Trump doubles down on provocative Cabinet picks as their fates hang in the balance

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

81% : A source told CNN over the weekend that Trump sees Gaetz as his most important pick.
53% : Gaetz -- a pyrotechnical politician who made his name with his outspoken support for Trump and a series of political stunts -- is attracting the most attention in part because of his decision to quit the House just days before the Ethics Committee was expected to release its report.
48% : Using such a move as a first resort rather than a final one, as has happened in the past, would be a sign that Trump, with a compliant GOP, plans to bypass the constitutional checks and balances of Congress and act with sweeping, unrestrained authority as president.
42% : Trump, moreover, is still seething over the establishment's attempts to rein him in during his first White House term.
38% : "Trump on the campaign trail made no secret of his plans if he won a second term.
37% : But several GOP senators made clear Sunday they had no problems with the people Trump has picked to staff the government.
31% : "Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, warned Sunday that Republican senators should look to their legacies and not to Trump.
26% : Trump is adamant he's not going to give in as he seeks people who will fulfill his goals of tearing down the Washington establishment in a second term he pledged to devote to retribution.
25% : "Trump has called on the Senate to, if necessary, cooperate with him to make recess appointments if the picks cannot be confirmed.
18% : Johnson also said he had not discussed the matter with Trump.

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