Donald Trump has been riding high since his decisive win over Kamala Harris, working at a breakneck pace to name loyalists to top jobs in his incoming administration while basking in the glow of his victory.
Last weekend, the president-elect received a hero’s welcome from the crowd at a packed UFC fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Earlier this week, he flew to Brownsville, Texas, to watch a SpaceX Starship rocket launch with billionaire confidant Elon Musk.
But by the end of the week, the party was over. Former congressman and Trump loyalist Matt Gaetz on Thursday afternoon withdrew his name for consideration to become US attorney-general amid swirling allegations of sexual misconduct and a growing sense on Capitol Hill that he would not make it through a gruelling Senate confirmation process.