Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Matt Gaetz is no longer in the running for Attorney General.
On Thursday, the now-former U.S. Representative announced he was withdrawing his name from consideration to avoid becoming a “distraction” to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz said in a post on X.
“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus, I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”
Gaetz’s nomination was controversial from the start. While the Trump faithful ardently supported the Panhandle Republican’s nomination, the incoming President’s pick fell flat with GOP Senators on the moderate end of the party’s spectrum.
Whether their hesitance was due to the optics or their moral compasses, there was enough wobble in the Republican caucus that the outcome of a potential confirmation vote was uncertain.
Gaetz may have weighed the risks and judged it a bad bet, too. Leaks about his alleged improprieties have gotten more salacious — and more concrete — since Trump announced his nomination. If he pressed forward, the rumbling might have boiled over and kneecapped the 42-year-old’s future political future.
What that future will be isn’t clear. Gaetz is rumored to have his eye on the Governor’s mansion in 2026. Some have floated the idea of him subbing in for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio once he’s confirmed as Secretary of State. However, the incoming President’s daughter-in-law, RNC co-Chair Lara Trump, already has a long line of supporters pushing for her to get the job.
Evening Reads
—“Key to Donald Trump’s win: Heavy losses for Kamala Harris across the map” via Ashley Wu, Lazaro Gamio, Robert Gebeloff, Elena Shao and Michael C. Bender of The New York Times
—”Trump’s first defeat” via David A. Graham of The Atlantic
—”Florida politicos react to Matt Gaetz withdrawing from Attorney General consideration” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics
—“Federal inquiry traced payments from Gaetz to women” via Michael S. Schmidt of The New York Times
—“The ‘real’ reason Gaetz dropped out” via Chris Cillizza of So What
—“Elon Musk’s budget crusade could cause a constitutional clash in Trump’s second term” via Chris Megerian of The Associated Press
—“Was it all a joke? How stand-up comedy helped re-elect Trump” via Joseph Krauss of The Associated Press
—“Amazon and SpaceX aim to defang the federal Labor Board. Trump may help.” via Caroline O’Donovan and Lauren Kaori Gurley of The Washington Post
—”How Froot Loops landed at the center of U.S. food politics” via Jesse Newman of The Wall Street Journal
—“The untold benefits of electric school buses in North Carolina” via Mary Linn and Chelsea Lyons for Southeast Politics
Quote of the Day
“Something tells me we haven’t heard the last of Matt Gaetz.”
— U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, reacting to Gaetz’s announcement.
Put it on the Tab
Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.
Matt Gaetz isn’t in the running for Attorney General … or anything else at the moment. A Hard Shake should help him get over the tough break.
Mercury Public Affairs has acquired Chicago-based Serafin & Associates to expand its footprint in the Midwest. While a bunch of fancy drinks fit the occasion, we’re sticking with the tried-and-true Combo.
Raise a Hofbräu in salute to the state’s economy. Yes, this beer is only a three percenter, but so is Florida’s unemployment rate and we can’t complain about that.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Gators host Ole Miss Saturday
After the best win of the season, the Florida Gators face #9 Ole Miss in Gainesville on Saturday (noon ET, ABC).
Florida (5-5) topped LSU last week 27-16 as quarterback DJ Lagway returned to the lineup. The freshman threw for 226 yards and a touchdown, leading the Gators to a win over a ranked team for the first time this season.
With one game remaining on the schedule after this week, next week’s rivalry game at Florida State, the Gators need at least one more win to qualify for a bowl game.
Ole Miss (8-2) is likely to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff if they win out. They have been led by quarterback Jaxson Dart, who is closing in on the school’s career passing record. Dart needs 372 to pass Eli Manning’s career mark of 10,119 passing yards. Dart will get some help this week as his top receiver, Tre Harris, is expected to return to the lineup after missing three games with a lower-body injury. Harris has caught 59 passes for 987 yards and six touchdowns this season despite missing the last three Ole Miss contests.
The game is the 26th meeting all-time between the two programs, with each team winning 12 with one tie.
___
Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
