>he said as much when queried about DOJ and FBI appointments "my confirmation process would be a distraction"…
I don’t read it that way; I think the meaning is that Dems would spit fire & nails if he were nominated and THAT would be a distraction - and it would be…as the chessboard is set now.
But…if the chessboard CHANGES (read: post-declassification), then his nomination isn’t the distraction it would be NOW.
Q hints he will have some roll. NOW is just a snapshot in time and doesn’t account for a “shaking of the box” or two.