Sex with 17-year-old, blizzard over Gaetz at Justice. FBI traced the payments

Trump, however, is taking a calculated risk with Gaetz. He has launched a campaign to support him in the Senate, personally phoning several members of the conservative party. But whichever way it goes, Gaetz's indication is a provocation with which the tycoon reaffirms his revolution in Washington.

The president-elect has a broader strategy, in which Gaetz is just one figure, who can also be sacrificed: Trump knows that he will almost always have the upper hand on appointments, even the most controversial ones, by leveraging the mandate of the ballot box and his iron grip on the Republican majority in Congress. Gaetz's failure, in short, could end up pleasing the most critical conservative senators and pave the way for other outsiders, equally extreme, and with equally dubious qualifications. But with proven loyalty.

Gaetz is part of a hot foursome called to lead crucial government departments: alongside him are Pete Hegseth at Defence; Tulsi Gabbard at National Intelligence; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Health. Hegseth, a former Fox News anchorman, is notorious for defending war criminals and is himself accused of sexual assault; Gabbard is an isolationist who espouses the Kremlin's views on the war in Ukraine; Kennedy is a novax in the age of pandemic risks.

However, Gaetz appears to be the most vulnerable because, in addition to the investigations, he suffers discontent among the Republicans themselves as the animator of the right-wing faction that has heavily attacked the Gop old guard. Should Gaetz leave the scene, moreover, he could be replaced at Justice by other close allies of the calibre of Todd Blanche, Trump's personal lawyer now listed as deputy minister.

Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt responded to the controversy by explaining that all choices respect the vote and the will of the voters "to change the status quo". She went on to repeat that all the candidates are also "brilliant and highly respected, ready to fight against the enemies of the Maga agenda", ofMake America Great Again. What is certain is that the new administration also marks a break with the 2016 White House experience: Trump then chose experienced exponents by sifting through their careers, but then became furious that his ministers were too independent.

In the government, important economic chairs remain to be filled, such as Treasury. For Trade, an ambassadorial role for Corporate America, Edward Lutnick, co-head of the transition team, has been nominated: he will also have responsibility for international negotiations. At the Treasury, Trump is looking for loyalty but also authority on Wall Street: for this the favourites are former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, former alternative to Jerome Powell, and Apollo Management co-founder Marc Rowan. As trade chief negotiator the duty hawk Robert Lighthizer could return.