Anyone who has read any of my stuff for the last week understands that it is hard for me to believe that neither Matt Gaetz nor Peter Hegseth told Donald Trump up front – “You don’t want to nominate me… ” I have predicted that the failures on that most-basic level would result in a transition drowning in so much turmoil that the leaks would be coming with people pointing at each other in a panic. Now we have reporting from those leaks and two new unbelievable details. According to reports in Mediaite, not only did Gaetz and Hegseth not tell Donald Trump to avoid nominating them but they both expressly lied to Trump about their past. Were that not enough, the most stunning revelation is that the Trump transition and Trump himself actually believed the two of them at face value and went ahead.
How anyone can believe Hegseth and Gaetz on anything, and for nearly any position, never mind believe them about their very highly toxic and repugnant past and really never mind that the lies were told in consideration of being attorney general and defense secretary is as hard to believe as the two of them. It is insane, so much so that it is no wonder that the transition appears to be turning on itself and springing the easily predicted leaks.
According to Mediaite’s report, the lies and simple incompetence have Hegseth’s nomination in jeopardy (You think?) and Trump upset.There were plenty of red flags available to anyone – this is a guy who has been married three times at only age 42, with plenty of affairs, one of which resulted in a love child, and was then when asked if there were any scandals from his past, including whether he had ever signed a non-disclosure agreement – he says no. As if the known stuff was not bad enough:
“He told the campaign there’s no issues,” said the source. “There’s no assault issues. There’s no NDA. Compounding lies.”
How does this happen? And let’s ask this – Why would Donald Trump not have already pulled this guy’s nomination over the disloyalty shown to him by way of lies? The people leaking only say that the nomination is in jeopardy:
“My view coming from the transition is they don’t want him,” one source who served on the Trump campaign said. “He may still have some confidence of the President, but the staff doesn’t want him.”
Still, the steady drumbeat of bad headlines is a problem for Trump. “He is annoyed at the revolving disclosures,” the source said.
It is impossible to relate to Donald Trump at the best of times but it is not hard to believe that he’s furious over someone lying to his face about their past – and with these stakes? But having been lied to, people should now focus on the fact that Trump hasn’t yet pulled Hegseth’s nomination! This is even worse given all that was already known, and given that one would think that raping a woman is a grossly disqualifying act. How is the nomination already not a done deal? And what does that say about where Trump is right now on the eve of a new term and not really caring whether he’s bringing in such people? What does it say about Trump’s character? Amazing that he would expose himself like this.
Moreover, according to the report, Donald Trump chose to believe Matt Gaetz’s assurances that there wasn’t really anything “there” with respect to Gaetz’s past.
Another source, who served on the Trump campaign, told Mediaite that when Gaetz was confronted about the allegations of sexual misconduct against him he “denied, denied, denied.”
And the result?
“Trump believed him at face value,” the source said. “Gaetz got caught.”
It makes you wonder where the professional minders were, doesn’t it? People expect politicians to extend courtesy in some ways (Though trust in Gaetz and Hegseth might be unique to Donald Trump) The pols have to remain above it all. But there are supposed to be highly paid advisers around to ensure that stuff like this doesn’t happen. Of course, none of this should have required a high payment to anyone and Trump has to somehow explain how it is that these two even got to this point. Only him.
Now look for even more leaks and more bitterness to erupt from the inside. Trump should be angry at himself for believing the two of them and not relying enough on an extensive staff. As for why someone would have patience or sympathy with two men like Gaetz or Hegseth, well – need more even be said? Apparently not.
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Angry with himself is the most accurate assessment. I didn’t expect 45 to care about either of these guys’ histories. I also figured he was just doing what he wanted with respect to choosing them. It is a bit astounding that his staff didn’t clue him on their backgrounds.
Why would a rapist pathological liar who has bought and weaseled his traitorous arse into the presidency CARE given he’s now in charge of the three branches of government? The king gets a pass but the peasants he appoints don’t? I’d call that phucking crazy all around America. I’ve been wondering if we, as a nation, would finally choose good over evil…but I was WAYYYYY OFF! Nope…we’re going to play Russian roulette with our children’s future. As Don McLean sang in American Pie…I heard the devil laughing with delight the day the music died. He hasn’t stopped since 2015.
Not sure who down-voted you. You were spot on with the “Trump was just doing what he wanted” point. Anyone with even half a brain watching what was going on with regard to Gaetz and the Ethics Committee investigation would have NEVER put Gaetz up for anything, much less the position of Attorney General. (Okay–maybe Gaetz could’ve been given the greenlight for Ambassador to the Vatican, although Gaetz prefers little girls over little boys . . . .) But Trump’s only concern is Donald Trump. He doesn’t care about anything else. And Trump wouldn’t have cared about Gaetz’s past (remember, Trump is the original “I can grab women by the you-know-whats” guy and he DID make a few backstage visits to Teenage Miss pageants). Trump’s ONLY concern is now because Gaetz was so toxic he was making Trump look bad–and Trump will NOT permit that to happen.
I just want to know who “suggested” to Gaetz that he withdraw his nomination. Gaetz had NO intention of withdrawing (the man resigned from Congress before he even faced the first hearing–you don’t see Rubio resigning and, historically, no Cabinet nominee or judiciary nominee has ever resigned from their current post until they’ve been confirmed to the post, at least to the best of my knowledge). He wasn’t about to withdraw for “the good of the country” and I’m sure the weasel would’ve weathered whatever storm he faced in the Senate so SOMEBODY had to tell Gaetz he was causing too much embarrassment for Trump and the longer he stayed there, the more bad press was facing Trump.
Trump is well known to be a non-reader. I think this type of problem is an occupational hazard for non-readers. I’m sure that his people vetted these men and wrote something up on paper, only to have their work ignored. And of course there is the fact that Trump holds a bias in favor of other sex criminals, so there’s that.
Everyone (including all of us) knows Trumpler can’t/won’t/doesn’t read, so no staffer would try to get any written info to him. Bullet points maybe but even then, that’s taxing his abilities and attention span. Nope, someone needed to tell him, verbally. Maybe nobody had the balls to do it.
My thoughts exactly. I think he counts rape and milder versions of sexual assault as boys being boys,,so.no biggy He is comfortable because viewing men’s sex crimes as socially accepted means he has done nothing wrong.
And Traitor Tot is never wrong!.