The City Goes to Sleep, and the Mafia Wakes Up*

*Editor’s note: On March 4, 2022, Russia enacted a law that criminalizes public opposition to, or independent news reporting about, the war in Ukraine. The law makes it a crime to call the war a “war” rather than a “special military operation” on social media or in a news article or broadcast. The law is understood to penalize any language that “discredits” Russia’s use of its military in Ukraine, calls for sanctions or protests Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It punishes anyone found to spread “false information” about the invasion with up to 15 years in prison.

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The newly elected U.S. president has set a record for the speed of filling key posts in his administration. According to Axios, Donald Trump made 12 appointments within 12 days of the election. He’s moving four times faster than when he formed his first cabinet and five times faster than Joe Biden. Sources note that previous administrations adhered to established vetting processes for candidates, but Trump’s approach is breaking those norms. Mikhail Gurevich, a Kommersant FM columnist, ponders the implications of these controversial appointments.

From a Russian perspective, watching the appointments to the new American administration feels a lot like playing the game, “Mafia.” The city goes to sleep, the Mafia wakes up, and by morning, we hear about new nominees — names that catch not only us, but also many Americans, off-guard as well.

By and large, only Marco Rubio’s nomination for secretary of state was predictable. Many had even considered him a potential vice president earlier in the summer. The rest of Donald Trump’s choices, however, veer so far from the traditional mold of senior government officials that some analysts speculate he’s deliberately “trolling” the media and the political establishment. Yet, unlike his first term, Trump appears to have a clear strategy this time, complete with a pre-prepared list of loyalists poised to execute his agenda.

The burning question is what’s on the mind of the 47th president: revenge for the past four years of scrutiny, a complete overhaul of the federal system, or a mixture of both?

It’s hard to imagine achieving meaningful reform of America’s massive bureaucratic machine within a single presidential term. The U.S. system is designed in such a way that even with all the determination in the world, dismantling the state from the White House alone is virtually impossible. Most power lies at the state level, while Washington handles foreign policy, federal taxes and defense issues. In total, the federal government employs over 2 million people — not counting postal workers and Defense Department staff. While this may not seem like a lot, most government employees are hired by the states, not Washington.

Interestingly, in Washington, D.C. itself, every third resident works for the government. Perhaps that’s why, anticipating the changes ahead, only 6.5% of voters in the capital cast their ballots for Trump. Now, these same government workers are set to face scrutiny from figures like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. A defining characteristic of Trump’s new team is its unconventional lineup. His picks, while largely unforeseen by analysts, are big names with reputations that often come with a side of controversy. Bookmakers are already taking bets on how long they’ll last and who will be the first to be shown the door. Trump certainly won’t shy away from firing people; during his first term alone, four chiefs of staff cycled through the White House.

But before anyone can be dismissed, they’ll need to be confirmed by Congress. The toughest battles are likely to revolve around his picks for secretary of defense and attorney general. Pete Hegseth has little experience in managing large organizations, while Matt Gaetz faces multiple criminal allegations.* Still, Trump has an ace up his sleeve: He could use a legislative loophole to make recess appointments, allowing his choices to serve for up to two years without Congressional approval.

What happens after that? Who’s thinking that far ahead? Most of these appointees still have their whole lives ahead of them. Another notable feature of Trump’s team is their youth. Few of them are over 50. They’re still young and have plenty of time.

*Editor’s note: Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination for attorney general on Nov. 21.