Raw Story

During an appearance on MSNBC on Friday morning, former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) pointed out that Rep. Matt Gaetz's extreme unpopularity within his own party combined with a reported bombshell finding by the House Ethics Committee has likely killed his chances of being Donald Trump's attorney general.

Speaking with host Ana Cabrera, Dent — who previously served as chair of the House Ethics Committee — claimed that, based on what he has heard from Republican Party senators who hold Gaetz's fate in their hands, he has little chance of being approved.

The former GOP lawmaker told the MSNBC host he also thinks the charges against Gaetz are serious enough that a criminal referral could be made to the same DOJ Trump wants Gaetz to helm.

ALSO READ: A second reign of terror: Inside Trump’s blueprint for home raids

"It appears to me this investigation was completed prior to Gaetz's resignation and so, at this point, I do think that Republicans — look, to say that Matt Gaetz is disliked by his House Republican colleagues would be a wild understatement. There is no love for this man among Republicans — and so the fact that Senators [John] Cornyn (R-TX) and [Dick] Durbin (D-IL) who, as part of the official record would like to see this report, I think is pretty compelling."

"By the way, this report is probably very damning It may recommend sanctions of some sort, may recommend censure or expulsion although that is moot at this point," he continued, referring to Gaetz's resignation from Congress after his nomination as AG.

"So this is going to be damning and there might be a referral to the Justice Department for all we know."

Asked what the future holds for Gaetz's AG nomination, he offered, "I happen to think this nomination will be withdrawn at some point, it's clear. In your leadup to this segment, you were playing Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND). If Gaetz doesn't have Kevin Cramer, I can assure you, he doesn't have a lot of other members. So many of them dislike Matt Gaetz. We can't forget that."

"I can see many members voting against him," he added. "I think this thing is dead in the water. I'm just shocked, this is a gobsmackingly bad nomination. In Trump world, we're used to all kinds of shocks and surprises, but this is really beyond the pale."

Watch below or at the link

- YouTube youtu.be

The selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services became a flashpoint between two Republican guests on CNN Thursday night, provoking one to reveal his true feelings about the pick still sending shockwaves through Capitol Hill.

The moment came on CNN’s “NewsNight” after Georgia's former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a longtime Republican, ran through his rationale on why he believes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has no business becoming the country’s next HHS secretary.

“There's really no good reason why Bobby Kennedy, RFK Jr., should be the HHS secretary,” Duncan said. “An advisor, a confidant, somebody who talks to the president and advises, but there's no managerial experience in his resume. There’s nothing that says he is qualified to do this job, this job that is in charge of the health of all of us.”

Duncan added that the Trump loyalist and staunch anti-vaxxer's views around food sources and vaccines “should be given in advisory roles.”

ALSO READ: Why Trump voters should be held accountable for their choice

That’s when longtime Republican Party consultant Scott Jennings jumped in and defiantly asked: “Why?”

“What were the qualifications of the previous ones? What were the management qualifications?” Jennings, a CNN regular, asked Duncan. Jennings then listed previous HHS secretaries and their prior positions.

“RFK Jr. is a nut!” Duncan replied.

While it roused some laughter on the CNN set, Duncan’s blunt assessment didn’t sit well with Jennings.

“Ok, so that's different than what you just said, you just said he doesn't possess the requisite managerial experience, but then we get to the real issue here, which is you want to insult the man, which is your right to do because you opposed him in the election,” Jennings said.

Jennings concluded the exchange by saying that he doesn't know if RFK Jr. can pass a Senate confirmation but the "vaccine stuff" will be "the flashpoint" of the confirmation hearing.

Watch the clip below or at this link.

A vocal proponent of President-elect Donald Trump sparred with a former CNN anchor on Thursday night as he vehemently pushed back on her assertion that America is poorer and less safe than it was under the Trump administration.

Madison Gesiotto, a frequent guest on CNN's "NewsNight" and former national spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, was asked by host Abby Philip if the MAGA leader is taking a page from adviser Steve Bannon's playbook — and "flooding the zone" with proactive Cabinet picks.

Gesiotto echoed similar statements from other Republicans in the days since the election that America voted to put Trump in charge. But as she insisted that America "is not richer" than it was in 2019 and isn't safer, fellow panelist John Avlon butted in.

"We are," he pushed back. "We are."

"No," she insisted. "No, we're not.

ALSO READ: Why Trump voters should be held accountable for their choice

"Let's have a fact-based debate," Avlon forcefully responded, raising his voice. "We're literally — crime is lower than it was when Trump was in office."

But Gesiotto doubled down and demanded he look at the statistics where authorities have stripped numbers out.

"Like manipulating the statistics," she said, as he visibly scoffed at her statement. "We've talked about it many times."

She insisted that places such as New York City are less safe than they were in 2019 — and said if he believes otherwise, "You're out of your mind."

Avlon replied that while he's in favor of quality-of-life policing and can "talk about broken windows theory all night long" — he reiterated that they need to have a "fact-based debate" on her assertions.

"And you just admitted that you're not," he shot back.

As Gesiotto repeated that people are poorer and less safe, Avlon again replied, "No."

The FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics are the two main sources of government crime statistics. Crime rates have fallen sharply over the last three decades, though that decline hasn’t always been steady, according to Pew Research Center.

"There have been notable increases in certain kinds of crime in some years, including recently," the organization wrote in April.

"In 2020, for example, the U.S. murder rate saw its largest single-year increase on record – and by 2022, it remained considerably higher than before the coronavirus pandemic. Preliminary data for 2023, however, suggests that the murder rate fell substantially last year," the report added.

Watch the tense exchange below or at this link.

Within hours of being tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be the country’s next attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) began working with his colleagues on Capitol Hill to revamp his image and secure the position, according to a new report.

And that could be a tough hill for Gaetz to climb. The MAGA loyalist, seen as the orchestrator of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) ouster, has “earned a reputation in Congress as an acid-tongued, anti-establishment knife fighter who didn’t come to Washington to make friends,” according to the Bulwark.

“But now Gaetz wants to become the next attorney general of the United States. And he is doing something he rarely has since breaking out on the national scene: trying to make nice with fellow lawmakers, mainly the U.S. senators — the ultimate bastion of the political establishment—who are tasked with confirming him to the post,” the report said.

ALSO READ: Why Trump voters should be held accountable for their choice

Chief among his goals: convincing lawmakers “that he has the temperament” to lead the Justice Department and persuade them to not believe sexual misconduct allegations against him involving a minor, which Gaetz has denied for years.

“In private conversations with senators, Gaetz has been reiterating his denials and, sources say, he’s getting an assist from Vice President-elect JD Vance. The Ohio senator, who remains a member of the chamber until the new Congress is sworn in, has been lobbying skeptical senators," according to the report.

But some senators didn’t seem too sure just yet. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told the publication he wants to see “everything” involving the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Gaetz.

“We have a constitutional role to play of providing advice and consent,” Cornyn told the Bulwark. “That’s our role. The president’s role is to make the nomination. But we need to have a complete vetting of the nominees. Not only so we know that the nominee is qualified, but also to protect the president. I’m sure it’s not in his best interest to have any surprises.”

Donald Trump's nomination of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to be Attorney General has caused an explosion on social media — with a number of MAGA accounts celebrating, but legal experts and other observers horrified.

Furthermore, it appears unclear whether Gaetz, who has been one of Trump's fiercest attack dogs in Congress and faced a highly-publicized FBI investigation and subsequent congressional ethics inquiry over alleged sex trafficking, retaliation, drug use, and campaign finance offenses, will get through even a Republican-dominated Senate.

"Holy s---," wrote Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL). "Trump will nominate Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. The man who was at the center of a sex trafficking probe. God help us."

"I cannot imagine why someone would vote to confirm Matt Gaetz for host at Red Lobster, never mind Attorney General of the United States," wrote conservative analyst Jonah Goldberg.

"I was a teenage girl when Matt Gaetz decided it was appropriate to body shame and belittle me as a sitting member of Congress and now I get to sit and watch him be nominated as Attorney General of the United States," wrote Texas youth activist Olivia Julianna.

ALSO READ: The one belief that predicted Trump voters with scary accuracy

"He nominated Matt Gaetz as the Attorney General," wrote Suffolk Young Democrats chair Skyler Johnson. "This is an administration of criminals."

"Attorney General Matt Gaetz's 'not involved in sex trafficking' T-shirt has a lot of people at his confirmation hearing asking questions already answered by his shirt," wrote liberal podcaster Tommy Vietor.

"Matt Gaetz is about as close as you can get to putting Sean Hannity in charge of the Justice Department," wrote Media Matters fellow Matt Gertz. "A total loyalist who will run investigations into whichever political enemies Trump wants hounded."

"Safe to say that GOP senators are stunned - not in a good way - on Matt Gaetz for Attorney General," wrote Punchbowl News cofounder John Bresnahan.

"We are not a serious country if the Senate confirms Matt Gaetz to lead the Justice Department," wrote anti-Trump conservative commentator Heath Mayo.

"So bad for Attorney General," wrote former Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera, using a vulgar term to describe the congressman. "Gross."

Punchbowl News reporter Jake Sherman couldn't hold it together when President-elect Donald Trump announced Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as his pick for attorney general.

About 10 minutes before the selection, Sherman was on air saying former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (R-HI) would struggle to survive a confirmation hearing for the Director of National Intelligence.

But Sherman said one person may stand an even worse chance.

"Matt Gaetz — er makes Tulsi Gabbard seem like this is child's play," he laughed.

Also read: GOP 'sociopaths' live among us — and it's 'contagious': neuroscientist

"Matt Gaetz is going to have a tremendously difficult time —" he had to pause again for laughter.

"I can't even say this with a straight face," he confessed. "A tremendously difficult time being confirmed as attorney general. He is under ethics investigations. I wrote a story several years ago with my colleague John Bresnahan at Politico about his misspending taxpayer and campaign money."

"Matt Gaetz is not going to be — I can't imagine a situation in which Matt Gaetz gets 50 votes in the United States Senate, period, hard stop."

Gaetz was also slapped with a complaint from the Bar Association after revelations he allegedly attended a teenage sex party.

See the moment in the video below or at the link here.

- YouTube www.youtube.com