Everywhere one looks right now, people are freaking out about many of President Donald Trump's highest-profile Cabinet/Cabinet-level picks made thus far.

Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense? He's unqualified—and a white nationalist, to boot! Matt Gaetz for attorney general? He's unqualified—and a reprobate louse, while we're at it! Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of health and human services? He's a conspiracy theorist! Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence? She has never been a spy or served in any intelligence community capacity in her entire career!

With as much respect as I can possibly muster, the people freaking out are not merely missing the point—they should look in the mirror and recognize that they themselves are the problem.

For three consecutive presidential election cycles, going back all the way to his 2015 gilded escalator descent at Trump Tower in New York City, Donald Trump has summed up his political platform with two simple slogans: "drain the swamp" and "make America great again." Those now complaining that Trump has tapped a young, tatted-up warrior like Hegseth to lead the Pentagon, or an arch-MAGA loyalist like Gaetz to clean out the Augean stables at the lawfare-addled Department of Justice, seem to have committed a very simple error: They didn't make any effort to take Donald Trump at his word.

But they should have taken Trump at his word. The old joke about Trump is that one should take him seriously, but not literally. Let's assume, just for the sake of argument, that may indeed be the case. In which case—so what? You still need to take him seriously! Because heaven forbid a politician actually keep his word and meaningfully attempt to do that which he vowed to do on the campaign trail! What a scandal!

H.L. Mencken famously said that "democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." And so it is. And so Trump's myriad critics, lacking in self-awareness just as much as they are lacking in humility, are once again finding out the hard way.

To keep up with all my media hits and other writings, make sure to follow me on Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook. You can listen to all episodes of "The Josh Hammer Show" at the Newsweek website or on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. (The show is also on the radio in multiple markets!) I also have a second show, "America on Trial with Josh Hammer," with The First; you can subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure to also check out my Subtext chat, which you can read all about and sign up for here.

Our highlighted Newsweek op-eds this week include selections from Joel Thayer, John A. Burtka, Paul du Quenoy, Jonathan Tobin, and Mark Weinstein.

We will be back in your inbox next Wednesday! Have a great rest of your week and weekend, everyone.

.