One characteristic of trump-base voters is that they distrust and despise anyone who seems more bright, more clever, more competent than they. It has always been this way. The “people” don’t like folks who use big words or complex syntax. They assume that folks who do are city slickers out to deceive them or sneer at them.

I wonder if there is something similar at work in Trump’s selections for his cabinet and staff. Trump too does not want to have around him people who are smarter and more capable than he, experienced and intelligent people who might “show him up,” who might show their contempt for him, as have so many in Trump’s earlier staff.

There is, of course, a lot more to it. It’s easy to undermine the United States. Just appoint belligerent and incompetent people to positions of great importance and let things fall apart.

Appointment of trump-types will require bypassing the required Senate approval, but that approval, required by the Constitution, is to the trumpian mentality a mere legalism.

Indeed, I think we’re going to see Trump trying to govern without legislative approval or cooperation. He will do it through “executive orders” and “emergency decrees.” There is precedent for this. The Nazis manufactured an emergency in which the Chancellor, Hitler, could govern by decree. The emergency became permanent and Hitler never ceased governing by decree.