Nicole Shanahan Praises Trump’s DOJ Civil Rights Nominee As Battle Tested Defender

Nicole Shanahan, tech entrepreneur and philanthropist, went on Twitter to hypothesize if she believes that President Donald J. Trump correctly nominated Harmeet Dhillon as head of the Justice Department Civil Rights Division. She called it a great move because Dhillon was a constitutional lawyer and had been an advocate for parental rights. The tweet drew great responses, from enthusiastic affirmations to suspicious wait-and-see ones.

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Dhillon started the Center for American Liberty. She has been the foremost lion of litigation against government overreach, mainly in education and COVID-related mandates and controls. Her firm has seen important cases that protect religious liberties and free speech rights. Shanahan was very correct in calling this woman “battle-tested.”

The aftermath of the Shanahan tweet also spotlighted some fascinating if contrasting political views. Anik Singal considered Dhillon to be a “solid pick” based on the qualifications she brings to the table. On the other side, Common Dissent sees this nomination as part of the far-reaching Trump scheme: “This time around Trump discovered who his friends are and has placed them in strategic positions.” Some in this camp seem to be suggesting that the nomination is a move towards the further entrenchment of an ideologically-driven administration.

Others just were not sure. Sasser expressed cautious optimism but remains cynical about the fate of these appointments: “… it seems most of Trump’s appointments have fallen into the swamp instead of draining it” is representative of mistrust still lingering in some conservative circles that have been disillusioned as to whether these nominees ever do anything to fulfill campaign promises. Another user, Scarlett, responded with an equally cautious “Let’s wait and see 👀.”

The most entertaining reply came from Uncle Vaxx, who went on a bizarre tangent involving conspiracies about vaccines, glyphosate, and buffalo farts before concluding, “Too bad Nichole jumped ship.” It seemed to include some mention of past disagreements with Shanahan and served as a stark example of how divergent an online conversation can turn within minutes.

However, some of the comments took a turn for the personal. Leona noted, “Dhillon knits!” — a tender tidbit in the hard person of an attorney. Meanwhile, Greenamyre’s reply to Shanahan went decidedly in a personal direction, saying “I love you Nicole. Please have a little patience…” suggestive of how some of these political talks blend into interpersonal relationships in the online community.

This nomination comes at a time when the DOJ civil rights division is in the thick of several high-stakes issues from voting rights to police reform. Under Dhillon, the division is expected to flip the current track from religious liberty and parental rights in education cases-that very track she has championed throughout her career, a prospect that has thrilled conservatives and left others on guard, as evidenced by some posts on Shanahan’s tweet.

There is a very interesting undercurrent running with the replies-the manner in which one nomination functions like a Rorschach inkblot for people’s views on Trump’s legacy. Supporters see it as another instance of putting the fighters into key positions. Skeptics see it in light of past disappointments. Then there are others who want to talk about knitting. This kind of diversity is a good illustration of how actors in politics become vessels into which people pour their hopes, fears, and frustrations.

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It sort of sounds like scrutiny across Dhillon’s record will in a hurry prematurely appear once the process is in full running. In the meantime, Shanahan’s tweet offers a little snapshot of the manner in which these appointments ripple through political discourse-praise, skepticism, conspiracy theories, and even some random trivia about the nominee’s hobbies. Modern humanity’s very complicated way of engaging with politics comes out into a buffet of online political discourse.