With the Gaetz Nomination out of the Way the Media Spotlight Shifts to Hegseth
On Thursday embattled cabinet nominee Rep. Matt Gaetz announced (Thankfully and mercifully) that he was withdrawing his name for consideration to be the Attorney General of the United States. It was inevitable, everyone on Capitol Hill and at Mar-a-Lago, knew Gaetz would not get confirmed. Trump quicky issued a press release thanking Gaetz for his willingness to serve, and just a few hours later announced his replacement pick, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. So quickly did the switch take place that it makes you wonder.
I wrote in a previous column that my belief, I can’t prove it, that Bondi was really his first choice for the job all along, and his appointment of Gaetz was not serious, rather he put out Gaetz’s name to send a message to the Justice Department that he believed that they needed, and he would give them a real house cleaning, and that there may even be some retribution for past deeds. Deeds such as spying on his campaign, trying to sabotage his administration with the Flynn indictment, the Russia Gate hoax, and Mueller report, the classified documents harassment and the Jack Smith prosecution and the raid of his home in 2022.
For Trump the heart and brains of the deep state resides in the Justice Department and what better way to send an intimidating message to the Department then to appoint Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. It’s like the madman theory of politics; might the bureaucrats and political partisans at the Justice Department really think Trump was serious about appointing Gaetz as Attorney General. If so, what else is he capable of doing. That would have to scare them, that would keep them are their toes. It was a shot across the bow as they say.
But of course, Gaetz was unqualified for the job, and if confirmed he would not have been effective. Unqualified people almost never do a good job, but that is not the point. Trump appreciated the shock value of announcing Gaetz. He wants to clean house at the DOJ, so to speak and he knows that Pam Bondi is the better choice, but naming Gaetz had a certain shock value. He must have known Gaetz wouldn’t get confirmed when he picked him, so Bondi was waiting in the wings.
The other value in naming Gaetz is that it would give the media something to focus on. It could turn the outrage machine on the creepy Gaetz, indeed for the creepy vibe Gaetz is right out of central casting. And the other nominees could get a little breathing room because all attention would be on him. The fact is that segments on cable news shows are limited in time, so the outrage cannot be directed at more than one person at one time. So, its Gaetz that got the fire. And kudos to Trump, there may be method to his madness because I think that worked.
I expected Gabbard, as Director of National Intelligence, (there are definitely questions about her qualifications), and Robet Kennedy at Health and Human Services, would get more negative coverage than they did early on, but Gaetz took up so much of the media outrage, that less time was paid to them and their shortcomings. I think after a week of talking about the unfitness of Gaetz, members of the Senate grew more comfortable with Gabbard and Kennedy. At this point the only nominee that may be in trouble is Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary. Not bad. The Gaetz distraction helped all but one. Hegseth’s problems are great, but not insurmountable.
The other reason I believe that Bondi was his first choice is based on her qualifications and her working relationship with Trump. She had what he was looking for, like Gaetz she is loyal and fully on board with the MAGA agenda, but unlike Gaetz, she was qualified to be Attorney General. She served two terms as Florida’s Attorney General and has a track record of working with Trump on legal issues which would naturally make her the more likely person to be appointed as Attorney General.
She was part of his defense team at his first impeachment trial. He must have had great faith in her, to put his defense partly in her hands. Bondi wrote several legal briefs for Trump at his hush money trial in New York, and in the documents case. Obviously, even after leaving the White House Trump has sought her legal advice. Did he ever seek the legal advice of Matt Gaetz? Of course not. The thought probably never crossed his mind.
Trump will get Bondi confirmed and Gaetz served his purpose as a dartboard for the outrage machine. He provided some cover.
I say mission accomplished.
