Advice for Any Incoming President
My advice would be the same for either a Republican or a Democrat.
Choosing Cabinet Members
Leading up to the inauguration I would have given the following advice:
- Choose your cabinet members wisely.
- Interview experts in each field, no political cronies or big donors. Make sure they agree with your overall vision but are not afraid to tell you if they think you’re wrong.
- Remind them that the different departments are tasked with executing the law, not making the law. That is the job of Congress.
- Make it clear that using their office for political retribution will not be tolerated.
- Point out that all their decisions should be for the benefit of all the American people.
Priorities for Key Cabinet Departments
Secretary of Homeland Security
The Secretary of Homeland Security should be given the following tasks:
Secure our borders. Follow the law regarding asylum seekers and potential deportees. Revamp ICE from top to bottom. No more masked agents in unmarked vans. Work with Congress to create a guest worker program with proper screening. This would apply to farm workers, university students and skilled professionals. For those that want it, create a path to citizenship that is both efficient and fast.
Secretary of State
The Secretary of State should be a career diplomat with extensive knowledge of every part of the world. He or she should be aware of the immense job ahead to repair our standing with our friends and foes alike. Restore our aid programs to third world countries.
Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense should be an expert in military matters but not a general or admiral. That advice should come from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We should be procuring only weapons appropriate for modern warfare. We need to use our military as a deterrent to war, not as a tool of diplomacy with no clear objective.
Inauguration Day Priorities
Rebuilding Relationships With Allies
Call the leaders of all our allied countries. Attempt to persuade them that we can be a dependable friend. Establish that our values will be to promote freedom and against totalitarianism.
Opening Dialogue With Adversaries
Call the leaders of all our major adversaries. Try to convince them that we want to create a dialogue that encourages cooperation and peaceful solutions to conflicts
Submitted by Roger Heffelfinger
In response to the question: It is January 20, 2029 and a new President is inaugurated. If the new President asks you for advice, what do you think should be the first steps toward restoring a functional constitutional republic?