Trump Appoints Rep. Matt Gaetz Attorney General
President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he intends to nominate Republican Sen. Matt Gaetz of Florida to the position of U.S. Rep. Attorney General
In an post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Gaetz has made a name for himself in Congress fighting for big changes in the Justice Department.”
Gaetz replied via X, “It would be an honor to serve as President Trump’s attorney general!”
She would, if confirmed by the Senate, replace Attorney General Merrick Garland who oversaw the Justice Department when an investigation was conducted into allegations Gaetz was the member of a sex trafficking ring.
Gaetz was never charged by the Justice Department.
The Government Ethics Committee is still investigating Gaetz on suspicion of possible sexual assault or drugs.
In September, Gaetz-who maintains he acted appropriately-said he would not voluntarily cooperate with the committee’s probe.
The 42-year-old congressman is among the most boisterous and influential supporters of Trump in Congress, loudly denouncing the investigation by the Justice Department and charges brought against Trump by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
In October 2023 alone, he became the first to file articles of impeachment against then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Republican.
In the end, eight Republicans, led by Gaetz, joined all House Democrats in an effort to boot McCarthy from the leadership position and threw the Republican Conference into chaos.
NBC News reported that Gaetz was traveling with Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, and others on Wednesday amid the president-elect’s first trip to Washington, D.C., since beating out Vice President Kamala Harris.
The move by Trump to nominate him surprised many of his Republican colleagues in Capitol Hill.
Johnson, whose expected House majority was shrinking as Trump tapped two House Republicans, New York’s Elise Stefanik and Florida’s Mike Waltz, for his coming administration, said Tuesday, “I don’t expect any more members to leave.”
Sen. Susan Collins, meanwhile, told Punchbowl News she was “floored” by the move.
“That is why the process of advice and consent on behalf of the Senate is so important,” she told the news outlet. “I have no doubt that many questions will be raised during Mr. Gaetz’s confirmation hearing.”
