Never, in the long history of this country, has our federal government been so riled up by an incoming political party.
Donald Trump - true to his word - is shaking our federal system to its core. If things continue on this path, we're likely to see massive changes in the way we relate to our own governance.
Trump's picks for federal appointment are challenging traditional governmental norms. Especially the unemployed Matt Gaetz for Attorney General while, at the moment, he's being investigated by several federal agencies for criminal activity including sex with teenage girls.
Several other Trump picks are similarly unconnected to normal political discussion. Take Tulsi Gabbard, for example. From out of nowhere. In charge of a national intelligence agency. Really? And, RFK Junior for Health and Human Services? Again, REALLY?
Somewhere along the way, some of these folk have to appear before the U.S. Senate for confirmation. Most of the time that's just a formality since the usual feeling is the President should have his own picks.
But, Gaetz? Gabbard? And, only God knows who's next.
Trump continues to operate the only way he knows how. Be the "chief executive." Be "the boss." That's the way he's run his life till now. That's all he knows.
We have a President who doesn't understand how the governmental process works. He seems to have no knowledge of how the executive branch is connected to the legislative and judicial parts of the three-legged stool enumerated in the Constitution. Each operating on its own but in concert with the other two.
Trump seems to see the office of President as that of a CEO, calling the shots and running the entire operation. Though he is not new to the Presidency, he still talks and acts as though he were running a private company.
As for Gaetz and Gabbard, if he persists, Trump may get a congressional comeuppance on their nominations. Each has been in the public eye for a long time. Each has a public reputation for controversy. Each has tried - unsuccessfully - to operate, at times, without regard to the rules.
And, Trump's not through. There are other appointments to be made. We'll see more names published for other positions.
Will Trump have learned a lesson with the public resistance to those he's already named? Will he reconsider the entire nomination process as he selects others for his administration? Has he learned anything from the brouhaha surrounding his initial picks?
My answers? No. No. And, hell no.
Past Senate confirmations have almost always given the President substantial leeway on his choices for cabinet posts, allowing his picks some courtesies while getting their support.
It's not clear who - in his cadre of hangers-on - has Trump's ear and his trust at the moment. We can only hope that - whoever that is - it's someone that can keep him from making the same mistakes again.
Trump's term of office is finite. For members of Congress, the future is an open track. While those Republican members support him on some things, there are limits on that support.
These appointments efforts may have made those limits more defined.