January 25, Meritocracy

With Donald Trump, all nominees have to be merit based. (1)
But we have seen examples where it might have been erased.
In Hegseth, Gabbard, RFK, Patel, one sees with ease,
That loyalty to Donald trumps all other qualities.

It seems unwise to start out with a government that’s maimed,
Where few are qualified to do the job for which they’re named.
But Donald isn’t either, so he’s comfortable with that.
His petty grievances produced a grown-up, spoiled brat.

The drunk, the anti-vaxxer, plus the vengeful Kash Patel,
And Gabbard don’t look merit-based; they have a common smell.
For DOD, HHS, FBI, and DNI, (2)
All nominees seem picked for loyalty, one can’t deny.

The unprepared, unqualified to lead our government,
All nominated, based on Donald’s thin integument,
Imply that Trump’s criteria are not just merit based.
Demand for loyalty has left a telling aftertaste.

The Senate showed it could be bullied; Pete Hegseth went through.
Sexual abuse was no big deal, since Donald does that too.
Pete’s drunkenness, incompetence, were judged to be OK.
All thoughts of inexperience left for another day.

So, all this stuff we hear about a meritocracy,
In government with Donald Trump, is total fantasy.
In Donald Trump’s determined drive to be our autocrat,
He surrounds himself with “yes men,” and, as they say, “That’s that.”

(1) Trump’s address on Zoom to the economic meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2025. He has said this many times.
(2) Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, RFK Jr. Health and Human Services, Kash Patel, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence.