Sightful Invest
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Stock
Top Posts
Trump lashes out at Crockett, renews call for...
Trump goes after Zelenskyy over ‘land swapping’ dispute,...
Democratic whistleblower told FBI that Adam Schiff approved...
MORNING GLORY: Trump meets Putin amid an era...
‘Things need to change’: Senate Democrats sharpen criticism...
Mamdani zings Cuomo in rent-stabilized housing spat during...
Unearthed emails reveal White House nixed Biden visiting...
Strong drilling targets identified next to high-grade gold-copper...
Seymour Lithium Project Achieves Permitting Milestone
Acquisition of Silver Extraction Technology
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Stock

Sightful Invest

Politics

With Gaetz dropping out, do Hegseth, RFK Jr. and Gabbard now have bigger targets on their backs?

by admin November 22, 2024
November 22, 2024
With Gaetz dropping out, do Hegseth, RFK Jr. and Gabbard now have bigger targets on their backs?

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal as President-elect Trump’s nominee for attorney general amid growing fallout over sex trafficking allegations may prove problematic for Trump’s other controversial picks for top administration positions.

Gaetz took his name out of consideration Thursday as Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice to serve as defense secretary, was wrapping up meetings on Capitol Hill with senators. 

Hegseth, who was joined by Vice President-elect JD Vance, is also facing sexual misconduct allegations from a 2017 encounter. Scrutiny increased late Wednesday night after police in Monterey, California, released a report about the allegations.

‘The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared,’ Hegseth told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday. Through his attorney, he has also acknowledged the sexual encounter but has said it was consensual.

Trump’s transition team spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt called Hegseth ‘a highly-respected combat veteran who will honorably serve our country when he is confirmed as the next secretary of defense.’ 

But with Gaetz now out of the firing line, Hegseth, an Army National Guard officer who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and who, until earlier this month, was a high-profile Fox News host, is likely to face more attention from the media and from senators.

Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, taking questions from reporters after Gaetz announced he was dropping out of consideration, was asked about the allegations against Hegseth.

‘It’s a pretty big problem given that we have … a sexual assault problem in our military,’ Cramer said.

The senator added he’s ‘not going to prejudge,’ but that ‘it’s a pretty concerning accusation.’

Trump’s transition team on Thursday afternoon blasted out an email titled, ‘Pete Hegseth Earns Strong Support On Capitol Hill,’ which spotlighted positive quotes from 11 GOP senators, including a snippet from Cramer.

And a source close to Trump’s transition team told Fox News ‘the transition team doesn’t think the issues Gaetz faced are a wider problem.’

But scrutiny will likely also increase for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Trump’s picks for Health and Human Services secretary and director of national intelligence, as they both face potential blowback for past controversial comments.

‘I would be more worried if I was them,’ a different source in Trump’s political orbit told Fox News when asked about Hegseth, Kennedy and Gabbard.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said there are ‘some things’ Kennedy should ‘get ahead of’ before courting senators on Capitol Hill.

But a Republican strategist who has advised Republican senators pointed to Gaetz as a sacrificial lamb.

‘There’s always one’ that goes down who ‘gives cover to the others,’ the source, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said.

The strategist said Hegseth, Gabbard and Kennedy ‘all have their work cut out for them,’ but that ‘the [GOP] conference is going to be much happier now going forward. … Gaetz was the only one that was a non-starter.’

Fox News Kelly Phares and Meghan Tome contributed to this report

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

previous post
Pentagon ‘fundamentally rejects’ ICC decision to issue arrest warrant for Netanyahu
next post
SEC Chair Gary Gensler will step down Jan. 20, making way for Trump replacement

You may also like

Gabbard establishes new intelligence community task force to...

April 8, 2025

Pete Hegseth on the Hill for another day...

December 6, 2024

House GOP’s budget impasse thaws just as winter...

February 13, 2025

Senate Democratic Whip declares support for Rubio confirmation:...

January 14, 2025

I was Biden’s man in the room at...

March 21, 2025

Harris failing to cobble together Biden’s winning 2020...

September 6, 2024

Vivek Ramaswamy sounds off on potential RFK Jr....

August 23, 2024

War-torn regions have keen interest in US elections

October 30, 2024

Trump’s first vice president urges his old boss...

May 9, 2025

Polish conservative Karol Nawrocki wins presidential election to...

June 2, 2025

Recent Posts

  • Trump lashes out at Crockett, renews call for cognitive test
  • Trump goes after Zelenskyy over ‘land swapping’ dispute, lays out ‘feel out meeting’ with Putin
  • Democratic whistleblower told FBI that Adam Schiff approved classified leaks to target Trump
  • MORNING GLORY: Trump meets Putin amid an era done away with John Quincy Adams’ ‘abroad’
  • ‘Things need to change’: Senate Democrats sharpen criticism of Israel as humanitarian concerns grow

    Become a VIP member by signing up for our newsletter. Enjoy exclusive content, early access to sales, and special offers just for you! As a VIP, you'll receive personalized updates, loyalty rewards, and invitations to private events. Elevate your experience and join our exclusive community today!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Categories

    • Business (867)
    • Investing (2,729)
    • Politics (3,369)
    • Stock (4)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: sightfulinvest.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 Sightful Invest. All Rights Reserved.