The Morning: A loyalist

Plus, a Republican House, climate change and burgundy.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 14, 2024 By the staff of The Morning Good morning. Today, we're covering Trump's pick for attorney general — as well as a Republican House, climate change and burgundy. Representative Matt Gaetz Kenny Holston/The New York Times Picking Matt Gaetz Donald Trump has criticized the Justice Department for investigating him, vowed to fire career officials who resist his agenda and pledged to use the department to punish his political opponents. Yesterday, he picked a nominee for attorney general who would help him accomplish those goals: Representative Matt Gaetz. Gaetz, a Florida Republican, says Trump's ties to Russia should never have been investigated. He wants "the Biden crime family" to face justice. And he called nonpartisan D.O.J. officials whom he may soon oversee the "deep state." He has introduced legislation that would limit sentences for people who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 and suggested "abolishing every one of the three-letter agencies," including the F.B.I. Gaetz's confirmation is not a sure thing. Some Senate Republicans reacted with alarm to his nomination, and the hearings in the Senate could test how far they are willing to go in support of Trump's agenda. Gaetz was himself the subject of a Justice Department investigation into allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl and broke sex-trafficking laws, which concluded last year without charges. He also faced an ongoing House Ethics Committee inquiry. Gaetz has denied wrongdoing in both cases. Gaetz's chances Republicans will likely have a small majority in the Senate, 53-47. If no Democrats support Gaetz, Republicans can lose only three votes and still confirm him. Several Senate Republicans indicated yesterday that they were unsure about whether they would vote for Gaetz. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, expressed relief that the Senate had the ability to block Gaetz. "I was shocked by the announcement — that shows why the advise and consent process is so important," she said. "I don't think he's a serious candidate," Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, another moderate, said. Chuck Grassley of Iowa stopped answering reporters' questions about the nomination and stood silently for 30 seconds. John Cornyn of Texas raised his eyebrows and said, "I'm still trying to absorb all this." Joni Ernst of Iowa chuckled at the news, and said of Gaetz, "He's got his work really cut out for him." Gaetz in 2023. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Still, other Republican senators sounded open to supporting him. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, who last year accused Gaetz of showing House colleagues videos of "the girls that he had slept with," said yesterday that he trusted Trump's decision making. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a staunch Trump ally, called Gaetz smart and qualified. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee said Gaetz has "been on the receiving end of the D.O.J.'s weaponization" and called the department "in desperate need of reform." Trump "was elected to turn this place upside down," Roger Marshall of Kansas said. "Americans don't trust the Justice Department right now, and Matt has the talent to go in there and really make a difference." Gaetz has also made enemies. He led the effort to unseat Kevin McCarthy as House speaker last year. (Some of Gaetz's House colleagues gasped when they learned of his nomination, CNN reported.) Gaetz also celebrated Mitch McConnell's decision to step down as the Senate Republican leader; McConnell will now have to choose whether to vote to confirm Gaetz. Trump has demanded that Senate Republicans recess the chamber so that he can make appointments without their votes. "This parade of loyalists is Mr. Trump's first show of force to Senate Republicans, who will be under immense pressure to either confirm his nominee or sidestep that process altogether," our colleague Katie Rogers writes. Confirming Gaetz could also further narrow Republicans' majority in the House, making it harder for them to pass legislation. The party has officially clinched House control, but by a slim margin. Gaetz preemptively resigned from Congress yesterday to give Republicans a chance to quickly fill his seat in a special election. Gaetz's investigations In 2020, toward the end of Trump's first term, the Justice Department and the F.B.I. opened an investigation into claims that Gaetz was involved several years earlier with a girl who was 17 at the time. Investigators sought to determine whether Gaetz had paid for sex in violation of federal sex-trafficking laws. Prosecutors ultimately concluded that their case wasn't strong enough and decided not to charge him. Gaetz says he did nothing wrong. Gaetz has also been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee since 2021. In that case, House investigators looked into allegations including sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, sharing inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misusing state identification records and converting campaign funds to personal use. The ethics committee had been planning to release a critical report this week, but Gaetz's resignation effectively ends the investigation and it's unclear whether the findings will become public. More on the House Trump now has a Republican Congress to enact his agenda. The party protected vulnerable incumbents and picked off Democrats in competitive districts to retain the House. Republicans ran a dysfunctional House for the last two years. Voters shrugged and re-elected them, Annie Karni writes. More Trump appointments Tulsi Gabbard Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat turned Republican who represented Hawaii in the House, is Trump's nominee to be the director of national intelligence. Gabbard criticized Barack Obama's policy on Syria and has met with Bashar al-Assad, its dictator. Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host Trump has picked to lead the Pentagon, has said that women should not serve in combat roles and defended service members accused of war crimes. Trump's foreign-policy nominees are staunchly pro-Israel. Some of his Arab American supporters, who broke with Democrats over the war in Gaza, are expressing dismay. Commentary "Demanding Senate Republicans back Gaetz as attorney general and Hegseth as defense secretary is the 2024 version of forcing Sean Spicer to say it was the largest inauguration crowd ever," Ezra Klein of Times Opinion writes. "These aren't just appointments. They're loyalty tests." Marc Thiessen, a Washington Post columnist, called the Gaetz pick "a huge unforced error" and expressed doubt that he would be confirmed. "As someone who wants Trump to succeed, this is not the way to do it." "Trump did mean what he said," David French of Times Opinion argues. "He is going to govern with a sense of vengeance, and personal loyalty really is the coin of his realm." The New York Post's editorial board praised Trump's other nominees but criticized the Gaetz choice as "not a good look." Megyn Kelly, who endorsed Trump, wrote that the president-elect's first-term experiences with the Justice Department explain why he "might prefer loyalty/trust above all else" in an attorney general. THE LATEST NEWS More on the Trump Administration In the Oval Office.  Doug Mills/The New York Times Biden welcomed Trump to the Oval Office, pledging a smooth transition. "Politics is tough, and it's in many cases not a very nice world," Trump said. "But it is a nice world today and I appreciate very much a transition that's so smooth." Biden and Trump shook hands on camera before meeting behind closed doors for two hours. "Rough day," a White House aide texted a Times reporter. Melania Trump declined Jill Biden's invitation to visit the White House with her husband, a tradition for first ladies. Senate Republicans chose John Thune of South Dakota, an institutionalist, to replace Mitch McConnell as leader. Trump's allies had preferred Rick Scott of Florida. Trump met with House Republicans and joked about serving a third term, which the Constitution prohibits. "I suspect I won't be running again unless you say, 'He's so good we've got to figure something else out,'" he said. Jack Smith, the special counsel who charged Trump over Jan. 6 and for taking classified documents, plans to resign before Biden departs. Trump had pledged to fire him. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Trump's fast-food diet "poison." A Proud Boys leader who was convicted last year of seditious conspiracy for his role on Jan. 6 asked Trump for a pardon. More on Politics Eric Hovde, the Republican who lost his bid for Senate in Wisconsin, falsely claimed that "inconsistencies" had tainted the vote. The Pennsylvania Senate race will go to a recount. David McCormick, a Republican, narrowly leads Bob Casey, the Democratic incumbent, with more than 80,000 votes still outstanding. Two Democratic governors with national ambitions, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Jared Polis of Colorado, formed a group meant to help blue states oppose Trump's policies. Republicans' views of the economy's strength have soared since Trump won, while Democrats' have dipped. International A Ukrainian soldier. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Ukraine is preparing for potential cease-fire talks with Russia, which Trump has pushed for. Kyiv's priority is protection against future Russian aggression. In China, a man plowed an S.U.V. into a crowd, killing at least 35 people. Now, officials are clearing bouquets of flowers and working to make it seem as if nothing happened. Notre Dame cathedral is preparing to reopen. New York City New York's governor will revive the congestion-pricing plan she shelved, but with a lower toll. She hopes to implement the system before Trump, who vowed to kill it, takes office. The New York City Council passed a bill that makes landlords, not renters, pay brokers' fees on new rentals. (That's the norm in most other cities.) Other Big Stories Countries have largely failed to curb their greenhouse gas emissions over the past year. The planet is on track for dangerous levels of warming this century, according to a new report. Inflation increased slightly. Analysts said it was a sign that the Fed's work to cool prices wasn't over, though it "could have been worse." Tesla recalled the Cybertruck for the sixth time this year — this time because of a defect that prevents it from accelerating. Opinions Trump's craziness and bold style could capitalize on China's vulnerabilities and secure lasting advantages for the U.S. economy, Craig Singleton writes. Here are columns by Pamela Paul on transgender issues and Thomas Edsall on Trump's voter coalition. MORNING READS Enzo the Shih Tzu. Olivia Caputo Dog mayor: Did a fun contest involving cute dogs turn into a cryptocurrency scheme? Competitive friendship: A London exhibition shows how three great artists, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael, circled one another as rivals and role models. Privacy: Constant location sharing makes us miserable, The Washington Post writes. It's fine to say no. Lives Lived: Theodore Olson was a Supreme Court litigator who built a reputation as a conservative but surprised colleagues and foes alike by taking up liberal causes like gay marriage and amnesty for the children of undocumented immigrants. He died at 84. SPORTS N.B.A.: The Spurs center Victor Wembanyama scored 50 points in a game against the Wizards. He's the fourth-youngest player in league history to score that. College football: Colorado's coach, Deion Sanders, said he would intervene if the "wrong" team selected his son, Shedeur Sanders, in the N.F.L. Draft. ARTS AND IDEAS Clockwise from left, Raymond Hall/GC Images; The Frankie Shop; Nordstrom; Ssense; Nordstrom Lots of people want to wear burgundy — on their bodies, nails and feet. Online searches for items like burgundy loafers, kitten heels and leather jackets have spiked in 2024, according to Google metrics. Read more about the trend. More on culture A Facebook page has become popular for sharing photos of what people call "death stairs." See some of them. Phillip Lim is leaving his namesake brand, The Cut reports. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … David Malosh for The New York Times Crumble fried sage leaves over this fried chicken. Decorate your Christmas tree like a pro. Keep your chips crispy. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was dormitory. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? 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