The Epoch Times on Thursday interviewed me about my views on Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks. The only nominee I expressed reservations about was Matt Gaetz, Trump’s choice for attorney general. But the reason I offered was not quoted fully. I said that while I would certainly vote for Gaetz if I were a U.S. senator, I do not believe he is confirmable. Republican senators like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska would likely oppose his nomination, alongside all Senate Democrats, who will likely vote as a bloc against most of Trump’s nominees.
Gaetz is a troublesome choice for several reasons, starting with allegations of sexual involvement with a 17-year-old girl. The House Ethics Committee has investigated the charge, but its findings have not yet been released. I recognize the double standard at play here. Legacy media defended individuals like Bill Clinton and concealed the appalling misconduct of Democratic donors such as Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein for as long as possible.
The weaponization of federal agencies like the Justice Department and Secret Service against political dissenters will no longer be tolerated.
I also acknowledge that Biden’s administration resembled an intersectional exhibitionist show, featuring figures like Admiral Levine, Sam Brinton, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg. These appointments seemed to cater to the Democrats’ identitarian agenda. Notably, many “centrist” Republicans now criticizing Gaetz’s nomination had no problem voting for Biden’s ideologically driven Cabinet selections.
But we are not dealing here with a level playing field, and even conventional Republican outlets like National Review and the Wall Street Journal are railing against Gaetz’s nomination. I’m not sure that I see any way forward for the former Florida congressman. His sexual scandal, his effort to overthrow a Republican speaker of the House, and his flamboyant rhetoric will all be held against him if the confirmation process goes forward.
Let me clarify that, unlike the RINOs and neocons, I do not oppose Gaetz’s nomination because I want an attorney general the left will find inoffensive — someone modeled after Trump’s attorneys general during his first term. I recently heard Daniel Henninger of the Wall Street Journal lament the absence of a nominee with Bill Barr’s moderating influence.
This time, however, Trump appears to want someone in the role who will support him unequivocally. He is not looking for an attorney general who will flaunt nonpartisanship by distancing himself from a president despised by the legacy media. Joe Biden and Barack Obama appointed attorneys general who loyally served their interests and advanced their ideological agendas. Trump has every right to seek an attorney general who will do the same — while demonstrating a greater commitment to justice than those Democratic appointees showed.
Any of the three candidates previously on Trump’s short list would likely be more confirmable as attorney general than Gaetz. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, or former Deputy Attorney General Matthew Whitaker could effectively perform the duties assigned to Gaetz while generating less controversy as nominees.
Let me stress that my reason for opposing Gaetz’s nomination is most definitely not the one probably driving the Bushies and neocon Republicans. I don’t want a “bipartisan” attorney general who will try to get along with with the opposition as we pursue an aggressively liberal internationalist foreign policy. I am hopeful that anyone who becomes attorney general will actively investigate and prosecute those bad actors who abused their positions under the Obama-Biden-Garland administrations.
The D.C. swamp must be drained, and those “public servants” who have gone after the political opposition without just cause and who have threatened religious and social traditionalists should be treated accordingly. They should not only be dismissed from their positions but also prosecuted.
It is crucial to send a clear message to public administrators and Democratic Party leaders: The weaponization of federal agencies like the Justice Department and Secret Service against political dissenters and culturally traditional Americans will no longer be tolerated. Simply turning the page to focus on foreign policy or fiscal issues will not achieve the same impact. Least of all should we pretend that the systematic weaponization of administrative agencies, which has been ongoing since Obama’s presidency, never occurred. Ignoring this history will only embolden the Democrats to resume such practices as soon as they regain power.
This is why any prospective attorney general must not only be up to this task but also be confirmable. Unfortunately, Gaetz does not meet this criterion, which is why his nomination was ill advised. While it is commendable that he has vigorously defended President Trump against baseless, malicious accusations, that alone will not secure his confirmation.
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