Fox News host on Cabinet picks: Even Trump must be thinking, ‘Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea’

Controversy surrounding the elected president Donald TrumpThe choice to be the next attorney general has the host of Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” questioning whether the fight is worth continuing.

Trump’s transition has been boosted by his running mate, former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, amid allegations of sexual misconduct that could derail Gaetz’s hopes of becoming the nation’s top law enforcement officer.

“Trump’s transition team – you look at the big screen – no, you know, there are no headlines like that about any of the ones you see around Matt Gaetz, and there’s a constant drip-drip-drip every day of some new discovery,” said on Thursday, hosted by Steve Doocy. “The Trump team needs to think, you know, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. We don’t want to spin our wheels.”

House Ethics Committee Republicans voted against making public Wednesday the panel’s years-long investigation into Gatz.

The result, however, is only a temporary reprieve. They will meet again on December 5 to reconsider publishing their findings.

The standoff comes as Trump and Gaetz prepare for a potentially lengthy and bitter confirmation fight. Gaetz met privately for several hours Wednesday with Republican senators, who heard questions about the allegations and will count their votes on his nomination.

A federal sex trafficking investigation launched under Attorney General Bill Barr during Trump’s first term has focused on allegations that Gaetz and former political ally Joel Greenberg paid or offered gifts to underage girls and escorts in exchange for sex.

Greenberg, a fellow Republican who worked as Florida’s Seminole County tax collector, admitted in 2021 as part of a plea deal with prosecutors that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. At the end of 2022, Greenberg was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Gaetz has long denied the mounting allegations against him.

Not all Fox & Friends hosts agreed with Doocy.

“If they can feel like they can live with it, then … whatever their ethical revelations are, and he gets in front of people, he’s such a powerful communicator,” Brian Kilmeade said. “And if he could tone it down and say this is the old me, I would be the troublemaker in the house. But I’m going to address the Department of Justice as follows. It might make people stop and say, “Maybe people could have a different approach to other work.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.