CNN
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Donald Trump is trying to leverage Matt Gaetz as attorney general, creating a show of force that will define his new term.
CNN reported on Monday that the president-elect is calling senators to pressure them to confirm his selection early next year, but the House Ethics Committee has recently confirmed that Gates’ past conduct (sexual This comes despite growing pressure from Republican senators to report cases such as assault allegations. He denies having any relationship with a minor.
The controversy took another turn when lawyers for two women who appeared before the committee said they had testified that the women had been paid by the Florida Republican for “sexual entertainment.” Attorney Joel Leppard also told CNN’s Erin Burnett that a woman told the committee in 2017 that she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a friend who was underage at the time. He said he did. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing, and the Justice Department did not press charges after its own investigation. .
Lawyer explains client’s testimony in House Ethics Committee Gaetz investigation
The Ethics Commission’s report quickly became the first major crisis for the new Trump administration. If Republicans control the Senate next year, a small number of senators would need to defect to block Gaetz’s nomination.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has argued ahead of an ethics committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday that the report should not be released because Gates resigned last week and is no longer a lawmaker.
This escalating drama raises important questions. Despite some people having deep concerns about Gaetz’s character and qualifications for the job, how far will Trump go to try to get Republican senators to support his choice?
Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, who wants the report released, addressed that very issue Monday, questioning the wisdom of the president-elect to invest so much political capital in securing Gaetz’s confirmation. .
“You have to decide whether it’s worth the cost to get them across the finish line, let alone potentially not get them across the finish line,” Kramer told CNN’s Manu. told Raju. There are growing concerns that if Gaetz does not receive enough votes, Republicans will cooperate in recessing Gaetz’s appointment, as President Trump has requested.
If Trump sticks to his choice, Republican senators feeling pressure from the MAGA movement could be forced to defend Gaetz for weeks. That could put them in an awkward position. Despite the threat that senators could face a primary if they break with the president-elect, votes for compromise candidates will haunt those seeking re-election in the 2026 statewide election There is a possibility.
Kramer raises a logical political question. But Trump is so unique that the usual calculations may not apply.
Historically, traditional presidents have looked at the uproar surrounding their nominations, discerned the shifting political sands, and reasoned that there was little point in undermining their precious authority before their terms began. They may then quietly withdraw their support. That political capital might be better spent actively implementing an agenda in the first 100 days, rather than spending it on a candidate whose fate is already decided. In Trump’s case, there’s Pete Hegseth, the Fox News anchor who wants Trump to become secretary of defense at the expense of Gaetz, and Robert, the vaccine skeptic who wants to cover the health paper.・It may also make it easier to elect other provocative Cabinet members, such as F. Kennedy Jr. and the human resources department. Senators may be prepared to defy the president-elect on certain choices, but rejecting his choices outright would be political folly on their part.
But Mr. Trump also makes this case about much more than Mr. Gates, including his own confidence, the balance of power in the new Congress, and the idea that the Republican Senate should serve him and moderates. He creates a test of power that reflects his belief that he is not. force.
The president-elect’s unusual choice of a Florida Republican, and the fact that he’s already focused on his candidacy, suggests that Trump will soon be more likely to elect Gaetz than he is to continue trying to get him elected. It means supporting him may bring us closer to the point where we need more political capital – whatever that takes.
This selection is different since President Trump shocked the Capitol and delighted his most devoted supporters by choosing an ultra-loyalist who insisted the FBI should be abolished if it didn’t “fight back.” It was obvious. The next president could have been chosen by anyone in Washington and would not have been as controversial as Gaetz.
But the Florida Republican shares the president-elect’s belief that the Justice Department is victimizing President Trump and needs to be purged.
President Trump appears to be setting an even more important precedent. He is putting his credibility on the line by directly opposing Republican senators’ pledge to fulfill their constitutional obligation to “advise and consent” on Cabinet selections.
Presidents are usually held in high regard for such selections. However, it is common for some presidential candidates to fall short of their goals. For example, former President Bill Clinton considered two women for attorney general, Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, who had to withdraw from the job over allegations that they hired illegal immigrants as nannies.
But President Trump’s choice means that this particular showdown will go a long way in shaping Washington’s political dynamics for years to come, as well as the question of whether Republicans are willing to defy a new president if he comes forward. It means that it will become a new touchstone as to whether or not it is true. blocked.
If the president-elect is able to force Gates into the Justice Department, despite the Senate’s grave concerns, it’s fair to wonder whether the new Republican majority will oppose him on anything. And the debt to Mr. Gaetz will increase as President Trump has a history of forcing public officials to do his will and could set out to accomplish his goals of seeking retribution against his political opponents.
Cramer’s comments go further than other Republicans on the Gaetz confirmation debate. But there are signs that other Republican senators are at least seeking more details about the allegations. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told CNN’s Raju that it would be “helpful” to see the House ethics report.
And Texas Sen. John Cornyn insisted the Senate fulfill its constitutional responsibilities. “Regardless of whether we get an ethics report or not, the facts will come out one way or another,” Cornyn said. “I think it’s in everyone’s best interest, including the president, not to be surprised by the information that may come out during confirmation hearings and background checks.”
Johnson has argued that protocol requires such investigations to end once a lawmaker leaves office, but Democrats argue there is plenty of precedent for ethics committee reports to be released after a lawmaker leaves office. are.
Rep. Susan Wilde of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on a House committee, said she lost her seat and does not plan to return to Congress next year, but that a full committee meeting would “give us a unanimous democracy.” “I believe that,” he told CNN. It was agreed that the report should be made public. ”
However, Johnson previously said the report was not complete and claimed he had not spoken to Trump about the matter, despite spending much time with him, but in depth on Monday night. Digging in, he told CNN’s Raju that it was a “different time” and “now is the time.” We live in the age of the 24-hour news cycle, but now we live in the age of social media, and the politics and power dynamics are very different. ”
CNN’s Kristen Holmes reported Monday that the president-elect had directly called some senators to urge them to support Gaetz. Two sources familiar with the aid effort declined to say who the president-elect spoke with, but they emphasized his determination to keep Gaetz at the Justice Department. The call was first reported by Axios.
Before announcing his highly provocative picks, including Kennedy, Hegseth and his choice for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump warned Republicans that they would be able to make recess appointments if Cabinet choices reached an impasse. was asked to proceed. The president-elect wants to get his second term off to a quick start and appears to want to avoid the usual delays in assembling a team. It is not uncommon for presidents to use such devices against contested candidates. But it is almost unprecedented for the party-controlled Senate to try to use such a tactic early in the confirmation process for multiple Cabinet nominees, especially since Democrats could block the move to adjourn. Probably not.
And Mr. Cramer hinted that Mr. Gaetz’s position would be in jeopardy if he was not confirmed by Republican votes. “I don’t think it’s wise to do that if you can’t get the majority party vote,” the North Dakota Republican said.
Trump disagrees. And the president-elect, armed with what he sees as his larger mission and determined to avoid the same constraints that frustrated his first term, shows no signs of backing down.
