The Morning: The Gaetz Distraction Theory

The simplest answer with Donald Trump is the usually the right one. So, no, I don’t think he picked Matt Gaetz as Attorney General as some sort of triple bank shot to make it easier, eventually, for his real AG pick to get confirmed. (Yes, that is an actual theory.)

Trump picked him because a) he likes Gaetz and b) he wanted a way to put Senate Republicans on the record about their loyalty to him.

Period.

But, I DO think that there will be downstream effects from the Gaetz pick that will likely accrue to the benefit of some of Trump’s other controversial picks.

Take, for example, Tulsa Gabbard, who Trump named as his choice to be the next Director of National Intelligence on Wednesday.

Gabbard, who spent time as a Democratic House member from Hawaii, has very, very little experience in the world of intelligence. As Politico noted of the pick:

The selection of Gabbard is sure to provoke opposition in the Senate. She not only lacks experience in intelligence matters, but has opposed U.S. interventions in Ukraine and Syria — while at times suggesting the U.S. provoked Russia into aggressive policies.

Or Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee as Secretary of Defense. While Hegseth did serve in the military — with distinction — he is not even close to the usual SecDef: A four-star general with decades of experience in the military. (That fact, of course, may have recommended Hegseth to Trump!)

Or even Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor tapped by Trump to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Noem, unlike past DHA picks, has no experience in law enforcement.

In a non-Gaetz world, Gabbard, Hegseth and Noem might all find themselves in perilous Senate confirmation fights. But with Gaetz sucking up all the oxygen in political Washington, their chances of being confirmed have shot up.

The simple fact is that Democrats — and establishment Republicans — can’t go nuclear over every single Trump pick. If all you do is yell, you lose your voice — and people stop paying attention.

Gaetz will be the lightning rod in the coming confirmation storm. Which means some (many?) of Trump’s other picks will skip by in the relative darkness.

The Morning is a FREE post. But, I need your support to keep my nonpartisan and independent journalism going! Become a monthly or yearly subscriber today!