Trump team weighs Pentagon pick after sexual assault allegation surfaces!

[Tax Counsel]

I have little doubt that the Trump team offered him the choice of backing out of consideration for the job or face the president rescind the nomination, which would be a very clear rebuke of Gaetz and make any future political ambitions even more tenuous than they already were. It's unclear whether he can get back the congressional seat from which he resigned. At this point I don't see a lot Republicans going out of their way to throw him a lifeline back to Congress.

 

[welkin]

I have little doubt that the Trump team offered him the choice of backing out of consideration for the job or face the president rescind the nomination, which would be a very clear rebuke of Gaetz and make any future political ambitions even more tenuous than they already were. It's unclear whether he can get back the congressional seat from which he resigned. At this point I don't see a lot Republicans going out of their way to throw him a lifeline back to Congress.

The governor of FL can fill the vacancy by putting Gaetz back in the Senate. Any other speculation is a red herring. It's not up to Congress.

 

[stealthy1]

I have little doubt that the Trump team offered him the choice of backing out of consideration for the job or face the president rescind the nomination, which would be a very clear rebuke of Gaetz and make any future political ambitions even more tenuous than they already were. It's unclear whether he can get back the congressional seat from which he resigned. At this point I don't see a lot Republicans going out of their way to throw him a lifeline back to Congress.

Gaetz says Nope. Matt Gaetz says he 'does not intend' to return to Congress after dropping bid to be attorney general

 

[Tax Counsel]

The governor of FL can fill the vacancy by putting Gaetz back in the Senate. Any other speculation is a red herring. It's not up to Congress.

I wasn't just referring to members of Congress, but other Republicans too, including Governor DeSantis. The governor's decision may well have hinged, at least to some degree, on how much support there was in the party to get Gaetz back. For example, I think DeSantis would be very unlikely to want to rock the Republican boat by putting into Congress a man many in the party don't want to see there. On the other hand, if a number of Republicans were calling the Governor urging him to appoint Gaetz back to the job he'd likely find it hard to say no. In short, DeSantis likely wouldn't act just on what he thinks of Gaetz personally. He'd also want to take the temperature of the mood of the party on Gaetz into account too. Not to mention what Trump might tell Desantis about what he thought on the matter.

It's all irrelevant now, as Gaetz has said he won't try to return to Congress, sparing Trump, DeSantis, and congressional Republicans from having to make any public stand on the matter. That will allow the party to put in a rising star in his place, one that hopefully wouldn't rub his colleagues the wrong way as Gaetz apparently did on occasion.