Trump Doesn’t Have a Mandate for Chaos

You can already feel the shock of Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Matt Gaetz to head the Justice Department wearing off.

Maybe the most hated man in Congress — a figure who is uniquely saddled with ethical scandals himself — Gaetz is just the latest wrecking ball in human form to get Trump’s nod for a cabinet post. Tulsi Gabbard, with her naïve credulousness about even the most outlandish anti-American narratives spread by America’s enemies, is another. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be next. When it comes to saving Trump from his worst instincts, the GOP only has so much bandwidth. Republicans will have to pick their battles.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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You can already feel the shock of Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Matt Gaetz to head the Justice Department wearing off.

Maybe the most hated man in Congress — a figure who is uniquely saddled with ethical scandals himself — Gaetz is just the latest wrecking ball in human form to get Trump’s nod for a cabinet post. Tulsi Gabbard, with her naïve credulousness about even the most outlandish anti-American narratives spread by America’s enemies, is another. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be next. When it comes to saving Trump from his worst instincts, the GOP only has so much bandwidth. Republicans will have to pick their battles.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.