Playbook PM: Gaetz shows himself the door

Playbook PM: Gaetz shows himself the door Presented by THE CATCH-UP “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle,” Matt Gaetz said on X. | Francis Chung/POLITICO GAETZ CRASHER — MATT GAETZ has pulled out of contention to be AG, a major early blow to President-elect DONALD TRUMP’s effort to install firebrand outsiders in charge of key federal agencies. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle.” Though Trump tapped Gaetz to have a surefire loyalist leading a Justice Department he mistrusts, his history of personal scandals and federal investigation — culminating in this week’s controversy around the House Ethics Committee’s report — jeopardized his future nomination from the start. Defense nominee PETE HEGSETH — who, like Gaetz, denies any wrongdoing — got a positive reception from incoming Senate Majority Whip JOHN BARRASSO, who said in a statement today that Hegseth is a “strong nominee.” Though Gaetz and Hegseth have taken up a lot of oxygen, there’s also fresh scrutiny being applied to the records and stances of a panoply of other Trump selections: ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. for HHS secretary: CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski dug up old comments in which Kennedy called Trump a “threat to democracy,” said he plans to “destroy the climate” and compared him to ADOLF HITLER and BENITO MUSSOLINI. And more: Examinations of chief of staff SUSIE WILES’ experience as a lobbyist from AP’s Brian Slodysko, Joshua Goodman and Alan Suderman and NYT’s Kate Kelly and Ken Vogel … Reuters’ Alexandra Alper on China conflict-of-interest questions for Commerce secretary pick HOWARD LUTNICK … Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel on Qatar conflict-of-interest questions for special envoy to the Middle East pick STEVE WITKOFF BIG MEDIA MOVE — ELISABETH BUMILLER is leaving her role as Washington bureau chief for the NYT after nearly a decade, she announced.