The 12 Worst People in Trump's Orbit (Rolling Stone)

[highplainsdem]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-lists/politics-politics-lists-worst-people-trump-orbit-second-term-1235158719-1235158719/

Donald Trump is returning to the White House with a literal plan for vengeance. Four years stewing in the bitter sting of his 2020 defeat, attempting to skirt the consequences of his post-election plotting, and growing increasingly authoritarian in his views have the president-elect primed for a scorched earth administration unlike any before him.

Advising Trump is a cadre of right-wing loyalists who have publicly declared their intent to leverage a second Trump administration into a sandbox for their most extreme political fever dreams: mass deportations, increased restrictions on reproductive freedoms, and corporate cronyism without limit.

Some of his allies will be brought directly into the administration, longtime loyalists are itching to receive their reward in the form of a powerful appointment or Cabinet position. Others will operate in the shadows, quietly advising Trump during swanky dinners at Mar-a-Lago, rides on Air Force One, and phone calls from the Oval Office. They will have unprecedented influence over the levers of executive power, and you should know who they are, so here are 12 of the most reprehensible MAGA loyalists riding Trump’s coattails.

Elon Musk

It can be tough to separate Elon Musk’s actual political beliefs from his rampant shitposting, but here goes: Women should give birth to as many children as possible, preferably to him (“Fine Taylor, you win… I will give you a child,” he tweeted at Taylor Swift when she endorsed Harris); climate change isn’t an issue, we can just go to Mars; unregulated cryptocurrency is the way of the future, and anyone trying to stand in its way hates freedom; the “woke mind virus” is pervasive and turning children — including one of his — trans; Democrats are “importing” undocumented immigrants to vote for them, even though it’s illegal for noncitizens to vote and they rarely do, an idea that echoes the racist “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory. If this all sounds like wading through the dregs of Twitter, it’s not a coincidence — the billionaire and richest man in the world bought the social media site and recreated it in his image. Musk also spent at least $119 million on a pro-Trump Super PAC, effectively taking over the Trump campaign’s canvassing operation while running countless ads promoting Trump, attacking Kamala Harris, and repeatedly demonizing migrants — all while admitting that a Trump presidency would “involve some temporary hardship” for Americans, while claiming “it will ensure long-term prosperity.” Now, that thoughtful, South African mind is set to join the new administration in some high-level role, and while we don’t know exactly what that is yet, the fact that he reportedly hopped on a call with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shows that it could be pretty serious. – EGP

-snip-

The other 11:

Stephen Miller
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Tom Homan
Mike Davis
J.D. Vance
Ric Grenell
Jeff Clark
Laura Loomer
Kash Patel
Russell Vought
Tucker Carlson

[FSogol]

1. The article could have been the 1,200 worst people in the Trumpy orbit.

[Wicked Blue]

2. Steve Bannon nt

[NEOH]

3. Don't forget Aileen Cannon...

[Ocelot II]

4. And they'll all end up with Cabinet positions.

[underpants]

5. Vance - an amorphous blob mentally and physically who rode a book

a book, Thiel’s money, and just standing in one spot to be a US Senator and now VP.

J!F!C!

[ananda]

6. So, why can't I think of any Republicans who are less than worst?

Maybe I need some brainwashing.

[bluesbassman]

8. Because when you start going down the list it's downright ugly.

McConnell, Scott, Cruz, Kennedy, DeSantis, damn I’m making myself nauseous just thinking of their names!

[Passages]

7. Horrifying.