With Gaetz dropping out, do Hegseth, RFK Jr. and Gabbard now have bigger targets on their backs?

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz's withdrawal arsenic President-elect Trump's nominee for lawyer wide amid increasing fallout implicit enactment trafficking allegations whitethorn beryllium problematic for Trump's different arguable picks for apical medication positions.

Gaetz took his sanction out of information Thursday arsenic Pete Hegseth, Trump's prime to service arsenic defence secretary, was wrapping up meetings connected Capitol Hill with senators. 

Hegseth, who was joined by Vice President-elect JD Vance, is besides facing intersexual misconduct allegations from a 2017 encounter. Scrutiny accrued precocious Wednesday nighttime aft constabulary successful Monterey, California, released a study astir the allegations.

GAETZ WITHDRAWS NAME AS ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE

President-elect Trump's nominee to beryllium lawyer general, erstwhile Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., right, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, locomotion retired of a gathering with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members astatine the Capitol successful Washington Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

"The substance was afloat investigated, and I was wholly cleared," Hegseth told reporters connected Capitol Hill Thursday. Through his attorney, helium has besides acknowledged the intersexual brushwood but has said it was consensual.

Trump’s transition squad spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt called Hegseth "a highly-respected combat seasoned who volition honorably service our state erstwhile helium is confirmed arsenic the adjacent caput of defense." 

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But with Gaetz present retired of the firing line, Hegseth, an Army National Guard serviceman who deployed to the wars successful Afghanistan and Iraq and who, until earlier this month, was a high-profile Fox News host, is apt to look much attraction from the media and from senators.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's prime for caput of defense, speaks with reporters aft a gathering with senators connected Capitol Hill Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, successful Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, taking questions from reporters aft Gaetz announced helium was dropping retired of consideration, was asked astir the allegations against Hegseth.

"It's a beauteous large occupation fixed that we person … a intersexual battle occupation successful our military," Cramer said.

The legislator added he's "not going to prejudge," but that "it's a beauteous concerning accusation."

Trump's modulation squad connected Thursday day blasted retired an email titled, "Pete Hegseth Earns Strong Support On Capitol Hill," which spotlighted affirmative quotes from 11 GOP senators, including a snippet from Cramer.

And a root adjacent to Trump's modulation squad told Fox News "the modulation squad doesn't deliberation the issues Gaetz faced are a wider problem."

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. arrives earlier President-elect Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala astatine his Mar-a-Lago property Nov. 14, 2024, successful Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

But scrutiny volition apt besides summation for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and erstwhile Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Trump's picks for Health and Human Services caput and manager of nationalist intelligence, arsenic they some look imaginable blowback for past arguable comments.

"I would beryllium much disquieted if I was them," a antithetic root successful Trump's governmental orbit told Fox News erstwhile asked astir Hegseth, Kennedy and Gabbard.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said determination are "some things" Kennedy should "get up of" earlier courting senators connected Capitol Hill.

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But a Republican strategist who has advised Republican senators pointed to Gaetz arsenic a sacrificial lamb.

"There's ever one" that goes down who "gives screen to the others," the source, who asked to stay anonymous to talk much freely, said.

The strategist said Hegseth, Gabbard and Kennedy "all person their enactment chopped retired for them," but that "the [GOP] league is going to beryllium overmuch happier present going forward. … Gaetz was the lone 1 that was a non-starter."

Fox News Kelly Phares and Meghan Tome contributed to this report