UPDATED, with Gaetz resigning his congressional seat: Donald Trump has nominated Rep.. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to serve as attorney general, a surprise pick that will please the president-elect’s MAGA allies but may prove to be a flashpoint in the confirmation process.
There already are doubts that Gaetz will have the Senate votes, even with the Republicans set to control the chamber.
The selection of Gaetz, a key ally and partisan flamethrower, also is raising alarm among Democrats over the independence of the Justice Department, as Trump has vowed to enact retribution on political enemies.
More than anything, Gaetz has been in lockstep with Trump over his view of the DOJ.
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Trump said in a statement, “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson said that Gaetz has resigned his congressional seat, effective immediately. Republicans already are facing a razor thin majority, and may have as few as two or three seats to spare.
Gaetz led the effort to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker in October 2023, just 10 months into his tenure. Gaetz also was a key figure opposed to McCarthy’s selection as speaker in the first place, leading to a tense standoff on the House floor.
McCarthy has been on a campaign against Gaetz since leaving Congress, telling Politico that the Florida congressman was someone who was “getting kicked out of high school, buying coke and paying minors for sex.” He also has claimed that Gaetz sought to oust him because he “wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old.”
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Gaetz, first elected in 2016, also has been the focus of a House Ethics Committee investigation, which has been looking into allegations that he had sex with a minor. Gaetz has denied the claims.
Reaction was of surprise — and some disdain. Geraldo Rivera wrote, “Matt Gaetz is a douche. So bad for Attorney General. Gross.”
“Well, if Donald Trump is your president, of course Matt Gaetz will be your attorney general,” Michael Steele, the MSNBC host and former Republican National Committee chair, wrote on X.
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On Capitol Hill, reporters quickly tried to get reaction from senators who will vote on the choice. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told Punchbowl News she was “shocked” by the nomination.
“These confirmation hearings may just save cable TV for the short term,” wrote NBC News’ chief political analyst, Chuck Todd. Earlier in the day, Trump nominated Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, and on Tuesday picked Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host, to be his secretary of defense.
On CNN, chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju chased lawmakers to try to get their reaction, which was non committal.
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Lindsey Graham and other top senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee non-committal on Matt Gaetz as AG pic.twitter.com/zmRoqfpdCP
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 13, 2024
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