-stroking to make himself look good? Somebody else said he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Got that right. But he’s the LOTE of this election??? I think we could be in danger of romanticizing this man as MacGregor* did yesterday on Daniel Davis deep dive with Trump “has a good heart.” Take that to the middle east and see how they feel about it.
*I’m a fan of MacGregor except for this; but let me add that yesterday on Deep Dive he also he indicated that the troops from N. Korea story is false; they’re in a training exercise in an area bordering Russia, with whom they’re neighbors.
Whichever of these swamp creatures start stumping for Trump in the final days of the campaign, you can take it to the bank that Trump has promised them some role. Pathetic.
Yes, and every one of them will get thrown under the bus. You can count on it.
Suuuure. Just like he arrested Clinton’s he then called good people….
I am shocked that so many Trump supporters think he will be different this time. Most people get set in their ways at his age, rarely do they have any significant reversal of their approach to life. Trump is going to be even more Trump this time around. He is going to make even worse decisions, and cause even more damage and destruction. Don’t get me wrong, Harris will be Biden in just about every way that matters, so her administration will be merged with the ongoing train wreak that is Biden. What I wonder is whether the public in the US is ever going to go on strike when offered such thin gruel every election cycle.
Trump will be different because he has been through the democrat chopping block. Just show him a picture of Merrick Garland should be enough.
I hope you’re right Joe Moffa.
But his shallow knee jerk thinking on the issues – take his stupid tariffs which will only cost Americans while destabilizing markets and anger the new globally dominant economic powerhouse the Peoples Republic of China instead of growing some modesty and reaching a peace initiative – if that what he really means to do…..
The man is a gifted manipulator of (some) peoples’ trust but where’s the beef.
I can only hope he would toss the NEOCONS out on their collective dumb/psychopathic asses but I don’t know that the real Trump, whoever that may be (having been fooled once by the NEOCONS) is capable of standing up to them…..
The only hope I have and it’s a slim reed is for the adults in the room – sorry but that’s the BRICS countries if they stick to their cooperation/consultations/respect for others/trade not war ideology manage to defang the WEST before they start WWIII …
Yes, I agree. Real change is going to be imposed upon the US/West from outside. It did not have to be this way. I’m not religious but am praying the worst scenarios can somehow be avoided.
Trump didn’t cause near the destruction that Biden/Harris have. And he wasn’t making most of those decisions. Bolton, Pompeo and the rest of the Deep State were. He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I don’t imagine he wants to be manipulated like that again….
And who put all those swamp things in charge? Trump. Who gave Bill Gates money and praise to bring the killshots? Warp speed murdering Epstein guilty Israeli dingus slurping traitor Trump
I don’t think Trump is going to be any different, but I do think he’s going to have an administration that is more aligned with his agenda. He’s had eight years to root out the Quislings who sabotaged his presidency from within the first time around, and is no longer relying establishment toadies like Rience Priebus to staff the administration. I think he’ll be the same guy but will be more effective (for better or for worse) because his staff will actually work for him this time rather than against him. Ditto for the Congress, where the Paul Ryan and Jeff Flake types who stymied Trump’s legislative agenda have been primaried and sent packing by their constituents.
That said, It’s not Trump supporters thinking he will be different this time that befuddles me. It’s liberals thinking that a guy who has already served four years and peacefully left office after losing in 2020 (albeit with a lot of foot dragging, whining, and claims of the election being ‘stolen’) is suddenly going to turn into a pastiche of Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin this time around (as the Atlantic recently posited, I guess because just calling him Hitler has grown stale). He won’t. He’ll be the same bombastic rhetorical bomb thrower he was the first time around but ultimately won’t change much, just like his first term.
The theories of him ‘ending democracy’ in particular are ludicrous. One thing the pundits get right is that Trump’s energy level is not the same as it was 4 or 8 years ago. I don’t think Trump has any desire to keep the job beyond 2028. That’s why he named an heir apparent as his VP rather than bring in someone who can balance out the ticket. Trump has every intention to pass the baton to Vance and ride off into the sunset when his term is up and has no interest in establishing a 1000 year Reich.
When are we going to learn that campaign promises are lies while they are being made?
Great analysis! The neocons always seem to find a way back into power, regardless of who’s in charge. Hopefully, Trump 2.0 will stay true to his base and keep these war hawks out for good this time.
Cockroach behavior is in the nature. It’s how they became ‘neocons’ in the first place after jumping ship from the Democratic party in the 60s due to the peace movement getting in the way of plans for never-ending wars.