The winners and losers in Gaetz's rise and fall

Even by the freewheeling standards set during President-elect Donald Trump's first administration, former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz stood out as a particularly surprising pick for a Cabinet position, to say nothing of being tapped to lead the Department of Justice as Trump's nominee for Attorney General. Not only had Gaetz, one of Trump's fiercest congressional allies, barely practiced law since earning his JD in 2007, but he was now being asked to head the department which had recently investigated him for alleged 2017 sexual assault of a minor. In a slate of controversial Cabinet nominations, his was arguably the most shocking to Democrats and Republicans alike.

No less shocking, although perhaps not entirely surprising, was Gaetz's decision to pull himself out of contention in the face of growing opposition from the Senators tasked with confirming him for the role. All told, this nomination saga lasted just eight days, with Trump turning to fellow Floridian Pam Bondi as his new AG-in-waiting mere hours after Gaetz's withdrawal. But in the wake of those turbulent days, keen-eyed observers and political commentators have been given a glimpse into both the inner workings of the President-elect's transition process, and his vision for his incoming administration.

As the dust from Gaetz-gate finishes settling, a new schema of power for Trump's closest circles has emerged.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Who came out on top?

No one can claim to have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in this instance more than Pam Bondi, who now stands on the precipice of one of the most consequential legal positions in the country, if not the world. As a "longtime Trump ally" whose previous efforts to join the Trump administration "never panned out," the former Florida Attorney General now "appears more likely to have an easier path to confirmation" than Gaetz, Politico said.

The Gaetz debacle "may strengthen Susie Wiles," Trump's incoming Chief-of-Staff, as well, said congressional scholar Norman Ornstein. Gaetz's nomination had been "announced before she had any input," and now that it's fallen apart, "Trump has to know that maybe he should take a little advice from her." Wiles is "even-tempered, can foresee risks, and is one of the figures most likely to talk Trump out of a bad idea," said Jim Geraghty at National Review.

By voicing their (ultimately nomination-killing) concerns over Gaetz, Senate Republicans, too, may have strengthened their standing. They demonstrated that while they want to "help Trump enact as much of his agenda as possible, they are not going to reflexively respond 'how high?' when Trump says 'jump,'" Geraghty said. The Senate GOP might "actually be a soft check on the leader of their party when they feel like he is going too far," said Politico — particularly incoming Majority Leader Sen. John Thune (R-SD), with whom Trump "might have a completely different relationship" than the adversarial one he experienced with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky). This episode may even count as a "win for America — and even for Trump, who has just been saved from the consequences of a bad early decision," said Nicole Russell at USA Today.

Who's on the outs?

In the immediate short term, the most obvious loser from Gaetz-gate could very well be Gaetz himself, who is no longer in contention to become the next Attorney General and has retired from Congress with no plans to return in the coming term. Although he has yet to articulate his next steps, which could include a future run for office, or even a non-Senate confirmable position in the Trump administration, Gaetz's "future is not as bright as it once was," said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida, to the Orlando Sentinel.

Gaetz's departure also refocuses the national spotlight on other controversial Trump Cabinet nominees, including Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who is now "by far the biggest headache" for the incoming administration, said The Independent. Hegseth's nomination "so far had been overshadowed by Gaetz," Politico said, but with Gaetz gone "scrutiny could quickly shift to Hegseth" and his record of extremist views and alleged sexual misconduct.

Trump may have escaped an embarrassing defeat had Gaetz not bowed out ahead of his confirmation process, but the president-elect nevertheless suffered a "stinging rebuke" by his nominee's resignation, Bloomberg said. The episode "illustrates the roadblocks" Trump's incoming administration faces in transforming his "campaign of 'retribution' into a governing coalition," said MSNBC.