WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general, putting a loyalist in the role of the nation’s top prosecutor.
In selecting the congressman, Trump passed over some of the more established attorneys whose names had been mentioned as being contenders for the job.
“Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” Trump said in a statement.
The choices continued a pattern of Trump stocking his Cabinet with loyalists he believes he can trust to execute his agenda rather than longtime officials with experience in their fields. Gaetz’s selection, in particular, was seen as a shock. The Florida lawmaker was not among the more established attorneys who had been mentioned as contenders for the job.
Gaetz represents much of the Florida Panhandle and became a conservative star when he joined Congress, appearing as a frequent staunch defender of Trump on cable news.
He irked fellow GOP members in early 2023 when he filed the resolution that successfully ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy then helped fund a primary challenge to Gaetz that included commercials alleging that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old, an allegation currently investigated by the House Ethics Committee. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department ended its own sex trafficking investigation without bringing charges against him.
Even Trump’s allies in the Senate are keeping their distance from Gaetz.
“We’ll see,” said Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin when asked whether he would vote to confirm the congressman.
Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, suggested that the Senate would look closely into Gaetz, including the House Ethics Committee investigation.
“I’m sure it will make for a popcorn-eating confirmation hearing,” said GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.