Brass tacks: Why Trump’s cabinet is starting to look like a junta
Washington — He’s not yet finished picking, but president-elect Donald Trump has already named three retired generals to top posts, raising questions as to why there will be so much military brass in cabinet-level jobs. On Wednesday, Trump named retired four-star Marine Corps General John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees several critical areas, including immigration and border control – signature issues for Trump. If confirmed by the Senate, Kelly would join retired Marine Corps general James Mattis as defence secretary and retired US Army lieutenant-general Michael Flynn as national security adviser. Mattis also needs Senate approval. While the men bring broad depth of knowledge to the cabinet, and considerable expertise, some worry that their numbers threaten a cornerstone of American democracy – that civilians control the military and the government. "If you have a significant number of [former military members] in your cabinet, you begin to bring...
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