On Monday night, the rumor of Rick Perry becoming a member of the Trump cabinet appeared to come to fruition. The position, which Perry has been rumored for as a contender, may be the most illogical Trump pick so far. CBS News reports that Perry is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Energy, and what on earth is happening?
Perry, a notorious climate-change denier, famously stated during a 2011 GOP primary debate that he wanted to eliminate the very department that he’s been appointed to run, and — even more embarrassingly — he forgot what the department was called. CBS News reports how the president-elect called Perry into Trump Tower on Monday to put a ring on it, and the outlet also summarizes why Perry may not be confirmed for the spot:
The former Texas governor sits on two corporate boards — one of them is Energy Transfer Partners — and that may present a confirmation issue. Energy Transfer Partners has a subsidiary known as Dakota Access LLC, which is attempting to build the Dakota Access Pipeline. That Dakota Access Pipeline has been the subject of public protests over its potential environmental impact and damage to Native American lands.
Some Trump advisers have hinted at his intent to reverse Obama’s Standing Rock directive and allow construction of the $3.8 billion project to continue. He didn’t want to address the matter on Fox News Sunday but said, “I will tell you when I get to office, if it’s not solved, I’ll have it solved very quickly.”
Does DAPL have anything to do with Trump’s selection of Perry? Trying to make too much sense of this decision seems futile. Maybe Trump simply thinks Perry is uniquely qualified to oversee the nation’s nuclear weapons program. Or he liked Perry’s DWTS moves.
(Via The Guardian & CBS News)