National Security, Public Safety, Trump May 17, 2019May 17, 2019

Coast Guard White Nationalist Will Remain in Jail Until Trial

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Perspective | May 17, 2019) – Monday May 13, 2019, U. S. District Judge George J. Hazel of Maryland boldly overturned U. S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day’s ruling of the preceding week and ordered USCG Lt Christopher Hasson reman in jail on weapons charges until his trial. The trial date has not yet been set.

Hasson, who faces up to 31 years in prison, is a 50 year old self-declared white nationalist, arrested on February 15, 2019, with plans to kill “nearly everyone on earth.” Hasson made a hit list of Democratic leaders, Supreme Court Justices, social media executives and top “leftist” journalists with the implication that they had to be slaughtered. Based on the material seized upon his arrest, it was determined that Hasson idolized Norway extremist Anders Behring Breivik who massacred 77 in 2011, most of whom were students. Breivik penned a 1,500 page manifesto for the purpose of inspiring other like-minded white nationalists, When arrested, Hasson was in the possession of 15 firearms and 1,000 rounds on ammunition. The initial court filing described Hasson as a “domestic terrorist” who was determined to “murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country.”

Hasson stated in a letter to a friend that was included in the initial court filing, “I am a long time White Nationalist, having been a skinhead 30 plus years ago before my time in the military.” One of several Google searches that revealed Hasson’s intentions was the phrase “civil war if trump impeached.”

Last week on May 7, 2019, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day ordered that Hasson be released until trial, despite his “grave concerns.” According to the TRIBLive, Day outlines that Hasson was to be be “released to the custody of in-laws at a home in Virginia, with 24-hour monitoring by GPS.”

Charlottesville, VA | White Nationalist rally August 12, 2017

Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) & Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation on March 27, 2019 (S-894 Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2019), less than two weeks after the New Zealand white nationalist massacre, to address the domestic terrorism threat. Senator Kaine acknowledged that “the rise of white supremacy is an undeniable threat to the safety of our communities.” The bill is currently in committee, waiting to be debated, although it’s not expected to move forward anytime soon due to the fact that GOP senators do not believe white nationalists are a threat.

White nationalists often communicate using symbols:

The number 14 is big. It represents the 14 words in the white nationalist slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” Tennant affixed “14” to the rifle he used to slaughter 50 in New Zealand. There are times when symbolic numbers are chosen for the day of an attack, which could potentially mean May 14, 2019.
88, which represents “Heil Hitler” – H is the 8th letter in the alphabet, so HH = 88
1488, combination of the two
Boots and laces – skinheads prefer to wear steel-toed work boots with red or white laces tied a certain way
Confederate flag
American Flag
Echo symbol ((( ))) symbolizes Jewish, so (((banker))) means Jewish banker
H8 – another form of HH or 88 that also conveys HATE
The color red
ETC

Be on alert. If you See Something, Say Something.

Health May 15, 2019August 20, 2019

Overdose Quick Response Team | Saving Lives During Opioid Crisis

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Perspective | May 15, 2019)
by Noreen Wise

Huntington, West Virginia Mayor Steve Williams spoke with Axios Co-Founder Mike Allen this morning in a conversation with several other concerned leaders – Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Dr. Vanila Singh Chief Medical Officer US Dept HHS – to discuss a pathway for overcoming the pain crisis in America. More than 50 million Americans are battling chronic daily pain.

Mayor Steve Williams is on the front line of the opioid crisis, speaking candidly about his growth in understanding about the size and scope of this devastating disease, stressing that it is indeed a disease rather than a crime. “We can’t arrest our way out of this.”

Williams walked the audience through his journey of understanding. Initially, his strategy had been to tackle the crisis through law enforcement, with a hard on crime approach. “River to jail.” Anyone crossing the Ohio River to sell drugs in Huntington, WV, was going straight to jail. But arresting 200 in 9 days, didn’t change the results. Drug sellers kept coming. Williams was forced to reassess the root cause of the opioid crisis. Addiction is a disease, he eventually determined. Williams explained that Americans have done a superior job at addressing cancer head on by establishing cancer institutes, and dementia by founding Alzheimer institutes, but there are no addiction institutes.

“The epidemic of addiction is the greatest existential threat facing our nation.” ~ Mayor Steve Williams, Huntington, WV

When asked about solutions for getting overdose survivors into treatment, Williams outlined Huntington’s Quick Response Team, a group of four wearing plain clothes, who immediately move into action within 24-72 hours, to help survivors following an overdose.

The Quick Response Team consists of:

Paramedic
Law Enforcement Professional
Recovery Coach
Pastor

QRT’s mission is to:

Better their community
Instill hope for people struggling with substance abuse
Offer Treatment
Show vulnerable citizens that their city cares about them

Overdose deaths In Huntington, WV have dropped by 50% since the QRT program was established. Mayor Williams’ ability to define the problem, so that he can solve it, appears to be paying off. His central message at the start of this campaign was,”Everybody, EVERYBODY, had to take ownership.” Medical system. Churches. Schools. ETC.

“If you can name it, then you can own it.” ~Mayor Steve Williams, Huntington, WV

Getting the whole Huntington community to own the crisis resulted in a turning of the tides that changed the outcome, saved lives, and revitalized the community. Excellent small scale example that can be applied in every town and city in America.

Thank you, Mayor Williams!

Domestic Terrorism, Public Safety, Trump May 13, 2019May 13, 2019

Will There Be A White Nationalist Terror Attack This Week?

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | May 13, 2019) – On Wednesday May 15, 2019, it will be the two month anniversary of the white supremacist terror attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, which slaughtered 50 innocent civilians in a hate inspired rampage at a mosque during Friday prayers. The unremorseful white nationalist militant assured the world in his 74 page manifesto that his goal was to “polarize and destabilize the West, and spark a Civil War in the United States.” Asked whether he was a Trump supporter, Brenton Tarrant replied, “As a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose? Sure.”

Approximately one month later, on Easter Sunday April 21, 2019, ISIS linked Islamic terrorists shocked the world by massacring 359 Christians in a closely coordinated attack, striking three churches in separate locations across Sri Lanka. Forty-five of those killed were children. The attacks were surprisingly sophisticated, leading the intelligence community to believe the attackers were trained and supported by ISIS. These ISIS terrorists justified their annihilation by claiming it was retaliation for the New Zealand assault that killed so many muslims.

These two groups of dangerous extremists at opposite poles on the spectrum, may be using the pendulum swing for timing. Is it plausible there may be another white nationalist massacre somewhere in the world between Wednesday May 15 and Tuesday May 21? It seems as though it is indeed plausible.

Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) & Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation on March 27, 2019 (S-894 Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2019), less than two weeks after the New Zealand massacre, to address the white nationalist domestic threat. Senator Kaine acknowledged that “the rise of white supremacy is an undeniable threat to the safety of our communities.” The bill is currently in committee, waiting to be debated, although it’s not expected to move forward anytime soon due to the fact that GOP senators do not believe white nationalists are a threat.

White nationalists often communicate using symbols:

The number 14 is big. It represents the 14 words in the white nationalist slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” Tennant affixed “14” to the rifle he used to slaughter 50 in New Zealand. There are times when symbolic numbers are chosen for the day of an attack, which could potentially mean May 14, 2019.
88, which represents “Heil Hitler” – H is the 8th letter in the alphabet, so HH = 88
1488, combination of the two
Boots and laces – skinheads prefer to wear steel-toed work boots with red or white laces tied a certain way
Confederate flag
American Flag
Echo symbol ((( ))) symbolizes Jewish, so (((banker))) means Jewish banker
H8 – another form of HH or 88 that also conveys HATE
The color red
ETC

Be on alert. If you See Something, Say Something.

Mueller, Russia, Trump May 11, 2019May 11, 2019

Trump’s Panic Immediately After Inauguration Which Led to Comey Firing

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | May 11, 2019) – The Mueller Report is so deep and wide with hard core facts, that it may be possible to analyze and comment for years to come. House Democrats are moving forward with their oversight agenda. There will be a full House vote to hold Barr in contempt of Congress as soon as next week. This could potentially lead to Barr being arrested and sent to jail.

In Volume II of Mueller’s Report, under section “C. The President’s Reaction to Public Confirmation of the FBI’s Russia Investigation,” Mueller cites Trump’s reaction to learning Attorney General Sessions was planning to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, and how Trump “tried to prevent the recusal.” Trump was angered that the FBI investigation was in public domain, and advised that news of the Russia investigation was preventing Trump from moving forward with improving relations with Russia. Trump was determined to “lift the cloud” of the Russia investigation so he could begin executing his foreign relations strategy.

Perhaps it’s the way the Mueller Report is laid out, all the evidence lined up like dominoes, that it appears Trump’s number one priority for improving relations with Russia was lifting sanctions. With each breaking news story about Russia and members of Trump’s campaign, Trump’s efforts to lift sanctions became stymied. Reading the Mueller Report makes it seem clear that Trump was panicked he couldn’t act swiftly to lift sanctions. He seemed pressured to make the sanctions go away. One can’t help but ask if Trump and Russia had some type of time sensitive arrangement about how quickly sanctions needed to be lifted.

The conflict over the Russia Investigation, and Trump’s distress, began less than 48 hours after Trump was inaugurated. It appears, that whatever arrangement was made, would have had to have been nailed down before inauguration. Which brings us back to the original question: Did Trump and Russia conspire before the election? It appears so. What did Trump agree to do, once he was elected? Apparently lift sanctions by a specific date. There might not be tangible evidence, such as a taped phone call or written email, to this effect. But Trump’s obvious discomfort, even anger, about being delayed in moving forward with improving relations with Russia, seems like clear confirmation that Trump and Russia did conspire, and that Trump was given a timetable to work under. This type of evidence may not be what’s required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt and win a conviction, but it does seem valid enough to convince a reasonable mind that we’re in unchartered territory. It’s very dangerous. There are dark forces hiding in the shadows behind every corner. And the only way out of this frightening maze is to proceed forward doing everything by the book.

Mueller, Russia, Trump May 6, 2019October 31, 2020

Legal Definition of Conspiracy, Agreement | Mueller Hearing Essential

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | May 6, 2019) – After a deep dive with the Mueller Report, fully consumed for a week, it seems baffling that Mueller did not charge Trump and/or his campaign with conspiracy, considering how many contacts there were between the Trump campaign and the Russians, and the mutual support each party had for the other. Additionally, both the Trump campaign and the Russians consistently showed appreciation for the other’s actions and conveyed this in plain sight for the public to see throughout the campaign. With both Russia and Trump mutually supporting the other, for a full year before the election, and two plus years after, it almost seems incredulous that there was no conspiracy, since they still to this day give the impression that they’re conspiring. But since Mueller is a patriot, held in the highest esteem by the vast majority, there’s no doubt that his finding of no collusion or conspiracy is accurate based on the information he had in his possession at the time he concluded the investigation. So then the collision of these two divergent realities, does create cognitive dissonance for some of us, and has resulted in my extended analysis in order for the glaring incongruity to be resolved. During this extended analysis, I’ve made several deductions:

The black & white legal definition of conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 951) is what Mueller appears to have used to base his decision
The word “agreement” appears to be the critical word that becomes the game-changer (I’m not a lawyer so don’t know the history of this word and generally how it may or may not impact a prosecutor’s ability to charge someone for a crime, it does appear to be pivotal though in determining conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia)
How was agreement defined for this investigation? Perhaps the House Judiciary Committee will have the opportunity to ask Mueller.

Another factor to consider in analyzing the Mueller Report in the hopes of reducing cognitive dissonance, is the various methods of communication that were used. It appears that much of the evidence (or lack there of in some cases) was eyewitness account, emails, texts, and phone calls.

Repeatedly throughout the Mueller Report, the vast majority of the 500 witnesses gave the reply of “I don’t recall” at one time or another during an interview. Saying “I don’t recall” doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, it simply means that it can’t be proven to have happened
There were several examples of texts being deleted, Steve Bannon and Eric Prince for example, this despite the fact that all texts and emails were supposed to be preserved. Bannon’s and Prince’s response to a direct question about the missing texts was something to the effect that they didn’t know how the texts vanished from their phone. Reading something like this about such a serious matter, and understanding that there were no consequences for this offense, is quite unsettling.
There were multiple examples provided in the Mueller Report revealing that Trump campaign members were cautioned about communicating with Russians, and advised not to, especially after the media began reporting on it. It appears that after being warned, several parties followed the advice. However, they may have simply altered the way they communicated rather than break off all interaction with the Russians.

There weren’t very many examples of alternative forms of communication that may have been used between the Trump Campaign and Russians, but there was at least one example of coded messaging that was cited in the Mueller Report. There are several questions that can hopefully be asked about the many forms of alternative communication:

Russians are notorious for the symbols and signs used by spies (NYC International Spy Museum); Trumps uses numerous symbols and signs and seems to speak in code when he gives a speech (CPAC, NRA Convention, his rallies); communicating may be as simple as wearing a red MAGA hat on a specific day or tweeting “Make America Great Again” the way he was doing repeatedly back in March; there are many books about how to signal messages in the public
Trump says that he doesn’t email or text, but is that really true? Trump’s a chronic liar, so why should we believe this. If he tweets, it’s very possible he texts and emails, using an alias of course. He then tells everyone “I never email or text” so he doesn’t have two explain using a private server. Seriously. I can picture this so clearly.
Since we’re dealing with the Russians, the possibilities of alternate forms of communication are endless. According to many blockbuster films, (Sum of All Fears and Hunt for Red October to name two) Russian spies are incredibly sophisticated and know not to send an official written agreement to conspire, but can certainly craft a coded agreement.

So much to think about. So many questions to ask Mueller. Lastly, can the Trump campaign’s decision NOT to report Russia’s offer to help Trump win the election be considered as evidence that Trump did communicate directly with Putin his “agreement” to conspire with Russia? It certainly appears like an agreement commitment. Trump’s actions since his inauguration further convey committed agreement. The Russians have reached out to presidential candidates for decades. In the past, the presidential candidates have gone straight to the FBI and reported it. Why didn’t Trump? It seems obvious why he didn’t. Trump’s decision to not go to the FBI, which he extended toward a foreign enemy that’s in direct conflict with our laws, may not by definition be considered “conspiracy,” but may in spirit strongly communicate to a foreign enemy that the Trump campaign and Russia entered into an agreement before the election. After so much reading, research and analysis, there’s still quite a bit of cognitive dissonance. How will this be resolved? It seems the only way possible is that Mueller have the opportunity to answer questions for the House Judiciary Committee during a hearing. Mueller seems concerned the American public may be confused because of Attorney General Barr’s partisan response. Yes, very confused. A Mueller hearing is essential.

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Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, Nature, Politics May 4, 2019September 22, 2019

House Passes Climate Action Now Act | HR9

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Opinion | May 4, 2019) – The Climate Action Now Act (HR9) was passed by the House on Thursday May 2, 2019. Very encouraging event in the midst of a tumultuous week of shock and disappointment related to the William Barr Hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

This is the first climate crisis legislation to pass the Congress “in nearly ten years,” according to Bill sponsor Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL). HR9 will keep the US commitment outlined in the Paris Agreement, to reduce carbon emissions in the United State by 26-28% by 2025. HR9 prevents the Trump Administration from leaving the Paris Agreement. There’s a bipartisan group of 23 governors, nearly 300 cities, and 2,000 businesses who have all pledged a commitment to stay in the Paris Agreement. The US House of Representatives has now been added to this list.

HR9: To direct the President to develop a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes.

HR9 gives the President 120 days to submit the United States Climate Action plan to assigned congressional committees as well as to the American people.

House Committees: Foreign Affairs and Energy and Commerce
Senate Committees: Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, and Energy and Natural Resources

Despite the Trump Administration announcing it was pulling out of the Paris Agreement on June 1, 2017, the United States went of to reduce carbon emissions by 42 million tons in 2017 the largest reduction by any one country on the globe. Our massive landmass and population can successfully tip the carbon scale. If we can stay committed on a daily basis to do everything in our power to cut carbon – all those very small everyday choices: recycle, reusable bags for all shopping not just grocery shopping, LED lights, tighten faucets after using so no dripping, plant a tree with family and friends once a month, walk more drive less, solar energy – it will become so engrained in our way of life, it won’t feel like extra effort.

We can do this! Let’s go for a carbon reduction goal of 100 million tons in 2019. Next step for HR9 to become law, is passing the Senate.

Mueller, Trump May 2, 2019May 2, 2019

Barr Provided Tangible Proof He Knows Trump’s an Illegitimate President

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis| May 2, 2019) – Attorney General William Barr’s testimony during the Senate Judiciary Hearing on the Mueller Report was so disturbing in its bias and lack of objectivity, that it undermines the pillars of our judicial system and the American Rule of Law. Barr’s arrogance and defiance, indicating that he, like the president, does not have to live or play by the rules, felt like an attack at the heart of America.

Senator Lindsey Graham, was equally as brazen, leaving millions around the country extremely concerned about the stability of our government. The most unsettling acknowledgement that both leaders made during the hearing, was that neither had fully read the underlying evidence on which Mueller based his conclusions. Why would Attorney General Barr publicly admit to Senator Harris that he hadn’t read the underlying evidence? This makes no sense. Especially in light of the fact that there were numerous questions that Barr just flat out refused to answer, for example Senator Harris’s first question:

Senator Harris: “Has the President or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone?”
Barr: “I don’t know.”

So then how do we interpret such an egregious error on the part of our Attorney General? Well, honestly, there can be only one interpretation of Barr’s outright admittance to not reviewing the massive mountain of evidence in Mueller’s Report. Barr clearly did not want to own what the evidence reveals, for it forces one to act, particularly someone in his position.

The Mueller Report evidence proves irrefutably that Russia succeeded with their plan to install Trump into the Oval Office. If the US Attorney General admits to not reading and absorbing this alarming fact, then he can willy will pretend that it’s not true. And if he alerts the American public that he hasn’t read the evidence, after millions in the public reading every last word in the Mueller Report, Barr can plead forgiveness for not taking action to address this frightening reality.

Barr needs to be impeached forthwith.

DOJ, Mueller, Russia, Senate May 1, 2019May 2, 2019

Wait, How About Trump Collusion with Russian Oligarchs?

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Opinion | May 1, 2019) – Attorney General William Barr’s Hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee today, presented himself as uninformed, out of touch and severely biased. It was a very sad day for American justice.

The Mueller Report. The scope of Robert Mueller’s Investigation was as follows:

“Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election”
“any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump; and
“any matters that arose or may arise directly from investigation; and
“any other matters within the scope of 28 C.F.R. 600.4(a)“

Russian interference was extensive and pervasive. The staggering number of details in Mueller’s report have so much meat, that by the end readers can easily conclude that Trump is an illegitimate president. Further, Trump has acted like he knows he’s an illegitimate president ever since his inauguration.

Links and/or coordination with Russian government. It seems that the operative word here is Russian “government.” What definition did Mueller and his team use when investigating the Russian government? The assumption is that Mueller’s Team went by the official definition of the Russian government:

Prime Minister
Deputy prime ministers
Federal ministers

The list of government officials is very straight forward. These are highly visible politicians. I can understand why Mueller didn’t find any evidence connecting Trump and his campaign to conspiring with Russian government officials. But did Mueller find evidence connecting Trump and his campaign to oligarchs, business professionals, and influential Russian citizens? It’s highly probable Mueller did. Was Mueller able to investigate these connections, or was it considered out of scope? Were these lower level Russians associated in anyway to the Russian government? So many questions still unanswered. If Mueller’s Report is narrow in scope, only addressing what Rosenstein stated in his original order, then Mueller’s summary makes sense, and seemingly Trump will be blindsided On November 3, 2020 when he leaves office.

But this troublesome void of not knowing whether or not Mueller’s summary was based solely on Trump and his campaign’s conspiring with Russian politicians, versus oligarchs and business professionals and other Russians, leaves many in the public feeling unsettled. Hopefully we’ll learn the answer to this sooner rather than later.

Constitution, Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, Mueller, Trump April 30, 2019December 24, 2019

Does Mueller Report Confirm Trump is Illegitimate?

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Opinion | April 30, 2019) – There’s a very dark cloud hanging over the White House following the release of the Mueller Report. The extensive evidence outlined in Volume 1, the Russian Influence Campaign section of the report, is so dense, despite the large blacked out gaps, that halfway through it becomes clear that Trump is an illegitimate president.

Beginning in 2014, Russia became fixated on influencing our 2016 presidential election. Mueller has outlined the Russian plan of attack in a very systematic fashion, lining up all the dots of evidence very neatly, and in so doing proving that Russia was intent of installing a candidate who’d be open to accommodating Russia’s needs and wishes. They believed Trump was this man. Success. And now that we can see the boundless Russian efforts outlined, it doesn’t actually matter if Trump or his campaign colluded. Russia’s influence campaign worked. Period. And we’ve been suffering the consequences ever since.

The massive Russian Influence Campaign:

Russian “Active Measures” Social Media Campaign
- Structure of the Internet Research Agency (IRA)
- Funding & oversight from Concord & Prigozhin
- The IRA targets US elections
  - The IRA Ramps Up U.S. Operations as Early as 2014
  - U.S. Operations Through IRA-Controlled Social Media Accounts
  - U.S. Operations through Facebook
  - U.S. Operations through Twitter
    - Individual Twitter Accounts
    - IRA Botnet Activities
  - U.S. Operations involving Political Rallies
  - Targeting and Recruitment of U.S. Persons
  - Interactions and Contacts with the Trump Campaign
  - Trump Campaign Promotion of IRA Political Materials
  - Contact with Trump Campaign Officials in Connection to rallies
Russian Hacking and Dumping Operations
- GRU Hacking Directed at the Clinton Campaign
  - 5 sub headings
- Dissemination of the Hacked Materials
  - 7 sub headings
- Additional GRU Cyber Operations
  - 2 sub headings
- Trump Campaign and the Dissemination of Hacked Materials
  - 9 sub headings
Russian Government Links to and Contacts with the Trump Campaign
- Campaign Period (September 2015 – November 8, 2016)
  - 51 sub headings (extremely disturbing)
- Post-Election and Transition Period Contacts
  - 18 sub headings

With Trump now refusing to comply with House Investigations, in defiance of the U.S. Constitution, on the heels of Mueller’s big reveal, it appears we’re a government in crisis. The House Oversight and Judiciary Committees have a plan. They need the support of the American people. The key to understanding the depth and breadth of this crisis is reading the Mueller Report.

Legislative Branch, National Security April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

Time to Pass Legislation Limiting Acting Secretaries

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | April 29, 2019) – President Trump’s strategy of utilizing acting secretaries instead of permanent secretaries is in direct conflict with the US Constitution and has reeked havoc on the soundness of our United States federal government. Our national security has been undermined, our checks & balances have been disrupted, our divisive President is now almost completely unfiltered, and our overall well-being has been severely compromised.

The following is a list of the US Cabinet positions:

Vice President – Mike Pence
Secretary of State – Mike Pompeo
Secretary of the Treasury – Steven Mnuchin
Secretary of Defense – Patrick M. Shanahan (ACTING, effective January 1, 2019)
United States Attorney General– William Barr
Secretary of the Interior – David Bernhardt
Secretary of Agriculture – Sonny Perdue
Secretary of Commerce – Wilbur Ross
Secretary of Labor – Alex Acosta
Secretary of Health and Human Services – Alex Azar
Secretary of Housing and Human Development – Ben Carson
Secretary of Transportation – Elaine Chao
Secretary of Energy – Rick Perry
Secretary of Education – Betsy DeVos
Secretary of Veterans Affairs – Robert Wilkie
Secretary of Homeland Security – Kevin McAleenan (ACTING, effective April 11, 2019)
White House Chief of Staff – Mick Mulvaney, (ACTING, effective January 2, 2019)
Director of the Office of Management and Budget – Mick Mulvaney
Director of National Intelligence – Dan Coates
Director of CIA – Gina Haspel
Administrator of the EPA – Andrew Wheeler
US Trade Representative – Robert Lighthizer
US Mission to the United Nations – Jonathan Cohen (ACTING, effective January 1, 2019)rs – Kevin Hassett
Head of SBA – Chris Pilkerton (ACTING, effective April 13, 2019)

There’s been much debate about why Trump is allowing so many gaping holes in our country’s leadership. It’s very difficult to comprehend. We have a staggering population of more than 328 million. A massive landmass. And a myriad of intense challenges to overcome. Leaving vitally important positions unfilled is irresponsible and begs the question, is Trump unfit for office? Several of these Cabinet posts are the most critical in our country. It’s time to bring this matter to conclusion by passing legislation that limits the acting status to 90 days, as well as allowing no more than two acting cabinet members at the same time, or something to this effect.

It appears Trump’s strategy of maintaining acting secretaries rather than nominate premanent secretaries is for several strategic purposes:

Acting Secretaries don’t challenge Trump’s decision making, which Trump feels gives him more flexibility (and power, making him that much more authoritative)
They’re more likely to follow orders, even if Trump’s orders are against the law
They don’t demand bringing in their own team to assist
Trump doesn’t have to worry as much about the 25th Amendment
Several of the acting secretaries haven’t been confirmed by congress, but are still making critical decisions that impact the American public

CALL TO ACTION. Tell Congress that it’s imperative they pass legislation to minimize the use of acting secretaries.