Wyoming Nominates Unqualified Insurrectionist for Top Federal Prosecutor Post, Sparks Outcry
In a move that has sent shockwaves through Washington, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead Wyoming's federal law enforcement agency is facing intense scrutiny over his credentials and record. Darin Smith, a Republican former state lawmaker with no experience in trying cases or handling sensitive investigations, has been nominated for the top federal prosecutor post despite opposition from Democrats who claim he lacks the necessary qualifications.
Critics point out that Smith's lack of a resume disqualifies him for the job, while his record on LGBTQ+ rights is particularly concerning. The former state lawmaker opposed same-sex marriage and called gay and transgender workers "harmful", and has been critical of laws protecting LGBTQ+ individuals. This raises serious doubts about his ability to fairly uphold the rule of law for all Americans.
Senate Democrats have accused Smith of being an "unqualified insurrectionist" who was outside the Capitol during the January 6 storming, an event in which Trump's supporters clashed with police and stormed the building. They argue that his lack of experience in federal or criminal litigation makes him unfit for the job, while some have questioned whether he can fairly uphold the law for all Americans.
Trump nominated Smith last year, and the judiciary committee advanced him on a party-line vote in January. However, Democrats claim that Trump's efforts to use federal law enforcement agencies as a tool of revenge against his political enemies is concerning.
In the past, Trump has appointed unqualified candidates to key positions, such as former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan, who was appointed interim US attorney for Virginia despite having no experience as a prosecutor. The case against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey was thrown out by a federal judge, with harsh criticism of Halligan.
Senate Republicans have confirmed 31 US attorneys since Trump took office, following changes to the chamber's rules. However, Democrats argue that these appointments demonstrate a lack of scrutiny on potential nominees' credentials.
The nomination is now pending before senators, with some calling for Smith to be rejected due to his words on January 6 and his record on LGBTQ+ issues. Human Rights Campaign vice-president David Stacy has stated that Wyoming deserves better than "tired anti-LGBTQ+ hate at the helm of federal law enforcement".
In a move that has sent shockwaves through Washington, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead Wyoming's federal law enforcement agency is facing intense scrutiny over his credentials and record. Darin Smith, a Republican former state lawmaker with no experience in trying cases or handling sensitive investigations, has been nominated for the top federal prosecutor post despite opposition from Democrats who claim he lacks the necessary qualifications.
Critics point out that Smith's lack of a resume disqualifies him for the job, while his record on LGBTQ+ rights is particularly concerning. The former state lawmaker opposed same-sex marriage and called gay and transgender workers "harmful", and has been critical of laws protecting LGBTQ+ individuals. This raises serious doubts about his ability to fairly uphold the rule of law for all Americans.
Senate Democrats have accused Smith of being an "unqualified insurrectionist" who was outside the Capitol during the January 6 storming, an event in which Trump's supporters clashed with police and stormed the building. They argue that his lack of experience in federal or criminal litigation makes him unfit for the job, while some have questioned whether he can fairly uphold the law for all Americans.
Trump nominated Smith last year, and the judiciary committee advanced him on a party-line vote in January. However, Democrats claim that Trump's efforts to use federal law enforcement agencies as a tool of revenge against his political enemies is concerning.
In the past, Trump has appointed unqualified candidates to key positions, such as former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan, who was appointed interim US attorney for Virginia despite having no experience as a prosecutor. The case against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey was thrown out by a federal judge, with harsh criticism of Halligan.
Senate Republicans have confirmed 31 US attorneys since Trump took office, following changes to the chamber's rules. However, Democrats argue that these appointments demonstrate a lack of scrutiny on potential nominees' credentials.
The nomination is now pending before senators, with some calling for Smith to be rejected due to his words on January 6 and his record on LGBTQ+ issues. Human Rights Campaign vice-president David Stacy has stated that Wyoming deserves better than "tired anti-LGBTQ+ hate at the helm of federal law enforcement".
I'm still in shock that someone with so little experience is being considered for a top prosecutor spot 
. I mean, what's next? Appointing someone who thinks 6th grade math is too hard for them to handle as Secretary of Education 
. It's like they're trying to make a mockery of the entire system.
It's like he's trying to take us back in time or something. I'm all for free speech, but when it comes to hate speech, that's just not okay 
.
. He's been appointing unqualified people left and right, and it's always with a partisan agenda in mind 
. It's like they're more worried about scoring points on the playground than doing what's best for the country 
.
. If Smith gets the job, I'll be expecting some major controversy 
. And if he doesn't get it, well, that's a win in my book 
. Wyoming deserves better than someone who would harm their own community 
.
The fact that he was at the Capitol on January 6 and wasn't arrested or censured just goes to show how tone-deaf this whole nomination process is. I'm all for holding people accountable, but not when it's a political hack with no qualifications. This is a disaster waiting to happen... 
this is so crazy, can't believe trump's doing this again 
and what's even more alarming is his track record on LGBTQ+ issues, really disqualifies him from the job 
how can anyone trust someone with that kind of history to uphold the law fairly? 
darin smith's record on lgbtq+ rights is seriously concerning, and his lack of a resume is basically a red flag 
how can anyone trust him to uphold the law fairly when he's got such a questionable past? 
senate democrats are right to be vocal about this - trump's nomination is just another example of how he's been trying to use federal law enforcement agencies as a tool for revenge and intimidation 
, just saw this news about darin smith being nominated for top prosecutor in wyoming... cant believe what im reading. qualifications? what qualifications? seems like trump is just using his party to get people in who are basically clueless. i mean, opposing same-sex marriage and saying gay ppl r "harmful"? thats just hate talk 
how can u enforce laws when ur heart isnt in it? and now theyre trying to say he was at the jan 6th insurrection... didnt even think of that. sounds like another one of trumps shady moves to me
. and smith's record on lgbtq+ rights is straight up unacceptable 
- who says hate speech has no place in the gov't? i mean, i get that u gotta represent all americans, but if u can't even acknowledge lgbtq+ people as full citizens 
then how r u supposed to enforce the law fairly? and what's with trump's track record of appointing unqualified ppl? it's like he thinks they'll just magically become good at their jobs or something 
. Maybe there's still a chance for sanity to prevail and Smith gets rejected 
. Like, what even is his resume? He has zero experience in trying cases or handling sensitive investigations... that's just a major red flag 
. It's like, how can you trust someone to uphold the law when they've been actively working against equality? And let's be real, his whole stance on January 6 is super red flag 
anyway, wyoming is gonna be stuck with this guy because politics is just so much drama 
And what's even more disturbing is that Trump nominated him despite opposition from Democrats, which raises questions about politics over people. Can't we prioritize finding qualified candidates who share our values?