Staff Reports
Another day, another round of smoke and mirrors in the political soap opera that is Washington, D.C. President-elect Donald Trump threw a curveball into the nominations arena by suggesting U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida for U.S. attorney general. You’d think the call for a veteran combatant against the swamp would be met with enthusiasm, but it appears multiple Republican senators are about as excited as a cat in a bath.
Some of these senators, fostering an unmistakable case of nomination jitters, have made it crystal clear that Gaetz’s confirmation is as likely as finding a unicorn at a county fair. Anonymous whispers from Capitol Hill imply that the chances of Gaetz making it through the confirmation process are about as high as Joe Biden winning a spelling bee. An unnamed senator underscored this sentiment, forecasting a flat-out rejection. After all, with the kind of ethics cloud dangling over his head, it’s no wonder they’re giving Gaetz the side-eye.
NEW: Multiple GOP Senators Are REFUSING To Confirm Matt Gaetz For AGhttps://t.co/jTFiydifJl
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) November 14, 2024
The allegations swirling around Gaetz, including those juicy tidbits about sexual misconduct and impropriety, have drawn the ire of not only his political foes but even some within his own party. Senator Susan Collins, in a rare moment of political clarity, observed that the ongoing ethics investigation isn’t exactly a feather in Gaetz’s cap. It’s as if he had the unfortunate luck of inheriting the leading role in a courtroom drama, and the Senate is gearing up to be the jury. Some might wonder how a congressman can be loveable when there’s a train of unsavory scandals in tow.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Senate seems to be playing a political game of dodgeball. Politicians like Senator James Lankford have resorted to saying that Gaetz will receive the same treatment as anyone else—an unfortunate standard when “anyone else” might include those who step into a college’s Values 101 class while wearing a tie. Senator Katie Britt opted for the classic “I can’t help you there” response, which might as well be the current official motto for the GOP when it comes to Gaetz’s nomination.
However, not everyone is abandoning ship. Senator John Cornyn acknowledges that he doesn’t completely shut the door on the possibility of Gaetz’s confirmation, albeit with the ethics investigation likely to pop up like a troublesome weed. The argument for the nomination seems to rest on two camps: the fence-sitters who prefer to keep their options open, and those who find the whole situation more complicated than an IKEA assembly manual. Senator Markwayne Mullin hinted he might give Gaetz a shot, assuming the process moves forward smoothly. But with every senator trying to maneuver around the proverbial elephant, even a slight bump could send the nomination careening off the road.
As if things weren’t chaotic enough, Senate Majority Leader John Thune floated the idea of recess appointments, which would allow nominees to fill crucial roles while also providing a safety net should the confirmation process hit a snag. Thune seems poised to act fast—like a student cramming for finals—insisting all options need to be on the table to allow Trump to hit the ground running. Such urgency might just leave the average American wondering if the Senate can ever take a breather from the gridlock long enough to actually get anything done.
