How Congress' balance of power continues to shift



Just months into the 119th Congress, the balance of partisan power continues to shift within historically narrow margins.

Although Republicans held on to their House majority, Democrats managed to flip nine seats, while Republicans flipped eight seats, narrowing their advantage. The GOP also took a hit when several members of the Republican conference, such as former Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, were tapped to serve in President Donald Trump's administration.

With multiple vacancies and several special elections, the House's partisan split continues to fluctuate, and every seat counts.

Former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida was also initially recruited to head the Department of Justice, although he eventually dropped his bid and announced that he would not return to serve in the 119th Congress.

These vacancies leave Johnson with just a one-seat majority, requiring Republicans to vote in lockstep for every partisan vote.

To fill the Floridians' vacancies, the state will hold a special election on April 1. While both seats are expected to be filled by Republicans, Johnson is bracing himself for another vacancy in New York once the Senate confirms Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as U.N. ambassador. As a result, Republicans have made an effort to prolong Stefanik's confirmation, given how valuable her vote is in the House.

Once Stefanik does vacate her seat, Republicans will have a challenging time replacing her. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York reportedly plans on slow-walking the special election to fill Stefanik's seat, prolonging Republicans' narrow majority.

On the other hand, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas is also tasked with replacing Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner after he passed away on March 5 at the age of 70.

With multiple vacancies and several special elections, the House's partisan split continues to fluctuate, and every seat counts.

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‘This Is A No-Brainer’: Chris Cuomo Hails Pam Bondi’s ‘Intelligent’ Pause Of Funding To Sanctuary Cities

'She’s a good lawyer'

Pam Bondi Overcomes Dem Opposition, Wins Confirmation To Lead Trump’s DOJ

'Bondi was widely praised for her performance'

Senate Dems Praise Bondi's 'Competence,' Pivot to Attacking Trump During Contentious Confirmation Hearing

Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi vowed to rid the Department of Justice of "partisan weaponization" during a fiery Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, which saw Democrats acknowledge Bondi's "competence" and "relevant experience," instead turning their ire to President-elect Donald Trump.

The post Senate Dems Praise Bondi's 'Competence,' Pivot to Attacking Trump During Contentious Confirmation Hearing appeared first on .

Florida State Attorney Reveals Whether He Believes Matt Gaetz Will Face Charges Following House Ethics Report

'I don’t anticipate there will be criminal charges'

‘A Dangerous Departure’: Republican Lawmakers Dissent From Release Of Matt Gaetz Ethics Probe Findings

'A dangerous departure with potentially catastrophic consequences'

Matt Gaetz's ethics report may not be the bombshell Democrats were hoping for



The House Ethics Committee released the long-anticipated report on former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida on Monday.

Many thought the report would be damning. However, Gaetz has already been investigated for all the allegations detailed in the report and was never charged by the Biden-Harris Department of Justice. Through it all, Gaetz has stood firm and denied all allegations against him.

"The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes," Gaetz said in a post on X ahead of the report's release. "I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me."

"Then, the very 'witnesses' DOJ deemed not-credible were assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims absent any cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorneys," Gaetz continued. "I've had no chance to ever confront any accusers. I've never been charged. I've never been sued. Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body."

The report's most incendiary finding was that Gaetz allegedly slept with a 17-year-old girl in 2017 and paid multiple women for what they claim were sexual encounters, all while he was a member of the House.

Gaetz again firmly denied these allegations, noting that they were never brought against him in court and that he was never charged.

"In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated - even some I never dated but who asked," Gaetz said. "I dated several of these women for years."

"I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18," Gaetz continued. "Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court - which is why no such claim was ever made in court."

After Gaetz resigned from the House in November, the committee deliberated on whether to release the report since it was no longer within its jurisdiction. Although it is not regular practice to release reports on former members and despite Speaker Mike Johnson's defense of Gaetz, the committee voted to release the report anyway.

"My 30's were an era of working very hard - and playing hard too," Gaetz said. "It's embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now."

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Gaetz gets ahead of ethics report release with admission about his 'single days'



Republicans on the House Ethics Committee voted last month to block the results of the panel's investigation into former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, which apparently detail claims that Gaetz had sex with a minor and engaged in illicit drug use. On Dec. 5, House Republicans spiked a Democratic-pushed resolution to release the report. That same day, the committee indicated it had resumed discussions of "the matter of Representative Matt Gaetz."

Unnamed sources told CNN and confirmed to The Hill this week that the House Ethics Committee ultimately voted in secret to release the report before year's end.

In an apparent attempt to get ahead of the release, Gaetz issued a statement on X Wednesday providing some context for what the American people might read about him in the days to come as well as about the alleged nature of the people who conducted the investigation.

"The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes," wrote Gaetz, who was briefly President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the Justice Department. "I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me."

'I probably partied, womanized, drank, and smoked more than I should have earlier in life.'

"Then, the very 'witnesses' DOJ deemed not-credible were assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims absent any cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorneys. I've had no chance to ever confront any accusers. I've never been charged. I've never been sued," continued the former Florida congressman. "Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body."

The committee's ultimate decision to release the report means one or more Republican members would have needed to flip. The Republican members of the committee are as follows: Reps. Michael Guest (Miss.), David Joyce (Ohio), John Rutherford (Fla.), Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.), and Michelle Fischbach (Minn.).

The committee did not respond to CNN's request for comment. Rep. Guest confirmed to The Hill that the committee held its final meeting of the 118th Congress last week but did not divulge what they discussed.

"In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated — even some I never dated but who asked. I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18," Gaetz said in his statement. "Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court — which is why no such claim was ever made in court."

Gaetz continued, writing, "My 30s were an era of working very hard — and playing hard too. It's embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank, and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now."

The former congressman added, "But at least I didn't vote for CRs that f*** over the country!"

After Trump announced on Nov. 13 that he wanted Gaetz to replace Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Florida Republican resigned from Congress. Some of Gaetz's colleagues reportedly speculated that his resignation had something to do with the Ethics Committee's report. After all, the panel lacks jurisdiction over former members and even CNN admitted it is "exceedingly rare" for such a report to be released after a House member's departure.

Less than two weeks after Gaetz's resignation, he withdrew from his AG nomination, noting that "it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the crucial work of the Trump/Vance Transition."

The report will likely be made public later this week.

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Trump warns GOP senators who withhold support from nominees



President-elect Donald Trump delivered a message to Senate Republicans who may have reservations about his federal and Cabinet nominations.

In recent weeks, Trump's nominees have headed to the Hill to meet with senators ahead of their confirmations. While several nominees are expected to cruise through their Senate confirmations, others have been met with pushback. As a result, Trump cautioned senators against striking down his nominees, predicting that they would "probably be primaried" as a result.

Although Trump's nominees have been gaining momentum, Republicans hold a very narrow advantage in the upcoming Congress, which could pose a challenge.

"If they're unreasonable, if they are opposing somebody for political reasons or stupid reasons, I would say, and it has nothing to do with me, I would say they probably would be primaried," Trump said during the press conference. "But if they're reasonable, fair, and really disagree with something or somebody, I could see that happening."

"I think we have great people. I think we have a great group of people," Trump added.

Since his landslide electoral victory in November, Trump has hit the ground running with nominations. One nominee who dominated the news cycle was former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida for attorney general. Gaetz, who has been a staunch ally of Trump throughout his political career, quickly eclipsed all other news events during the two weeks he was in the running for attorney general.

This nomination was also met with public and private pushback from Republican senators who had reservations about the Florida firebrand. Consequently, Gaetz withdrew his bid, claiming that he had become an unnecessary "distraction" for the Trump transition team.

Trump later nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who he says has received sweeping support from Senate Republicans.

"Pam has been unbelievably received," Trump said of his attorney general nominee.

After Gaetz withdrew, Trump's nominee to head the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, quickly became the subject of scrutiny throughout the week he spent meeting with senators. Notably, Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa actively lobbied against Hegseth's nomination, multiple sources close to the Senate confirmed to Blaze News.

As a result, Trump's allies launched a pressure campaign against Ernst, who is up for re-election in 2026. Following the backlash, Ersnt met with Hegseth for a second time and publicly supported his nomination.

"I think Pete Hegseth is making tremendous strides over the last week," Trump said of the nominee.

Although Trump's nominees have been gaining momentum, Republicans hold a very narrow advantage in the upcoming Congress, which could pose a challenge.

Republicans flipped Senate seats in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Montana, putting the GOP at 53 seats. Since Senate confirmations require a simple majority, each nominee can afford to lose only three Republican votes, assuming that Vice President-elect JD Vance participates as a potential tiebreaker.

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Matt Gaetz to host his own TV show



After resigning from the House in November, former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida is now poised to anchor his own show on One America News Network.

The Florida firebrand's upcoming show was advertised Monday night with a promotional "coming soon" graphic on OAN's website. Gaetz's wife, Ginger Gaetz, clarified in a Tuesday post on X that the show will be launching in January.

"I could not be more excited to join the One America News family," Gaetz said on Tuesday. "The best reporting, the best analysis, and the most in-depth coverage of the Trump administration is gonna come from our team."

"I've got the sources, I've got the insights, and there is such a spirit of optimism to unlock the opportunity of America," Gaetz continued. "There's no place that's gonna cover it better than One America News."

Gaetz resigned from the House after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to serve as attorney general in the upcoming administration. Gaetz withdrew his bid less than two weeks after his nomination, arguing that he was "unfairly becoming a distraction" for the Trump transition team.

Following his withdrawal, Gaetz confirmed that he would not return to serve in the 119th Congress, leaving his professional prospects in limbo.

"While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the crucial 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 continued. "I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I'm certain he will Save America."

Trump later nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has since spent time on the Senate side garnering support ahead of her confirmation hearing.

Following his withdrawal, Gaetz confirmed that he would not return to serve in the 119th Congress, leaving his professional prospects in limbo.

Gaetz resigned just days before a highly anticipated report from the ethics committee was set to go public. The report addresses allegations of illicit drug use and sexual misconduct with a minor, all of which he has vehemently denied.

The ethics committee has continued to hold meetings and deliberate the release of the report despite Gaetz no longer being a member of Congress.

House Democrats proposed a resolution to release the ethics report in early December, but it was promptly struck down by Republicans.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also argued against releasing the ethics report.

"I do not believe that that is an appropriate thing," Johnson said. "It doesn't follow our rules and traditions, and there is a reason for that. That would open up Pandora's box, and I don't think that's a healthy thing for the institution."

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