Editor’s note: The Hill’s Morning Report is our daily newsletter that dives deep into Washington’s agenda. To subscribe, click here or fill out the box below.
In today’s issue:
- Gaetz withdraws; Trump names Pam Bondi for attorney general
- Senate GOP against recess appointments
- Could North Carolina weaken its governor?
- ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, etc.
A matter of time. That was the betting among Washington politicos.
A week after his nomination, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) withdrew his name for attorney general, citing a desire Thursday to end a “distraction” for the Trump transition.
It was one of the fastest Cabinet turnstile twists in recent memory and called into question the president-elect’s impulsive decision making and scant vetting for some key posts. Within hours, Trump named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his replacement pick to lead the Justice Department. She was on his legal defense team during his first impeachment.
If confirmed, Bondi, 59, would be the third female U.S. attorney general in history, following Loretta Lynch, nominated by former President Obama, and Janet Reno, who held the post through former President Clinton’s two terms. Bondi, once a Democrat, earned a law degree from Stetson University in Florida and worked as a prosecutor in Hillsborough County, Fla., which includes Tampa. She spent two terms as the state’s attorney general. She backed Trump’s false 2020 claims of a rigged election.
Gaetz’s flameout does not ease Capitol Hill pressure on other controversial Trump nominees. Asked about the president-elect’s vetting process, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told CNN, “The more you do up front, the less you have to do on the back end.”
Gaetz resigned from his congressional seat days before a House Ethics Committee report appeared to be barreling toward public scrutiny. The House report, while still under wraps, includes details of Gaetz’s alleged payments to women for sex, including sex with a 17-year-old, according to a federal probe and testimony from two women who attended parties with the lawmaker. Those damaging details, emphatically denied by the former congressman, leaked into headlines this week as the Ethics panel failed to agree on a public release of information.
The Florida Republican — who led the conservative charge to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from that role before McCarthy retired from Congress last year — is now unemployed, at least temporarily. There are plenty of guesses about where Gaetz may turn up next. The obvious option: Trump could rescue his loyal brawler with a federal appointment that does not require Senate approval.
Gaetz, 42, met Wednesday with Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans in effort to gauge his backing to lead the Justice Department. GOP senators, eyeing other controversial Trump Cabinet picks, privately expressed concern that the votes were not there for the House combatant, and it appeared unwise to expend political capital under the circumstances.
The Gaetz drama has not entirely overshadowed questions about Fox News host Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to be Defense secretary, who concedes he paid a settlement to a woman who told police seven years ago that he sexually assaulted her in a California hotel room. Hegseth says the encounter was consensual, adding that no charges were filed. The president-elect’s transition team was unaware of the circumstances or the 2017 police report before announcing Hegseth’s appointment. Trump thus far is backing him.
Graphic details from a 22-page police report, released late Wednesday under a public records request, nudged some GOP senators to tell reporters Thursday they want to examine known facts and explore why no charges were filed. Other Republican senators offered support for Hegseth and appeared to believe he could corral the necessary votes.
The president-elect’s messy early moves have shifted GOP senators’ attention, reports The Hill’s Al Weaver. Republicans in the Capitol want to concentrate on a policy agenda next year. Confirmation battles on the sidelines could take months. Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, tapped to oversee national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former Democrat chosen by Trump to lead the Health and Human Services Department, are contending with influential detractors. Education secretary-designee Linda McMahon, who ran World Wrestling Entertainment for years, was accused in a sexual abuse lawsuit of not preventing victimization of children by an employee.
For a host of reasons, Gaetz’s exit Thursday was greeted with relief.
SMART TAKE FROM THE HILL’S BOB CUSACK:
That was quick.
Having no chance of being confirmed, Gaetz on Thursday withdrew as Trump’s attorney general nominee. It was just eight days ago that Trump announced the Gaetz bombshell.
Why did Trump nominate such a controversial figure for such an important position? Was it a shiny object meant to distract from other controversial nominees such as Hegseth, Kennedy and Gabbard? Perhaps, but it’s unclear if such a strategy will work — especially after such a quick withdrawal.
More questions linger. Will Gaetz, who resigned from this Congress, serve in the next one? He did, after all, win his reelection race earlier this month. Yet, if he does, the House Ethics Committee would release its long-awaited report on him. That could lead to expulsion from the lower chamber.
Who does Trump turn to next to lead the Department of Justice? It has to be a Trump loyalist and one who can attract a majority of votes in the Senate. It was obvious that Gaetz was never going to be confirmed. In his statement announcing the withdrawal, the former lawmaker claimed his nomination had strong “momentum.” That’s one of the most ridiculous — and hilarious — comments of the year.
3 THINGS TO KNOW TODAY:
▪ Here’s why Trump and his incoming team are expected to take aim at legal immigration.
▪ What’s the potential for national book ban legislation?
▪ Bluesky, an alternative social media platform to X, received a wave of serious attention with nearly 1 million users signing up daily over the past week.
LEADING THE DAY
© The Associated Press | J. Scott Applewhite
RECESS APPOINTMENTS: GOP senators are pouring cold water on the idea that Trump can force the Senate into a recess to appoint Cabinet nominees, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said he doesn’t think the Constitution’s Article II gives a president the authority to force the Senate — or the House, for that matter — to take a recess.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “The separations of powers doctrine is pretty fundamental: Three coequal branches of government. One branch can’t commandeer the other two. I think that would be the outcome.”
That means Trump’s controversial Cabinet will all be headed to the floor at some point, if they survive their confirmation hearings in committee. While Gaetz’s nomination proved so controversial he withdrew, some of Trump’s other picks are finding favor among Senate Republicans.
The Hill’s Weaver and Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech report Republicans in the upper chamber are signaling that they are open to Kennedy’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services despite his long-standing stance in favor of abortion rights. But Senate Republicans indicate that they could end up backing the pick largely out of deference to Trump.
“Donald Trump was elected to shake up things [from] Washington business as usual, and I think that’s the type of nominees he’s picking,” said Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “President Trump is pro-life, so I don’t think there’ll be any question with those who ultimately affect policy.”
The Wall Street Journal: Treasury nominee? Trump is considering financier Kevin Warsh and mulling him as an option for Federal Reserve chair in 2026.
PRO-UKRAINE LAWMAKERS are working to get key provisions surrounding U.S. support for Kyiv passed into law by the end of this congressional term, an effort to safeguard assistance that is under threat in a transition to a Trump administration. If passed into law, the bipartisan bill would help lay out long-term U.S. military and economic support for Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia.
But the path to passage is unclear and time is running out, The Hill’s Laura Kelly reports. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), one of the measure’s Senate sponsors, said passage could help put Ukraine in a better negotiating position with Russia, demonstrating bipartisan backing from the U.S. Congress.
“If there are negotiations, as President-elect Trump has said there should be, then Ukraine’s position at the bargaining table should be one of strength as a result of gains on the battlefield and also support in Congress, so I think that kind of measure from Congress could be very important,” he said.
FARM BILL: House Republicans rejected the Senate’s farm bill proposal by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) this week, increasing the likelihood that lawmakers will pass another one-year extension of the 2018 legislation by the end of the year rather than passing a new measure. A source in Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) office confirmed this week that the GOP-controlled House plans to seek an extension rather than pursuing a new measure after months of gridlock, writes The Hill’s Zack Budryk. The legislation, which has long underpinned the country’s agricultural sector and food aid programs, is typically passed in five-year increments, but lawmakers similarly punted on passing a new bill at the end of last year.
The Hill: A hearing in the Senate on global threats was postponed on Thursday after FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas declined to give testimony.
WHERE AND WHEN
- The House will meet at 1 p.m. The Senate will convene at noon.
- The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 10 a.m. Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host a dinner on the South Lawn at 6:30 p.m.
- Vice President Harris is in Hawaii and has no public events.
ZOOM IN
© The Associated Press | Chris Carlson
In North Carolina, a measure to significantly restrict the governor’s office could further reduce the power of the incoming Democratic governor before he even takes office. The legislation, which has passed the state Legislature, would direct some funding to disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene but also limit the authority of offices to be controlled by Democrats in the new year. The timing is critical with a current GOP supermajority in the Legislature that will be broken up come January.
But an override of a likely veto from outgoing Gov. Roy Cooper (D) doesn’t seem to be a sure thing, as a few Republicans opposed the measure. Cooper is opposed to the legislation, reportedly accusing legislators of trying to use “financial crumbs to cover for massive power grabs.” But one complication for Cooper’s ability to veto the bill is that he was out of state as of Wednesday to present a request in Washington, D.C., for federal aid to help with hurricane recovery. The Hill’s Jared Gans breaks down five things to know about the legislation.
In Pennsylvania on Thursday, Sen. Bob Casey (D) conceded the Senate race to his Republican opponent, David McCormick, weeks after voting ended in the too-close-to-call contest. Casey said in a video that he called McCormick to congratulate him.
In Alaska, Republican Nick Begich III won the state’s sole House seat, flipping it from Democratic to Republican control. Begich defeated Rep. Mary Peltola (D), who first won the seat in a special election in 2022 after the death of longtime Rep. Don Young (R).
In Georgia, Republican Attorney General Chris Carr on Thursday became the first candidate to enter the 2026 governor’s race, seeking to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Brian Kemp. Other contenders are expected to jump into the contest.
ELSEWHERE
© The Associated Press | Ohad Zwigenberg
ISRAEL: The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. An arrest warrant was also issued for a Hamas leader commonly known as Mohammed Deif who is presumed dead. The ICC warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, first filed in May, accuse the Israeli officials of using starvation as a method of warfare and committing crimes against humanity, including murder and persecution, as well as intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population in Gaza.
The judges focused on efforts to block humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law. They said Israel has insufficiently allowed aid into Gaza, and has often only eased up after pressure from the international community. The arrest warrants will make it much more difficult for Netanyahu to travel; 124 countries have signed the Rome Statute to join the ICC and would be obligated to arrest the Israeli prime minister. The U.S. is not a party to the ICC.
In a statement, Netanyahu’s office rebuked the charges and slammed the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, labeling him as a “corrupt chief prosecutor” who is “motivated by antisemitic hatred of Israel.”
Biden on Thursday characterized the arrest warrants as “outrageous” in a statement.
“Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security,” Biden said.
▪ CNN: Netanyahu offers $5 million and safe passage out of Gaza to anyone returning a hostage.
▪ CBS News: Israel stands by as aid convoys come under attack in Gaza.
▪ NBC News: New details emerge about the Netanyahu aide accused of leaking Hamas documents to the press.
RUSSIAN ICBM? Russia did not fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukraine on Thursday, a military officer with knowledge of the matter told NBC News, disputing a claim by Kyiv. Ukraine accused Moscow of launching the ICBM at the eastern city of Dnipro in an overnight attack. It would have marked the first recorded use of an ICBM in an active conflict.
U.S. officials said the weapon was actually an experimental intermediate range ballistic missile. The missile’s alleged deployment comes two days after Ukrainian forces used their first long-range U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike Russian soil.
The New York Times: Brazilian authorities announced Thursday they are recommending criminal charges against former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro over his role in a coup plot to remain in power after he lost the 2022 presidential election.
OPINION
■ Can the Senate survive Trump? by Frank Bruni, columnist, The New York Times.
■ Tariffs: A trade tool that’s losing its mojo, by Wendy Cutler, opinion contributor, The Hill.
THE CLOSER
© The Associated Press | Doug Mills, The New York Times
And finally … 👏👏👏 Congratulations to the winners of this week’s Morning Report Quiz! Readers put their knowledge on display about Senate confirmation battles of old.
Here’s who went 4/4: Thomas Fischer, Robert Bradley, Lori Benso, Greg Simbeck, Peter Sprofera, William Chittam, Mark Roeddiger, Rick Schmidtke, Jack Barshay, Terry Pflaumer, Richard E. Baznik, Sari Wisch, Susan Reeves, Harry Strulovici, Phil Kirstein, Lou Tisler, Lynn Gardner, Joan Domingues, Mark R. Williamson, Lina L. Field, Luther Berg, Steve James, Savannah Petracca, Carmine Petracca and Stan Wasser.
They knew that Lewis Strauss, nominee to be Commerce secretary in 1959, was rejected by the Senate after a prolonged confirmation battle. Strauss, portrayed as a villain, was woven into the 2023 film “Oppenheimer.”
In 1989, the Senate voted to reject John Tower, a former senator and nominee to be Defense secretary, based on claims of womanizing, alcohol abuse and conflicts of interest. Thus, the answer we looked for was “all of the above.”
In 1997, former President Clinton withdrew his nomination of Hershel Gober to be secretary of Veterans Affairs amid Senate committee headwinds about an accusation of sexual misconduct, although Gober continued to serve with distinction in an acting capacity.
Trump appointee John Ratcliffe, tapped to lead the CIA, ran the nomination gauntlet with Trump twice during his first term before the Senate voted to confirm him in 2020 as director of national intelligence.
Stay Engaged
We want to hear from you! Email: Alexis Simendinger (asimendinger@thehill.com) and Kristina Karisch (kkarisch@thehill.com). Follow us on social platform X: (@asimendinger and @kristinakarisch) and suggest this newsletter to friends!
