Trump reportedly doubts senators will back Matt Gaetz but still lobbies hard

According to reports, Donald Trump has informed his close associates that Matt Gaetz, his pick for attorney general, stands a less than even chance of being approved by the Senate. This comes even as Trump continues to advance Gaetz's nomination despite serious allegations of sexual misconduct surrounding him.

The president-elect is still reaching out to back his struggling nominee, despite pushback from Republican senators. He believes that his persistent support will change what is considered acceptable for cabinet positions, even if Gaetz doesn't succeed, according to the New York Times.

Trump's game-changing strategies are clear after he nominated three other contentious individuals – Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of health and human services. Each of these nominees may encounter challenges in securing approval from the Senate.

Many people see Gaetz's nomination as unsuitable due to the fact that the former Florida congressman, known for his far-right views, was under a two-year FBI investigation concerning sex-trafficking claims. These allegations have also been looked into by the ethics committee of the House of Representatives.

The criminal investigation did not lead to any charges. However, two women have testified to House investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex in 2017, and their statements are documented in a report that has not been released yet.

On Tuesday, close to 100 Democratic members of the House submitted a letter calling for the House ethics committee to make its report on Gaetz public. The letter was directed to Congressman Michael Guest, the chair of the committee, and Congresswoman Susan Wild, the leading Democrat on the panel.

"The U.S. Senate is required by the Constitution to give their approval and feedback on presidential nominees. It's essential for senators to have all the relevant details needed to evaluate Mr. Gaetz's nomination," the letter stated.

On Tuesday, The New York Times revealed that an unknown hacker managed to infiltrate a computer file that was securely shared among attorneys representing clients who provided incriminating statements regarding Gaetz. According to the report, the compromised file included 24 pieces of evidence, which featured sworn testimony from a woman who alleged that she had sexual relations with Gaetz when she was just 17 years old. Additionally, the file is said to have contained supporting statements from another woman who claimed to have witnessed the incident.

Despite the troubling news, many senators have quietly suggested that Gaetz, who has promised to overhaul the Justice Department according to the future president's directives if he becomes attorney general, is unlikely to be approved. It seems that Trump is aware of this situation as well.

After this month's election, the Republicans will hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate when the new Congress is officially inaugurated on January 3rd. Several Republican senators have expressed their reluctance to support Gaetz, and it seems he won’t gain any support from Democrats during the confirmation process.

Certain Republicans are secretly wishing the new president will pull back the nomination because they are concerned that they could encounter a primary challenge as repercussions for obstructing his preferred candidate.

According to Politico, senators are secretly wishing that Trump won’t force them into a difficult situation.

Senate Republicans are concerned about being negatively affected by their association with the controversial figure of Gaetz. They worry that senators facing re-election in 2026 might encounter challenges from the far-right if they reject his nomination, and at the same time, they risk losing their seats in the general election if they support him.

In contrast, the new president has made it clear that he plans to move forward no matter what. He seems resolved to put forward such a large number of radical candidates that it will be impossible to dismiss them all.

However, some of Trump’s top advisors have quietly expressed worries that he is wasting important political influence at a time when he should be supporting more realistic candidates and advancing his plans for governance. This message was reportedly communicated to Trump and vice-president-elect JD Vance by Susie Wiles, who will be the new chief of staff at the White House.

Backing has arrived from one of Trump's wealthiest supporters, the businessman Elon Musk, who shared on his own X platform that Gaetz “is the JUDGE DREDD that America requires to fix a corrupt system and imprison influential wrongdoers.”

If Trump keeps pushing for Gaetz to be appointed, the nominee might have to confront his two female accusers during Senate hearings on Capitol Hill.

Senators are urging for the House ethics report to be made public, which was essentially put on hold after Gaetz abruptly stepped down from his position following his nomination last week. Despite this pressure, House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is a strong supporter of Trump, has refused to release the report.

Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn stated that there is no need to publish the report since the witnesses summoned to appear before the Senate judiciary committee could disclose the specifics of the allegations against Gaetz.

He stated to the Washington Post, "The reality is that the details will eventually be revealed, regardless of the situation. It’s not essential for them to publish a report since we already have a good idea of who the witnesses are."