A Rare Setback for Trump

In a somewhat surprising announcement today, Matt Gaetz said that he is withdrawing his name from consideration for attorney general in President-elect Trump’s second term.

According to Axios, Gaetz’s former congressional colleagues, in both parties, raised a collective cheer as Gaetz’s decision spares the House from a brutal fight over an Ethics Committee report on him and the Senate from an even bloodier battle over his nomination.

One House Republican predicted that Gaetz’s withdrawal is “indicative of what will happen with the other 3 problem nominees.”

• Those three: Pete Hegseth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, the nominees for defense secretary, health and human services secretary and director of national intelligence, respectively.
• The lawmaker also forecast that Gaetz will have a “significant position” in the Trump administration that will not require Senate confirmation.”

Rather than pondering what the future of Matt Gaetz might hold, I think a more interesting observation is that Trump DIDN’T get what he wanted from republicans in congress. It’s a rare setback for the man who basically remade the GOP in his own image over the past few years.

We’re left to wonder if at least some republicans in congress do, after all, have a backbone and are willing to stand up to some of Trump’s more extreme actions. Or, more likely, if this is simply an outlier, and that congress will soon capitulate to Trump on the next nominee.

Because if there’s one thing we know, whoever Trump nominates next for Attorney General will ALSO be a hardcore Trump loyalist. They may or may not have the same baggage as Matt Gaetz, but they will be every bit as committed to the Trump agenda, which includes retribution.

And, indeed, as I’m making this video, Trump just announced that he’s chosen Pam Bondi as the next Attorney General of the United States. Bondi is a former Florida attorney general and a longtime Trump ally who led the America First Policy Institute.

Trump’s selection of Matt Gaetz and now Pam Bondi reveals his obvious preoccupation with loyalty above anything else, and also brings up another point I wanted to make today, which is how many Christians seem to not fully understand the ramifications involved here.

Trump viewing loyalty as being more important than capability, or integrity, or any policy position, means that he doesn’t REALLY care about Christianity, or Israel, or even America. What he truly cares about is being surrounded by those who are loyal to him and who will praise him.

In his heart of hearts, Trump is Trump First. Things such as the MAGA movement, or being a friend to Israel, or seemingly defending Christianity, are only good up until the point that they don’t conflict with his Trump First agenda.

This means that as long as Christians are loyal to Trump, and as long as Christians praise Trump, then all is well. Trump will also be loyal to us.

But the time is coming when all Christians will have to choose between praising Donald Trump or praising Jesus Christ.

And with the way things are going on right now within our churches, many Christians are going to choose Donald Trump. ♦