Republicans are in shambles trying to defend Trump’s cabinet picks. Speaker Mike Johnson is ready to ignore an ethics report on Matt Gaetz. Marjorie Taylor Greene, meanwhile, true to her idiotic self, seemingly remains confident in Gaetz’s moral compass.
Trump has made some questionable cabinet picks. RFK Jr. as the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Elon Musk as the co-head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. Somehow, neither of these two is as controversial as Trump’s pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz. Apparently, there’s a buried ethics report on Gaetz that Republicans are desperately trying to hide. What’s the ethics report about? You guessed it, allegations of sexual misconduct.
So, will we get to see this report? Mike Johnson says, “that is not the way we do things in the House.” His initial response to the ethics report was that he would not interfere with the House Ethics Committee’s process. However, on Friday he changed his mind. “I’m going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report,” Johnson told reporters. Isn’t Johnson the same speaker who was calling for transparency and accountability from the Biden administration? Oh, how have things changed.
As if the idiocracy wasn’t apparent with Johnson’s statement, Marjorie joined in. For her, the ethics report is nothing of significance. All Marjorie cares about is holding accountable people who allegedly committed “crimes against humanity during COVID.” Yes, that’s correct. Allegations of sexual misconduct are less important. Marjorie is “pretty sure” that Gaetz will do his job as the next Attorney General.
Things get better though. Jim Jordan, the leader of the United States House Committee on the Judiciary, is also against the ethics report on Gaetz going public. He is the leader of a committee that’s responsible for supervising the administration of justice. Isn’t that ironic? Jordan told Fox News that “under the rules,” the report “shouldn’t go public.”
There’s hope, however. Not all Republicans agree with Trump’s AG pick. Gaetz is disliked by some members of the party. According to one GOP insider, Gaetz lacks the “moral authority” needed for the DOJ role. So, why is Johnson the one to support Gaetz? His reputation in the party is clearly not something to be proud of. Well, Gaetz did Johnson a favor in the past. Gaetz was one of eight Republicans who voted to oust the previous Speaker. Gaetz also persuaded the other eight that the House needs a new Speaker. So, Johnson is where he is now because of Gaetz. It makes sense that he will defend the new AG.
Republicans hold only 53 seats in the Senate, compared to the Democrats’ 47. Trump’s AG nomination may not pass if all Republican members are not on board. If the ethics report is made public, Gaetz can kiss the cabinet seat goodbye. The House Ethics Committee canceled its first meeting for the Gaetz report. However, they will announce a rescheduled date. Let’s hope that we see exactly what Gaetz did.