FILE PHOTO: Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens as former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard speaks during a campaign rally at Greensboro Coliseum, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

When the conservative US Supreme Court, essentially handpicked by Donald Trump, ended race-based admissions at Harvard last year, it killed what could be the greatest tool we had to create a more equitable and just society.

And it was baffling. The high court said we couldn’t use race to solve racial inequities?

How high are these people?

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This was just another example of the Trump effect, our Orwellian saga in US government when “yes” means “no” and “no” means “yes.”

Things don’t make sense.

Sort of like Donald Trump declaring voters gave him a “mandate” to remake American democracy in his image.

Let’s be clear. There was no mandate on Nov. 5.

Votes are still being counted and Trump won a close race, sure.  The electoral college went to the GOP.  But as of this week, Trump’s popular vote total is actually shrinking to just 49.9 percent.

We know how he likes to lie about size. Mandate? That’s a landslide. Trump winning with 49.9 percent of the vote is no landslide.

And yet, Trump is acting like he can run through stone walls with his fake “mandate.”  Example: When it comes to picking his Cabinet these last few weeks, he’s rolled out a list of nominees that are stunning for their lack of qualifications.

Most, if not all of the first set of nominees, should be rejected.

What I’ve noticed is when he picks a cabinet, he picks people who are just like him, but even less qualified than he was to be president.

Of course, Trump wasn’t qualified to be president the first time or this second time.

The first time he had no elected government experience. He was a reality TV star. The second time, he had the record of the worst president in American history, plus 34 felony convictions, on top of being held liable for sexual assault. You can call it “rape,” but it was a civil finding.

Trump’s  group of unqualified telegenic sycophants assures that if  you didn’t like politics and government before, you’re not going to like it now.

The most egregious pick was former Congressman Matt Gaetz, who resigned from the House last week in order to circumvent a House Ethics committee’s investigation into Gaetz.

Matt Gaetz talks before President-elect Donald Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Gaetz thought the matter would be dropped with his resignation. But the bits of the investigation have come out revealing the testimony of a 17-year old who is said to have had sex with Gaetz on an air hockey table.

There’s also the testimony of two other women who say Gaetz paid them $10,000 to have a number of sexual encounters. And there’s some talk of illegal drug use.

This is the man Trump wants to be America’s top cop, the attorney general, the head of the Justice Department?

It makes a mockery of the “Law and Order” party. But it sure helps Trump to throw a lifeline to Gaetz who will be Trump’s loyal attack dog.

Then there’s Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host, who has a decent record as a veteran. But Hegseth has no managerial experience to lead the largest agency in the government, the Department of Defense. Hegseth is also involved in a sex scandal in Monterey, Calif. that he’s covered up with a non-disclosure agreement with the female victim.

Pete Hegseth walks to an elevator for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, Dec. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

These are the best and brightest Trump can find?

You may like: What to know about Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to be defense secretary

And all these sex scandals. Trump was elected president of the United States, not president of Sexual Predators Anonymous.

But wait there’s more?

Tulsi Gabbard, the former congresswoman has no sexual blemishes, but has consorted with dictators like Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an alleged war criminal and human rights abuser.

Tulsi Gabbard arrives before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at PPG Paints Arena, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

She’s also been accused of being used by the Soviets. And Gabbard is nominated for head of national intelligence?

Donald Trump is “hiring” all these folks because he can. And when he gives people something they don’t deserve, he just bought their undying loyalty.

Trump’s wrong way affirmative action

When the high court got rid of affirmative action for college, conservatives hailed the elimination of the  best tool to solve hiring problems, especially when it comes to race equity.

Instead, they preferred the idea that we live in a land of “merit.”

That was to be our new American value. America was a “meritocracy.”

In hiring, that means finding people  worthy of the challenging positions they are hired for, whatever it is, attorney general, defense secretary, head of national intelligence.

So where’s the merit of Gaetz? Hegseth? Gabbard?

These are the most egregious names.  Another nominee, Kash Patel, a Trump attack dog to head the FBI? He might have seen the “FBI” TV show, but I don’t think he is qualified to lead the agency.

Dr. Mehmet Oz to run Medicare? What does he know about running a $2.6 trillion agency for 160 million Americans.

Mehmet Oz / FILE PHOTO (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

The hits just keep on coming. Trump announced Linda McMahon, the former WWE wrestling exec, who gave $10 million to the Make America Great Again PAC, as his Department of Education secretary.

Don’t expect it to make America any smarter.

Like the other questionable Trump nominees, McMahon knows nothing about education. But that should make her job easy. She’s just there to cut, slash and burn. She’s part of Trump’s demolition crew to  destroy the fed’s presence in education, and allow the states’ takeover.

FILE – Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., March 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

And if you don’t like what she and all of Trump’s cronies will do in their designated areas, then vote democratic next time. Just brace yourself for all the costs to rebuild all that Trump wrecked on a whim.

That’s the price of Trump’s “meritocracy,” where you’ll  notice besides no mention of qualifications, there’s really nothing about race or diversity. It is, however, more than colorblind.

It’s all about blind loyalty to Trump.

The man’s not even in office yet, and he’s already showing his inadequacy to serve the public.

He’s bastardized his slogan, America First.

Make no mistake, he’s not thinking about you or America.

In everything he does, it’s all Trump First.

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator.  He writes a column for the Inquirer.net’s USA channel. See him at www.patreon.com/emilamok , www.amok.com, and at www.YouTube.com/emilamok1

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