Trump's 'retribution' campaign hits the harsh reality of governing

From the Politics Desk

Nov. 21, 2024

Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal Thursday as a candidate for attorney general illustrates the roadblocks President-elect Donald Trump could face as he attempts to convert his campaign of “retribution” into a governing coalition capable of working within the realities of Washington.

Gaetz, until recently a Florida congressman, embodies Trump’s grievance- and vendetta-driven agenda like few others can. He has been one of Trump’s most pugilistic defenders and the bleeding edge of MAGA resistance in Congress, even against his own Republican leadership.

But it was a tough sell from the moment Trump announced Gaetz as his choice eight days ago — in a pick that shocked much of Washington.

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The Justice Department that Trump wanted him to lead had once investigated Gaetz in a sex-trafficking case it closed without charging him. Meanwhile, an unreleased report from a separate House Ethics Committee investigation also hung over Gaetz’s head, and details of what two women who allege he paid them for sex told the committee were beginning to trickle out.

Gaetz’s hasty retreat is also emblematic of how the president-elect and his team often reject the conventions of Capitol Hill. Although Gaetz’s liabilities and legal troubles were well documented, deeper vetting by Trump’s team might have unearthed details of the ethics probe sooner. And there was little, if any, effort to take the temperature of senators before Trump surprised the political world with his announcement last week.

At least five Senate Republicans were planning to vote against Gaetz and had communicated to other senators and those close to Trump that they were unlikely to be swayed, according to multiple people with direct knowledge. The “no” votes included Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, as well as Sen.-elect John Curtis of Utah.

And at least 20 — and perhaps as many as 30 — Senate Republicans were very uncomfortable about having to vote for Gaetz on the Senate floor, one source said.

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It’s rare for a newly elected president to lose a pick for any Cabinet post, much less attorney general. The last time the Senate actually voted down a nominee: George H.W. Bush’s 1989 appointment of longtime Texas Sen. John Tower to run the Pentagon.

But it’s not even Thanksgiving, and Donald Trump is already looking for a backup top law enforcement officer after Matt Gaetz withdrew his AG bid Thursday. Republican senators apparently found his recent charm offensive less influential than his long campaign to discredit them and the allegations of sexual misconduct against him, which Gaetz has denied.

Gaetz had not been formally nominated — Trump doesn’t take office until January — but he is the first attorney general pick to fall since 1993, when two of Bill Clinton’s selections, Zoë Baird and Kimba Wood, withdrew from consideration following revelations they had hired undocumented immigrants.

New presidents typically compile Cabinet rosters with at least one eye on their chances of winning confirmation. Gaetz did not fit that mold.

On a broader level, Trump has picked more fights with the Senate than most presidents. And he may find that the Republican majority there is less pliant than he would like.

Former Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, his choice for defense secretary, has run into some early resistance. So, too, have Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his picks for director of national intelligence and secretary of health and human services, respectively. Their fates remain to be determined.

But Trump isn’t off to a good start. He will have to put more thought into nominating people who can win confirmation on their own, or whom he can push across the finish line with senators. Otherwise, he risks a repeat — or worse — of Barack Obama’s Cabinet failures. In 2009, Tom Daschle (Health and Human Services), Bill Richardson (Commerce) and Judd Gregg (Commerce) all withdrew for different reasons.

The last time around, Trump lost just one of his initial Cabinet picks, when Andrew Puzder withdrew as the labor secretary nominee in February 2017.

👀 Buckeye State battle brewing: The jockeying for JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat has begun, and the potential candidates’ statements about Trump’s Cabinet picks are being closely watched. Read more →

☑️ Latest race call: Republican Nick Begich defeated Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola for Alaska’s at-large seat, NBC News projects. Republicans currently have won a 219-213 majority, with three races yet to be called. While women have made significant gains in Congress in recent elections, that progress has stalled for the first time since 2016, falling short of the current record levels. Read more →

🚫 The nays have it: The Senate overwhelmingly rejected efforts from Bernie Sanders that would have blocked certain offensive weapons sales to Israel. Read more →

⬇️ DOGE double-down: Republicans who lead the House Oversight Committee are planning to form a new subcommittee to work with Trump’s proposed “Department of Government Efficiency” led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Read more →

That’s all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com.

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