GOP senators are already balking at Trump AG’s pick of Matt Gaetz

by Junna Base November 13, 2024

President Trump’s shocking choice of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general was met with shock and disbelief by some Senate Republicans, a sign that his nomination faces an uphill battle in the Senate.

“He has a lot of work to do,” Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst told reporters shortly after Trump announced Mr. Gaetz’s nomination on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Gaetz, a deeply controversial Republican hothead in Congress who is currently under investigation by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, is now at the helm of the extremely powerful Justice Department – the same organization that had been operating He is under investigation on sex trafficking allegations (his lawyers declined to press charges early last year).

But Mr Trump has made clear he wants committed loyalists to lead his administration after complaining that his previous nominees for attorney general had refused to bend the knee to him. He said the election of Attorney General Jeff Sessions was the “biggest mistake” of his first term. He reportedly had to be talked out of firing another attorney general so he could appoint a loyalist to support his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. And he has complained for years about the numerous criminal investigations he himself has faced — including two investigations launched by the current Justice Department into his conduct after the 2020 election and his alleged misuse of confidential documents.

Mr. Trump has also signaled that he wants to limit the Justice Department’s independence. Regardless of whether Mr. Gaetz wins confirmation or not, this pick signals that Mr. Trump wants a steadfast ally in the country’s top law enforcement role.

“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan weaponization of our justice system,” Mr. Trump said in a statement announcing Mr. Gaetz’s nomination. Matt will end the gun government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore Americans’ deeply shaken faith and trust in the Department of Justice.”

It appears that Senate Republicans will have 53 Senate seats in the upcoming congressional session, meaning they cannot lose more than three senators on any nomination to confirm in the Trump administration. Judging by the initial reaction of Republican senators, many more senators are likely to be willing to vote against him.

The two moderate Republicans in the Senate sounded deeply incredulous.

Maine Senator Susan Collins, a moderate Republican who voted against some of Mr. Trump’s 2017 nominees, told reporters she was “shocked” when she heard the news.

“It’s a completely unexpected nomination,” Senator Collins told the Monitor as she left the Senate, citing the ongoing Ethics Committee investigation.

“Of course the president has the right to nominate whoever he wants,” she continued. “But that’s why the FBI background checks and the advice and consent process in the Senate and public hearings are so important.”

“Do you think he’s a serious candidate?” Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, another moderate who has clashed with Mr. Trump, asked reporters. When she was asked the question again, she replied, “Not for me.”

Even some more reliable votes for Mr. Trump’s candidates in the past didn’t seem entirely convinced by his choice of Mr. Gaetz for AG.

“We will do our job here. We have a constitutional role. And it will be reviewed and come before the Judiciary Committee. I expect we will have some questions for him,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican member of that committee, told reporters. “I think we need to seriously consider any presidential nominee, but we also have a constitutional responsibility.”

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally and former military lawyer who serves on the Judiciary Committee, said he was not consulted about the choice and was “a little” surprised by it.

“The confirmation hearing will be important. He will have some tough questions to answer,” he said.

The appointments will be a crucial early test for South Dakota Senator John Thune, whom Senate Republicans chose as their new party leader on Wednesday, just hours before Mr. Gaetz’s nomination was announced. Mr. Trump is demanding that the Senate allow him to make appointments during recess, which could open a path for him to put Mr. Gaetz in that influential position.

If Republicans defy their president-elect and reject Mr. Gaetz, that could give them more political space to vote for some of Mr. Trump’s other controversial proposals. Although he sounded hesitant about Mr. Gaetz and another Trump election, Representative Tulsi Gabbard, North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis made it clear that he supported Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Trump’s controversial pick for the office of defense secretary, in a different light than Mr. Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard, another lightning-rod ally of Trump’s, whom he called his pick for director of national intelligence on Wednesday afternoon designated.

“I wouldn’t necessarily characterize Mr. Hegseth that way. The other people come out pretty quickly. I think that’s good news. We have a lot of time to look at them, but I have to look at the testimonials and figure out whether I’m happy with them or not,” Senator Tillis said of Mr. Gaetz and Ms. Gabbard.

Several other Republicans simply refused to comment. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton offered only “no comment.” When Indiana Republican Senator Todd Young was asked about Mr. Gaetz’s nomination, he immediately spoke of another Trump nominee and praised Mr. Trump’s choice of Florida Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state. “I can’t tell you anything,” Alabama Sen. Katie Britt told reporters as she entered the Senate floor.

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