What If picking Matt Gaetz was a brilliant Political Calculation?
There May Be a Method to This Madness
Trump’s not in office yet, which of course gives him more time to explode everyone’s mind. At least when he finally takes the helm from whomever is running the country right now he’ll probably have some work to do on his agenda. With all this free time before his inauguration, he’s got nothing to do but shitpost and troll.
With each cabinet pick you can literally hear twelve to fifteen thuds on the floor: the sound of liberals fainting. Rachael Maddow’s hair was tussled and there were beads of sweat on her forehead as she explained how this is Trump’s attempt to overload the system until it breaks. Like Quinn from Jaws drawing the shark into the shallows, or Scotty from Star Trek decrying, “America can’t take much more of this Captain!”
But, the curious pick of Matt Gaetz has even the most MAGA raising their eyebrows. Nancy Pelosi tried to cry on Chuck Schumer’s shoulder, but Chuck had fallen off his chair onto the floor. Kevin McCarthy told his secretary to hold all his calls. “But sir, it’s Mr Trump.”
“I SAID HOLD ALL CALLS, DAMMIT!!”
Anderson Cooper broke his glasses in all the commotion. Joy Reid ripped off her wig and threw it across the room. Mitt Romney tossed his dog onto the roof of his car and sped off in a cloud of dust. He hasn’t been heard from for days.
Even I began to question Trump’s sanity. Matt Gaetz and the Chaos Caucus ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthey, a Trump loyalist. What could happen to Mike Johnson expect to happen if he were to step out of line with the Gaetz agenda? Would Trump support him? Never mind the ethics investigation that Gaetz of which Gaetz is the target.
Then came the lightbulb!
With the Gaetz nomination came his resignation from the House. Quietly, the House voted on new rules to increase the threshold in a Motion to Vacate from 7 to 9. (https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/11/12/congress/house-gops-rules-war-00189229), making it more difficult for the coup that ousted Kevin McCarthey to come for Mike Johnson.
With Johnson’s job secure, and Gaetz able to resign with some dignity, my thoughts are leading me to believe he will withdraw his nomination for AG. His withdrawal will have the desired effect of both saving face from the ethics probe, and saving Mike Johnson’s speakership. Trump will nominate a new AG, my thoughts are Mike Lee, but ANYONE else after Gaetz will sail through a confirmation hearing.
The media circus is great for the Trump brand, and he saved both of his friends, one being the Speaker of the House. Hard to know if Trump, like President Xi knows, is “fucking crazy”, or if there is indeed a method to his madness, but I’m thinking the latter.