On Thursday, Matt Gaetz stepped back from consideration for the position of President-elect Trump’s attorney general, marking the conclusion of a tumultuous eight days of candidacy that involved the Trump supporter defending himself against allegations of sexual misconduct and an impending report from the House Ethics Committee.
However, recent reports indicate that Gaetz had a conversation with Trump prior to his announcement, during which the president-elect informed the beleaguered former Florida congressman that he lacked sufficient support in the Senate for confirmation and that his peers were too worried about the ongoing scandals to proceed.
According to The Bulwark, Trump allegedly reached out to Gaetz on Thursday morning to review the confirmation process, as confirmed by a source familiar with their discussion.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins corroborated this information on Thursday night, stating that the two had indeed conversed earlier that day about the doubts expressed by GOP senators.
“It was really doing the math here,” Collins remarked.
With a narrow 53-47 margin in the Senate, losing just three Republican votes would spell doom for the former congressman’s nomination.
Two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska and Susan Collins from Maine, had already voiced their hesitations regarding the appointment. According to the report by The Bulwark, Gaetz anticipated that between four to six senators would vote against him, a sentiment the president-elect seemed to share.
This week, Trump personally contacted senators on behalf of his controversial nominee but privately expressed doubts about successfully navigating the confirmation process, as reported by The New York Times just days prior.
He also sent Vice President-elect JD Vance to Capitol Hill to rally support for Gaetz and other cabinet nominees on Wednesday.
Following the meetings, Gaetz conveyed a more hopeful message to reporters. “Senators have been providing me with valuable advice. I am eager for a hearing. Many have expressed their support, stating that we will receive a fair process, making it a great day for the momentum of the Trump-Vance administration,” Gaetz mentioned.
Nonetheless, in a post on Truth Social Thursday, Trump stated that Gaetz’s choice was influenced by the prevailing news cycle causing a “distraction” for the transition team. “He was performing very well but also did not wish to be a disruption for the Administration, which he holds in high regard,” the president-elect wrote.
It’s worth noting that many longstanding conservative Republicans in both the House and Senate expressed surprise and no small amount of disapproval at Gaetz’s nomination… and for good reason.
