Why in the name of all that's holy would any sentient being suppose that LARA LEA YUNASKA TRUMP would be qualified to serve in our United States Senate, once called "the world's greatest deliberative body?
Whenever I think about Governors appointing unqualified sixth-rate appointees to the United States Senate, I am reminded of the legend of the Roman Emperor Caligula, accused of appointing his horse, Incitatus as a Consul. From Wikipedia:
Incitatus
Incitatus (Latin pronunciation: [ɪŋkɪˈtaːtʊs]; meaning "swift" or "at full gallop") was the favourite horse of Roman Emperor Caligula (r. 37–41 AD). According to legend, Caligula planned to make the horse a consul, although ancient sources are clear that this did not occur. Supposedly, Incitatus had 18 servants for himself, he lived in a marble stable, walked in a harness decorated with rare and special stones/jewels, and dressed in purple (the colour of royalty) and ate from an ivory manger.
Legend
According to Suetonius, in the Lives of the Twelve Caesars (121 AD), Caligula planned to make Incitatus a consul,[1] and the horse would "invite" dignitaries to dine with him in a house outfitted with servants there to entertain such events. Suetonius also wrote that the horse had a stable of marble, with an ivory manger, purple blankets and a collar of precious stones.
Cassius Dio (165–235 AD) indicated that the horse was attended by servants and was fed oats mixed with gold flake,[2] and that Caligula made the horse a priest.[3]
Historical accuracy
The accuracy of the received history is generally questioned. Historians such as Anthony A. Barrett suggest that later Roman chroniclers such as Suetonius and Dio Cassius were influenced by the political situation of their own times, when it may have been useful to the current emperors to discredit the earlier Julio-Claudian emperors. Also, the lurid nature of the story added spice to their narratives and won them additional readers.
Scholars suggest that the treatment of Incitatus by Caligula was an elaborate prank intended to ridicule and provoke the Senate, rather than a sign of insanity, or was perhaps a form of satire with the implication that a horse could perform a senator's duties.[4]
Barrett noted, "Many stories were spread about Incitatus, originating most likely from Caligula's own humorous quips... [p]ossibly out of perverted sense of humor Caligula would pour libations to Incitatus' salus [health and well-being], and claimed that he intended to co-opt him as his priest."[5]
Ancient sources are clear that the horse was never made a consul.[6]
In art and metaphor
- Incitatus has for centuries been an allegorical figure when referencing examples of political ineptitude, going back at least to 1742.[6]
- In Act III of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard (1904), Pishchik says that his family is "descended from that very nag Caligula inducted into the Senate."
- Aleister Crowley's Liber VII Chapter 4, v. 28–30, suggest Incitatus had a deeper significance, reading, "Who wast Thou, O Caesar, that Thou knewest God in an horse? For lo! we beheld the White Horse of the Saxon engraven upon the earth; and we beheld the Horses of the Sea that flame about the old grey land, and the foam from their nostrils enlightens us!"
- The life of Incitatus is the subject of Zbigniew Herbert's poem "Caligula" (in Pan Cogito, 1974).[7]
- In I, Claudius, Robert Graves wrote that Incitatus was made a senator and was put on the list to become a consul; that eventually, Claudius removed the governmental stipend for Incitatus and his status as senator for lacking the monetary requirements; that later, Incitatus was slaughtered after injuring his leg at a race; and that the mate of Incitatus, Penelope, was used by Claudius during his war with Britain.
- In the Ayn Rand novel Atlas Shrugged, a mention of Incitatus is overheard by the newly wed wife of James Taggart, Cherryl. She overhears the conversation of two men apparently discussing her wedding and her husband.
- The 2000 BBC Radio 4 comedy Me and Little Boots, by Shaun McKenna, told the story of Caligula (Latin for "little boots") from the point of view of Incitatus, who was played by Leslie Phillips.[8]
- In the 2006–2011 comic Jack of Fables, Incitatus talks so much that he risks giving away his status as a fable and frequently mentions his former status as a Roman senator.[9]
- The progressive metal band Caligula's Horse is named after Incitatus.
- The novel The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan presents Incitatus as a secondary antagonist.
See also
References
- Suetonius. De vita Caesarum, Caligula, 55: consulatum quoque traditur destinasse "it is also said that he planned to make him consul"
- Cassius Dio, Roman History LIX.14.
- Cassius Dio, Roman History LIX.28.
- Did Caligula really make his horse a consul?, Elizabeth Nix, History Channel, June 21, 2016
- Barrett, Anthony A. (1989). Caligula: The Corruption of Power (1 ed.). London: Guild Publishing by arrangement with Batsford. pp. 45–6, 217.
- Mythbusting Ancient Rome – Caligula’s Horse, Shushma Malik and Caillan Davenport, The Conversation, May 4, 2017
- English translation of "Caligula Speaks" Archived 2016-11-01 at the Wayback Machine, by Zbigniew Herbert, translated by Oriana Ivy
- Radio Times listing for Me and Little Boots from March 2000.
- Jack of Fables #22–24
From The Washington Post:
DeSantis’s dilemma on sending Lara Trump to the Senate
DeSantis could boost himself with the MAGA base, but at what cost?
But one politician wasn’t quite so incensed by Blagojevich’s attempt to auction off a Senate seat. Donald Trump in early 2020 commuted the final years of the former “Apprentice” contestant’s sentence. Trump dismissed Blagojevich’s words as “braggadocio” and wagered that “many politicians” had done worse.
Blagojevich’s actions, of course, went well beyond mere words. But that Trump attitude looms large today as another Senate appointment awaits in Florida — with the very transactional president-elect having a significant, familial interest in it himself. And he’s apparently prepared to act on it.
Multiple reports this week stated that Trump has reached out to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) about appointing Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to the Senate. A seat in the Sunshine State is likely to soon be vacated by Trump’s pick for secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida).
The situation presents DeSantis with a potential gift, but also a very evident likely dilemma.
The easy call would seem to be giving Trump what he wants. That’s because there are not just very real potential pitfalls for DeSantis if he bucks Trump, but also because there are benefits to pleasing Trump and his base for DeSantis’s political ambitions.
But there are also downsides for the Florida governor.
If he appoints Lara Trump to the Senate, DeSantis could also risk looking like he caved to a man he’s ridiculed others for caving to. Picking Lara Trump would involve passing over many experienced Florida pols for a nepotistic choice who hasn’t put in the work in that state and whose political career is really only nine months old. (The only reason it’s even that old: Trump himself back in March picked his daughter-in-law to co-chair the Republican National Committee, a position she recently left.)
And most potentially troubling, it could look a lot like a quid pro quo in which Trump would have exchanged something — possibly even dangling a Cabinet selection — for the appointment.
First, the case for DeSantis appointing Lara Trump to the Senate if Rubio steps down.
We’ve seen plenty in recent years how the expedient and obvious course for any ambitious Republican politician is to toe Trump’s line. DeSantis himself is well aware of how fraught it is to run afoul of Trump, having challenged him in the 2024 primaries and still trying to mend some fences from that experience.
Few politicians have demonstrated as much talent for making their foes regret their life decisions; Trump is a career-killer without compare for his fellow Republicans. What better way to tie yourself to the Trump political brand than to hand a Trump a Senate seat?
Despite losing that 2024 campaign, DeSantis is still considered a strong potential 2028 presidential candidate. And even as Trump will be on the way out by then, there’s no question there will still be a premium on appealing to — or at least not alienating — that MAGA base.
But also consider how this all would look.
It was less than a year ago, after all, that then-presidential candidate DeSantis had some choice words about Trump’s transactional nature and the Republicans who try too hard to curry favor with him.
“He’s running a campaign about putting himself and his issues first,” DeSantis said. “That’s what he cares about. You can be the most worthless Republican in America, but if you kiss the ring, he’ll say you’re wonderful.
“You can be the strongest, most dynamic, successful Republican and conservative in America, but if you don’t kiss that ring, then he’ll try to trash you. You know what? You deserve a nominee that’s going to put you first, not himself first.”
Imagine how it would look if less than a year later he did something that would be so obviously intended to kiss Trump’s ring as appointing Trump’s own family member to Congress. It would be one thing if Lara Trump were an established Florida Republican in good standing with a tried-and-true track record. But her lack of a résumé would make it abundantly clear what this was really about.
DeSantis has also, to this point, demonstrated at least a little pride when it comes to Trump. Yes, he endorsed Trump when he dropped out. But he also went on to criticize Trump’s campaign. And even his Republican National Convention speech this summer was mostly about attacking Democrats rather than espousing the greatness of Trump. The governor is hardly the first Republican to massage an about-face on Trump (see Rubio, for one).
Politically, it might be smart to appoint Lara Trump. But it surely wouldn’t look like strength.
Another factor is the possibility that appointing Trump’s daughter-in-law could harm the GOP over the long haul. If they want to keep the job, the appointee will have to run for reelection in both 2026 and 2028. Florida is now red enough that it seems any Republican could hold the seat. But you never know. She could also potentially face a primary against some of the ambitious Florida pols who would have been passed over for her.
And then there is the potential for such a move to look even worse, even beyond just the raw politics. Not only did we recently learn that Trump contacted DeSantis about Lara Trump, we also learned that Trump talked to DeSantis about potentially being a replacement for his defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, if Hegseth’s embattled nomination falls apart.
Even if there isn’t an explicit quid pro quo in which DeSantis would trade a Lara Trump appointment for a Cabinet nomination, what if DeSantis announces Lara Trump and then Hegseth does falter, and Trump falls back on DeSantis?
Even the mere fact that Trump is talking to DeSantis about both of these things right now could sure lead one — potentially DeSantis himself — to believe they are related. And Trump has already gotten himself in trouble by very suggestively mixing official business with his personal politics.
All of which is to say, there are a number of conceivable ways this could go sideways, even as it could clearly net out as a benefit to DeSantis’s political career.
Not all Senate appointments, after all, are as golden as they might seem.
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