Donald Trump announced firebrand lawmaker Matt Gaetz as his pick for attorney general Wednesday, naming a fierce defender who would be well-placed to make good on the president-elect’s threats of revenge against political foes.
“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Donald Trump posted on social media. “Matt will end Weaponized Government… and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.”
Matt Gaetz, a Floridian and a US congressman since 2017, is among Donald Trump’s most controversial nominations as he looks to fill out his cabinet after victory against Democrat Kamala Harris in last week’s presidential election.
Donald Trump has called for retribution against many perceived political foes whom he baselessly accuses of wielding the might of the Justice Department against him in politically motivated prosecutions.
Democrats fear Matt Gaetz, 42, will help him weaponize the department to launch exactly those types of “show trial” prosecutions.
As attorney general, Matt Gaetz would drive all aspects of the work of the Justice Department, which for years has carried out an investigation into sex trafficking and obstruction of justice allegations involving him.
Matt Gaetz, who denies all wrongdoing, was told last year that there would be no charges against him, but he remains the subject of a House ethics investigation.
Police began looking at Matt Gaetz as they were investigating his friend, former tax collector Joel Greenberg, who was sentenced in 2022 to a prison term of 11 years after admitting to sex trafficking a minor and other charges.
In September, Matt Gaetz said in a statement he would no longer help congressional investigators, accusing them of leading a “political payback exercise” and calling the probe “uncomfortably nosy.”
Republican and Democratic senators immediately voiced doubts that Gaetz’s nomination would survive the confirmation process, which can involve intense questioning during difficult, fraught hearings.
Matt Gaetz will likely only be able to lose three Republicans and still get the green light from the Senate.
CNN, citing unnamed sources reported that House Republicans were meeting behind closed doors when news of Matt Gaetz’s nomination emerged — prompting “an audible gasp from the members in the room.”
Republican Iowa Senator Joni Ernst said Matt Gaetz would have “his work cut out for him,” according to Scripps News, which also reported that the party’s Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said: “Do you think he’s a serious candidate? Not as far as I’m concerned.”
A third senator from the party’s political middle, Susan Collins, told reporters she was “shocked” by the announcement.
“That shows why the advice and consent process is so important, and I’m sure that there will be a lot of questions raised at his hearing.”
