Trump cut ties with Gaetz after Gaetz complained about the high political cost of defending him.

JD Vance, Stephen Miller, and other top advisers were present in the room with Donald Trump after he made calls to senators in an attempt to save Matt Gaetz's failing nomination.

He wasn’t having any luck.

The president-elect informed his inner circle that he was utilizing a significant amount of his political capital. However, he emphasized that he could only allocate it to a certain extent.

Trump learned the phrase from a lawmaker who directly informed him that there would be consequences if he continued to push for the ex-congressman as attorney general, given the ongoing allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.

"We're voting for you, Sir, but be mindful of the political capital you're using."

After Trump informed Gaetz that he didn't have the necessary votes, Gaetz withdrew. He subsequently chose Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and experienced prosecutor, to replace him. Despite being accused of sleeping with a 17-year-old girl, Gaetz maintains his innocence.

He withdrew 45 minutes after CNN announced it would report on a threesome allegation involving him, including an alleged incident with Jane Doe and an adult woman.

This year, Bondi became a registered lobbyist and headed the legal arm of a pro-Trump firm, having previously defended him at his first impeachment trial and shown partisan loyalty to him.

Insiders claim that Bondi won't blow up the Justice Department as Gaetz wanted, and instead respects the rule of law. She even hired the Democrat who ran against her for AG, who is now praising her. Despite her talk about prosecuting "bad" prosecutors, it's difficult to object to that.

The focus of scrutiny has shifted to Pete Hegseth's nomination to lead the Pentagon's global bureaucracy since Gaetz withdrew his candidacy.

Trump World believes that Hegseth, a decorated Army veteran, will likely be confirmed, despite frustration that he did not disclose to the transition team about paying off a woman who accused him of sexual assault and having her sign an NDA in a consensual encounter in California in 2017.

The transition team believes that Hegseth did not commit any illegal acts, he struck a deal with the accuser to save her marriage, and he did not seek medical attention for four days, all while keeping this matter private to avoid losing his job at Fox.

The GOP-controlled Senate can only reject one other nominee, and the transition gang is more concerned about Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. being confirmed.

Is Gabbard qualified to be director of national intelligence due to her lack of experience in that sensitive area, her meeting with Assad despite his human rights abuses, and her tendency to align with Putin's views?

There is growing unease about Kennedy's potential appointment as HHS secretary. Although he has some promising proposals, his history of infidelity is not the only concern. He frequently promotes conspiracy theories, such as the idea that vaccines cause autism, WiFi leads to cancer, and fluoride should be removed from water systems.

In 2020, he claimed that the federal government intentionally created the pandemic, which resulted in the deaths of 1.2 million Americans, a belief that is similar to the views of 9/11 truthers.

The media and Congressional Democrats are critical of RFK due to his pro-choice stance and perceived rogue behavior, which could jeopardize his nomination.

Trump's administration prioritizes his own nominations for Energy and HUD, assuming that the average voter is unfamiliar with most of his picks.

Insiders are aware of some Republican resentment towards the selection of pro-union Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Labor.

This modern era's Cabinet is the most ideologically diverse.

The lineup for Trump's cabinet includes Marco Rubio as secretary of State, current and former members of Congress, controversial picks such as Hegseth, Gabbard, and RFK, Dr. Oz to run Medicare and Medicaid, frequent Fox medical commentators Marty Makary to manage the FDA, and Janette Nesheiwat as surgeon general, both of whom are medical doctors. Additionally, Trump chose former congressman Dave Weldon to take over the CDC.

A CBS poll shows that 59% of people approve of how Trump is managing the transition process.

Leaks like this to the Washington Post were a result of the internal jockeying.

Boris Epshteyn, Donald Trump's attorney and adviser, arrived at Mar-a-Lago for a meeting about Cabinet picks but was blocked from entering the Tea Room.

According to a source, Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, informed Epshteyn in front of others that the meeting was not about legal nominees.

According to two sources, Epshteyn pushed Lutnick out of the way with his forearm and said, "I'm coming in," when Lutnick tried to stop him.

"Lutnick was brushed past by Epshteyn on his way into the meeting, as described by a third person."

The flood-the-zone approach deflected attention from the Gaetz fiasco and raised questions about incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles' level of influence. Unlike the conventional one-nominee-per-day approach, it muddied the focus on nominees who might have faced media criticism, such as Dr. Oz, who was frequently accused of promoting ineffective remedies on his TV show, because it was difficult to keep track of the overwhelming number of Trump picks.

So why did Trump pick Matt Gaetz in the first place?

The president-elect made a "screw-you" decision to the establishment during his impulsive move while on the plane with Wiles, which he knew would trigger a media firestorm.

Trump may have believed that Gaetz was unlikely to be confirmed, but it would be challenging to reject Bondi's backup nomination, given her qualifications.

Despite differing opinions, it is undeniable that Trump has handled the transition smoothly and has begun his presidency with success, except for a few instances.