This Week: Former Kirstjen Nielsen Chief Of Staff Confirmed By Senate For Job He Won’t Do

On Wednesday, Chad Wolf achieved something most Americans would never dream of. He was confirmed by the Senate for a senior position in the executive branch. But almost instantly, Wolf abandoned the job — DHS undersecretary for strategy, plans and policy. That’s because he essentially already held it, and the Senate vote was part of a loophole favored by the Trump administration. In short, Wolf, a former chief of staff to Kirstjen Nielsen, had previously served as the acting undersecretary. President Donald Trump then picked him to be the next acting secretary of the whole Department of Homeland Security. But because Wolf wasn’t legally qualified for the substitute role, Senate Republicans had to confirm him for his old job, after which he ascended to his new one. This stumbling bureaucratic dance might as well be called “The Trump” for how often he’s pulled it. Trump reportedly wanted to put hardliner Ken Cuccinelli atop DHS, but the law got in the way…