Gaetz, the former Florida U.S. representative who abruptly resigned from the House last week after being nominated by Trump, was the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation on allegations of sexual misconduct. He had already been investigated but not charged by the Department of Justice.
Allegations aside, there was considerable Republican support for his nomination – just not enough. He withdrew late Thursday saying he didn’t want to be a “distraction,” and Trump moved swiftly to announce his second choice, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Memphis-based radio host and conservative commenter Todd Starnes weighed in on the Gaetz out/Bondi in switch early Friday.
“The day [Gaetz'] name was announced as the nominee, he became a distraction. So, I don't think that was getting any worse,” Starnes shared on American Family Radio. “I think it really did have to do with the Senate vote, and they knew that ultimately they weren’t going to get those numbers.”
Firmly in the “no” category against Gaetz were Mitch McConnell, the outgoing Republican leader of the chamber, plus Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Senator-elect John Curtis of Utah.
“Even Mark Wayne Mullen out of Oklahoma had been mentioned as a fifth senator, and there were others who were that were leaning that way. So, it could have been a really embarrassing vote for the president-elect,” Starnes told show host Jenna Ellis.
Ellis, the former Trump attorney, agreed.
“It seemed like a lot of people were championing him and that he kind of caved to media pressure,” she said, “but for Matt Gaetz, though, to withdraw this quickly, it had to have been such a hard 'no' and no wiggle room to even hopefully convince one or more of the senators that were a no.”
Starnes pointed out that McConnell and then-GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan opposed many of Trump’s initiatives in his first term – a reminder that even with Republican control of both congressional chambers, things can get dicey.
“I think this go-around there is going to be some blowback when those senators are up for reelection. I think Susan Collins and McConnell, both, this is their swan song, which means they don’t care, so they are going to be a thorn in President Trump’s side,” Starnes added.
Checkers, chess and who’s actually winning?
For now, Starnes suggested that Trump could be playing “4-D chess” and thinking several moves ahead.
Reacting to Gaetz' exit, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) told reporters, “I think it’s a positive development.” Pressed for clarification, Wicker just smiled, Fox News reported.
Bondi was one of Trump’s attorneys during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Prior to serving as Florida AG, she was a prosecutor in Hillsborough County near Miami.
During that first impeachment, Bondi “argued on the floor of the Senate and did a masterful job there. I think she’s a brilliant choice,” Ellis said. “Nobody from the Left, like they said against Matt Gaetz, can impugn her experience.”
“I’ve known Pam Bondi for years, and I think she’s a great person,” Ellis added. (Read related commentary by Jenna Ellis)
Names of other state AGs had been floated such as Ken Paxton from Texas and Andrew Bailey from Missouri.
“Paxton would have been a great pick, but he does come with baggage, and I think the president has been very strategic here,” Starnes said. “I read a piece last night that said Pam Bondi comes with more legal experience than any other attorney general in the past 50-60 years. She is a highly qualified candidate.”
From Trump’s perspective, Gaetz – described more than once as a “bulldog” – would have excelled in rooting out Department of Justice trends in prosecuting conservative Americans be they school board parents in Loudoun County, Virginia, pro-life activists like Mark Houck, or Trump himself in his myriad of court cases around the country.
Starnes suggests Trump isn’t losing anything on that front in moving from Gaetz to Bondi. “She’s a fierce defender of the president. She’s going to be a fierce defender of the law as well,” he said.
Trump, often called a misogynist by the Left, has now appointed or nominated five women to key positions.
Susie Wiles will become the first female White House Chief of Staff. Gov. Kristi Noem has been nominated for Secretary of Homeland Security, Naomi Churchill Earp for Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, and Mindy Brashears for Under Secretary of Agriculture.
“The folks on MSNBC last night were literally terrified that this woman [Bondi] is going to be the next Attorney General,” Starnes said.
A different type of warrior
The announcement of Bondi drew mixed reviews in some conservative online conversations with some lamenting the loss of Gaetz, perhaps most remembered in the House for his call to vacate the Speaker’s chair that led to the ouster of Kevin McCarthy, for his in-your-face attitude.
Those people are selling Bondi short, Ellis said.
“You don't have to be as bombastic as a Matt Gaetz and as much a kind of bomb-thrower to be that strong, tenacious warrior," she said. "I just see a difference maybe in their fighting style – but I would certainly not ever say that Pam Bondi is less of a fighter or a strong pick for Donald Trump than Matt Gaetz.”
