Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) may have been forced to withdraw from Donald Trump's nomination for attorney general, at a cost to the GOP and Trump's ability to control the caucus. But the battle to prevent unqualified nominees from controlling critical agencies is just beginning, The Washington Post editorial board wrote Friday.
This comes as multiple other picks for the Trump administration deal with sexual misconduct scandals of their own, just after Gaetz was derailed by an ethics investigation into accusations he engaged in child sex trafficking.
"Mr. Trump has privately told allies that he hopes Mr. Gaetz’s failure will ease confirmation of other controversial nominees," wrote the board. "It should do the opposite, steeling senators to conduct the scrutiny required of Mr. Trump’s remaining picks. Several are plainly unworthy of high office."
This includes Fox News personality Pete Hegseth for Pentagon chief, who was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services, despite promoting conspiracy theories about vaccines, COVID, AIDS, and Jews; and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, even though she has pushed pro-Russian conspiracy theories.
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For that matter, wrote the board, even Trump's pick to replace Gaetz, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, has a questionable record — even if she is significantly more qualified as a prosecutor.
"She sued to invalidate the Affordable Care Act," wrote the board. "She took contributions from prominent Scientologists and declined to pursue allegations against the church. Mr. Trump’s charity contributed $25,000 to a political group backing Ms. Bondi in 2013, around the time she decided not to pursue fraud complaints against Mr. Trump’s for-profit seminar business."
She also acted as a foreign agent to lobby for Qatar. Moreover, noted the board, she led "Lock Her Up" chants against Hillary Clinton in 2016, and pushed conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, neither of which suggest an impartial law enforcement official.
Senators should not let her off the hook just because they're relieved Trump didn't pick Gaetz, the board concluded.
"In Ms. Bondi’s confirmation hearings, senators should ask: What would be her red lines? What could Mr. Trump ask her to do that would prompt her to resign?"
