By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-24 02:05:10 | Updated at 2024-11-24 04:57:10
3 hours ago
MSNBC panelists delved into Donald Trump's brief and controversial nomination of former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz for attorney general.
Trump's pick raised eyebrows and set off speculation about any underlying motives he might have.
Gaetz's nomination, which faced immediate skepticism, was quickly withdrawn, but not before sparking debate over Trump's strategy and the direction of his other cabinet picks.
Gaetz announced his withdrawal on Thursday, stating on social media that his confirmation was 'unfairly becoming a distraction' to Trump's transition efforts.
'There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General,' he wrote, emphasizing that Trump's Department of Justice needed to be 'in place and ready on Day 1.'
During a discussion on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports, Republican strategist Doug Heye suggested the nomination was part of a calculated move by Trump.
'I don't think this was a miscalculation. This was very intentional. Donald Trump knew that Matt Gaetz was not going to be confirmed by Senate Republicans,' Heye said.
'He would lose enough of them that there was no chance of this going through. So this was sort of a guided missile of Donald Trump.'
MSNBC panelists delved into Donald Trump's brief and controversial nomination of former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz for attorney general
Gaetz's nomination, which faced immediate skepticism, was quickly withdrawn, but not before sparking debate over Trump's strategy and the direction of his other cabinet picks
Heye explained further suggesting that the nomination served a larger purpose, creating a distraction from Trump's other controversial cabinet picks, including Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
'What it did was it forced a lot of the conversation away from Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr.,' Heye explained.
'This is going to be a long confirmation process, more than two months obviously once Trump gets in, but this was intentional. Not a miscalculation at all. It was strategic. Maybe bad strategy, but strategic,' he added.
Former Democratic New York Representative Steve Israel also signed up to such a theory describing Trump's approach as 'clever, almost diabolical.'
He argued the focus on Gaetz's doomed nomination had effectively overshadowed scrutiny of other appointments.
'We have been so focused on Matt Gaetz that we have lost focus on a nomination, several nominations that are just as concerning if not more so,' Israel said.
He specifically pointed to Tulsi Gabbard as a nominee of concern, adding, 'The one that concerns me the most is my former colleague in the House, Tulsi Gabbard.'
Host Andrea Mitchell pressed Heye on whether Trump anticipated the Senate's likely rejection of Gaetz, to which Heye responded, 'Absolutely.'
During a discussion on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports, Republican strategist Doug Heye suggested the nomination was part of a calculated move by Trump
Former Democratic New York Representative Steve Israel also signed up to such a theory describing Trump's approach as 'clever, almost diabolical'
Heye argued the nomination was a message to Senate Republicans and the broader public about Trump's governance style and priorities.
'This nomination was going to go nowhere. What it did, because it was the first of these sort of nominations, was it sent a very clear message to Senate Republicans and to the country at large: This is the direction I'm going.' the Republican strategist added.
'What it did was it forced a lot of the conversation away from Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr. Now they're at the front of the line and we have two months to go.' Heye said.
Following Gaetz's withdrawal, he confirmed on Friday that he would not be returning to the 119th Congress after resigning from his seat in the 118th Congress to prepare for the attorney general role.
Gaetz's nomination as attorney general had stunned many career lawyers inside the Justice Department, but reflected Trump's desire to place a loyalist in a department he has marked for retribution following the criminal cases against him.
Steve Israel specifically pointed to Tulsi Gabbard as a nominee of concern
Trump picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this month to lead the Department of Health and Human Services
For Fox News host Pete Hegseth was nominated by Trump to be the next secretary of Defense
Hours after Gaetz withdrew, Trump nominated Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, who would come to the job with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty.
It's unclear what's next for Gaetz, who is no longer a member of the House. He surprised colleagues by resigning from Congress the same day that Trump nominated him for attorney general.
Some speculated he could still be sworn into office for another two-year term on January 3, given that he had just won reelection earlier this month.
Gaetz praised Bondi's nomination and maintained he was the victim of an alleged Washington 'smear' campaign in the interview, according to CNN.
'I´m going to be fighting for President Trump. I'm going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have,' Gaetz said in the interview.
Gaetz, who has been in state and national politics for 14 years, said he's done with Congress.
'But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.'
