Trump’s election as attorney general shocks Washington

Donald Trump’s nomination of Congressman Matt Gaetz as his Attorney General arrived like a thunderbolt in Washington DC on Wednesday afternoon.

Of all the choices the president-elect has made for his administration so far, this is by far the most controversial – and sends a clear message that Trump intends to shake up the establishment when he returns to power.

The firebrand Florida politician is perhaps best known for leading the effort to unseat then-Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. But he has an ongoing history of being a flamethrower in the staid halls of Congress.

In 2018, he brought a right-wing Holocaust denier to the State of the Union and later tried to exclude two fathers who lost their children in a mass shooting from a hearing after they objected to a claim he made about gun control.

Thanks to his bombastic approach, he has no shortage of enemies, including within his own party. And so Trump’s choice of Gaetz for this crucial role is also a signal to these Republicans – his second administration will be made up of loyalists who he trusts to carry out his agenda, conventional political opinion be damned.

A sigh of relief was heard during a meeting of Republican lawmakers as the nomination for America’s top U.S. attorney was announced, Axios reported, citing sources in the room.

Republican Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho reportedly responded with a profanity.

“I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for attorney general,” Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said. “This one wasn’t on my bingo card.”

Gaetz has some allies on Capitol Hill who share an unwavering loyalty to Trump. The Florida congressman has been one of the president-elect’s most aggressive and relentless defenders – in congressional hearings, press conferences and television appearances.

On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, another devoted Trump loyalist, called Gaetz an “experienced attorney.”

“He’s a reformer in mind and heart, and I think he’ll have a lot to contribute to that,” Johnson said.

In a social media post, Trump explained how he plans to use Gaetz as a wrecking ball to radically change the U.S. Department of Justice, which he regularly blames for his numerous legal problems.

“Matt will root out systemic corruption in the DOJ and return the department to its true mission of fighting crime and upholding our democracy and Constitution,” he wrote.

During the election campaign, Trump promised retaliation for the numerous investigations launched against him. Now it appears Gaetz will be at the forefront of Trump’s efforts to bring the Justice Department under control.

The department also investigated Gaetz himself.

Last year it declined to prosecute over allegations that he violated sex trafficking laws during a trip to the Bahamas with paid escorts. He was the subject of an ongoing House ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, illegal drug use and misuse of campaign funds.

But on Wednesday evening, Johnson said Gaetz had resigned as a representative, effectively ending the House investigation because the committee only investigates members.

Gaetz has denied all allegations against him.

According to CBS News, Gaetz had asked Trump for a preemptive pardon for all related crimes before the president left office in January 2021.

All of this makes him an unlikely choice for a position that is usually given to more senior and law-savvy politicians.

Gaetz, 42, has a law degree and worked for a Florida law firm before his eight-year term in Congress. Joe Biden’s attorney general, Merrick Garland, was a senior federal appeals court judge. In his first term, Trump chose U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions and later Bill Barr, who had decades of experience in Republican presidential administrations.

The Senate will be responsible for confirming Gaetz’s nomination, and the Florida congressman has caused more than a little discontent in that chamber — including among Republicans. Although his party has a majority, it would only take four “no” votes and a united Democratic opposition to reduce his chances.

Gaetz himself said last year that he would like to become attorney general, but acknowledged that was unlikely.

“The world is probably not ready,” he told Newsmax in an interview. “Certainly Senate confirmation wouldn’t be possible, but you know, a boy can dream.”

For now, however, Trump’s closest supporters are celebrating his election.

“The hammer of justice is coming,” Elon Musk posted about Gaetz on X.

Regardless of the final outcome of Gaetz’s bid for attorney general, Trump has fired a warning shot across the bow of the US government. While his second term may be better organized than his first, it could end up being even more confrontational.