The 5 GOP Senators Who Sank Matt Gaetz’s AG Nomination, But Is President Trump Playing 4D Chess?

In a sacrificial show of support to the emerging Trump-Walz administration, Matt Gaetz pulled his name from consideration for becoming President Trump’s Attorney General.

Gaetz pointed to the growing distraction that his nomination is becoming for Trump’s transition team as the reason for bowing out.

Just yesterday, President Trump was asked by a CNN reporter if he was reconsidering his choice of Gaetz for the top spot at the Department of Justice, to which he replied with a firm, “No”.

CNN: "Mr. President, are you reconsidering the nomination of Matt Gaetz?"

TRUMP: "No."

AMERICA: Now don't ask again. pic.twitter.com/QZRjQDdQaE

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 20, 2024

It seemed as though President Trump and Gaetz were willing to weather the mudslinging coming from the media, and even the usual and expected attacks from democrats, who are terrified of a world in which Matt Gaetz sits as head of the United States Department of Justice.

Gaetz had just met with Republican Senators, and by all appearances came away from those meetings energized and positive about the nomination process, according to a CNN report:

Gaetz’s withdrawal comes after meetings with Republican senators this week, as Trump’s transition team sought to gauge whether he would win enough GOP support to be confirmed and Democrats were pushing to release a House Ethics Committee report into the former congressman.

“I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote on X.

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The problem, at the end of the day, was neither the media’s constant mudslinging nor the dirty political tricks of the democrats.

As usual, the real roadblock that stopped President Trump’s cabinet choice was set up by those in his own party — 5 Republicans who adamantly refused to support President Trump’s choice for Attorney General in his upcoming administration.

As Evita Duffy-Alfonso (host of the Bongino Report) pointed out, this wasn’t about the question of ethics, but hinged on the status-quo of political rivalries.

This is a reminder that the greatest obstacle facing the incoming admin will not be the Democrats. GOP senators derailed Matt Gaetz’s confirmation. They do not care about “ethics.” These are some of the most unethical people on the planet. These senators put petty personal gripes…

— Evita Duffy-Alfonso (@evitaduffy_1) November 21, 2024

This is a reminder that the greatest obstacle facing the incoming admin will not be the Democrats. GOP senators derailed Matt Gaetz’s confirmation. They do not care about “ethics.” These are some of the most unethical people on the planet. These senators put petty personal gripes over the agenda and should face electoral consequences from the voters they betrayed.

MSNBC Executive Producer Kyle Griffin posted the list of five Republican Senators who were staunchly refusing to back Gaetz, even after the meetings with both Gaetz and JD Vance.

Breaking on @MSNBC:

At least five Senate Republicans were a 'no' on Matt Gaetz — McConnell, Murkowski, Collins, Mullin, Sen.-elect Curtis — and had communicated to other senators they were unlikely to be swayed.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 21, 2024

And there it is — the media campaign against him failed, the democrats unsuccessfully came after him with every nasty dredged up accusations they could find (all previously investigated and found to be either lacking evidence or un-prosecutable).

But Republicans playing their one-upmanship political games was all it took to squash President Trump’s first choice as Attorney General, and the most popular choice among Trump’s supporters, as well.

But — is it possible that President Trump is engaged in a badass game of 4D chess?

Yesterday, US News & World Report prophetically named the five Republican holdouts, but also included a little more insight into what might be going on behind the scenes with the Gaetz nomination.

Trump seems to be aware that some of his selections will have a hard time getting confirmed – specifically Gaetz – and has indicated he’d like to bypass the Senate’s checks and balances, instead pursuing recess appointments, which allow a president to independently appoint people when the Senate is out of session. However, recess appointees are not given a salary until they are confirmed by the Senate and their positions only last until the end of the Senate’s following session, which means Trump’s recess appointees would only be able to serve through 2026.

David Richards, head of the political science department at the University of Lynchburg, says it’s possible Gaetz will take the brunt of the senatorial pushback and the others will be smooth sailing.

“My assumption is that many will seek to block Gaetz, which Trump will offer up as an easy way for senators to say they pushed back. The rest will face less scrutiny because of the Gaetz distraction, and Trump will nominate someone else for attorney general,” he says.

Is that the game here?  Was Matt Gaetz a willing participant in President Trump’s 4D chess game?

And does the game end with every other cabinet choice and nomination flying through with no serious Republican pushback…

And Matt Gaetz in some other pre-determined role?

Something for @GOP Senators thinking about voting against @mattgaetz for AG to consider. Once @marcorubio becomes Secretary of State, then @RonDeSantis appoints @FmrRepMattGaetz the new Senator from #Florida and you'll wish #Gaetz was the Attorney General.

— David Shestokas (@shestokas) November 21, 2024

Constitutional lawyer David Shestokas apparently thinks that’s exactly what is happening.

And check out this exchange between JD Vance and Gaetz earlier today, after Gaetz dropped the news that he would be bowing out of the running for Attorney General.

Thank you, Mr. VP-Elect!

I look forward to continuing the fight to save our country.

Just maybe from a different post 🇺🇸 https://t.co/v9w9xFYNEE

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 21, 2024

“Just maybe from a different post” sounds like he may be alluding to something similar to what Shestokas and others are pondering — myself included.

Did Matt Gaetz just help pave the way for easier confirmation processes for the rest of President Trump’s cabinet picks, as well as line himself up for a jump from the House of Representatives over to the Senate Chamber?

Crazier things have happened, and in 2024 we should expect nothing less than 4D chess coming from President Trump and his transition team.