1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

The Washington Post reports that the Trump administration has more vacant Senate-confirmed positions than any administration since Ronald Reagan. These are the people who actually run federal agencies. Here are the numbers from the Partnership for Public Service, a watchdog that tracks presidential appointments. 249 of these positions have no nominee at all. 110 nominees are still waiting on the Senate. In its first year, the administration filled 452 positions. This year, it has sent just 186 names to the Senate. So how did we get here? The Trump administration has appointed far too many officials prone to scandals. The personnel office, run by longtime Trump aide Dan Scavino, vets all of the candidates. And nothing moves because officials are afraid to put names forward. As one Trump official explained, “the incentive structure is to never do anything.” Scavino hasn’t helped. He warned anyone recommending a hire: “your name is 100 percent attached to them.” And let’s be real. Given who’s actually been hired, who in their right mind would want that? The White House is still standing by him. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles called Scavino “one of the president’s most loyal and trusted advisers.” But these empty chairs matter. They sit at agencies handling national security, immigration, and the economy. Keep in mind that the midterms are next week. If Republicans lose the Senate, filling these jobs gets much harder. Donald Devine ran President Reagan’s Office of Personnel Management. He said, “Certainly, if the Republicans lose the Senate, that’s going to get a lot worse.” Look, the fewer clowns the better. But some of these jobs matter. They’re the ones that keep the lights on and keep the country safe. And the White House isn’t even trying to fill them, because they don’t have anyone serious enough to survive the scrutiny. So the chairs stay empty, and all we can do is hope we get through two more years without it breaking something.