Trump's Team

by Wayne Flaherty

In my poverty stricken ignorance, I have offered advice to any and all who would listen. My advice ranges from "Drop dead, you idiot" to "Way to go!"  With that in mind I have assembled what I believe is a list of Americans who could help Donald Trump get elected and run the country after he becomes president. This partial list addresses only the top members of my proposed team.

For Vice President, I like Ben Carson. He is knowledgeable, well spoken, well versed on the issues, and handles himself well in interviews. He would be a definite asset on the campaign trail. His views on the nation's problems show him to be genuinely concerned about the plight of the American people. His views on solutions to our problems show a mindset based on common sense and a desire to effect real and meaningful changes in the direction we have been going. Also, no minority individual or group is going to intimidate him.

For Attorney General, I like John Bolton. Since 1981 he has been in the service of his country, recently as ambassador to the UN. He is a no-nonsense diplomat who has exhibited a real understanding of the threats to our country. He has made no bones about what he thinks of Obama's failed policies toward Islamic Terrorists.

For Secretary of Defense, I like General Michael Flynn. He is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and chair of the Military Intelligence Board from July 24, 2012, to August 2, 2014. His recent experience give him a knowledge and insight into the many security problems our country faces. He would provide a stark contrast to the failed policy of appeasement we have seen in the last 7-1/2 years of the Obama administration.

For Secretary of State, I like Newt Gingrich. Newt is well known and knows the ins and outs of Washington politics. He is tough under fire from reporters and has the ability to articulate positions and policies clearly and concisely. He would do very well on the campaign trail and he would send military help wherever and whenever it was needed.

For Secretary of Homeland Security, I like Rudy Giuliani. He is the best man to be between the military at the Secretary of Defense and the local police chiefs. I would place Homeland Security directly under the Secretary of Defense. If the law prevents such an alignment I would insist that the governing boards of both organizations meet regularly (weekly). Since the two departments have the same ultimate goal of protecting the American people, it makes sense to create a situation that would be almost seamless in carrying out its objectives. One further step would be to set up a communications line through which threat information could travel both ways between local and national organizations. Bring a steady stream of local police chiefs to Washington to participate in security briefings. The war against ISIS and other terrorist groups would be carried out much better with local and national efforts coordinated from within a single bureaucracy or two bureaucracies intimately related.

For Director of the CIA, I would retain John Brennan. He tells it like it is and, were it not for the Obama administration's policy of inaction, could have provided significant information in a war against our enemies.

These core appointments are only some of the ones needed, but they are the highest profile and therefore the most visible as Trump's campaign moves forward.