As President-elect Donald J. Trump continues to build his transition team, those of us whose eyes are no longer swollen shut from the crying, are paying attention. And unsurprisingly, many of us are scratching our heads.
By looking at whose opinions Trump might value as he takes over the White House, we are all hoping to start making some sense out of what was a meandering, insult-driven, policy-deprived campaign. In other words, we are hoping for a clue.
Trump’s appointment of Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel to his transition team, does little to provide that clarity.
Thiel was virtually a lone wolf among tech executives in getting behind the Trump campaign. He also happens to be openly gay.
Theil said during his speech at the Republican National Convention:
“When I was a kid, the great debate was about how to defeat the Soviet Union. And we won. Now we are told that the great debate is about who gets to use which bathroom. This is a distraction from our real problems. Who cares?”
The people who care of course are the transgender men and women who are being told they must use the restroom most likely to place them in physical danger. He continued in his speech:
“Of course, every American has a unique identity. I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all I am proud to be an American. I don’t pretend to agree with every plank in our party’s platform; but fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline, and nobody in this race is being honest about it except Donald Trump.”
The elevation of Thiel from advocate to adviser is certainly interesting. I wonder if Mike Pence and Ken Blackwell will sit next to him during their meetings? I doubt it.
Watch Thiel’s speech at the Republican National Convention here:
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
