Donald Trump posted online a list of people he said are not welcome to serve in his second administration, many of whom he also referred to with derogatory nicknames. Critics called it a “blacklist” and said it proves the president-elect wants total loyalty from government workers when he returns to office on Monday.
Trump first boasted on his Truth Social platform that his team had already hired more than 1,000 people to work for the government. “They are outstanding in every way, and you will see the fruits of their labor over the coming years. We will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and it will happen very quickly!” he wrote.
But Trump then asked people to stop recommending candidates “who worked with, or are endorsed by” a number of conservatives who have previously criticized him and who he has clashed with.
They included his former national security adviser John Bolton (who Trump described in the post as “Dumb as a Rock”), his own former Vice President Mike Pence and former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).
See the full post here:
Trump also dismissed from possible roles “any of the other people suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, more commonly known as TDS.”
“Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he concluded the post.
Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported that Trump officials had been grilling career civil servants in the National Security Council over their political leanings and donations.