GOP senators are already balking at Trump鈥檚 pick of Matt Gaetz for attorney general
| Washington
President Trump鈥檚 pick of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general was met with shock and incredulity from some Senate Republicans, a sign that his nomination faces an uphill battle in the Senate.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got his work cut out for him,鈥� Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst told reporters shortly after Mr. Trump announced Mr. Gaetz鈥檚 nomination Wednesday afternoon.
Mr. Gaetz, a deeply controversial congressional Republican firebrand who is currently under investigation by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee for allegations of sexual misconduct and the use of illicit drugs, is now in line to run the immensely powerful Department of Justice 鈥� the same organization that had investigated him for allegations of sex trafficking (its attorneys early last year).
But Mr. Trump has made abundantly clear that he wants committed loyalists running his administration, after complaining that his previous picks for attorney general refused to bend the knee to him. He鈥檚 that his pick of Attorney General Jeff Sessions was the 鈥渂iggest mistake鈥� of his first term in office. He reportedly so he could install a loyalist to help his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. And he has griped for years about the multiple criminal investigations he himself has faced 鈥� including two launched by the current Justice Department, into his conduct following the 2020 election and his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Mr. Trump has also signaled he wants to rein in the independence of the Justice Department. Whether Mr. Gaetz makes it through confirmation or not, this pick signals that Mr. Trump wants an unwavering ally in the top law enforcement role in the country.
鈥淔ew issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,鈥� Mr. Trump said in a statement announcing Mr. Gaetz鈥檚 nomination. 鈥淢att will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans鈥� badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.鈥�
It appears that Senate Republicans will have 53 Senate seats in the upcoming congressional session, meaning that they will be able to lose no more than three senators on any nomination in order to confirm them into the Trump administration. Judging by Republican senators鈥� initial reaction, far more than that might be ready to vote against him.
The two moderate Republicans left in the Senate sounded deeply incredulous.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican who voted against some of Mr. Trump鈥檚 2017 nominees, told reporters that she was 鈥渟hocked鈥� when she heard the news.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a completely unexpected nomination,鈥� Senator Collins told the Monitor as she exited the Senate floor, mentioning the ongoing Ethics Committee investigation.
鈥淥bviously, the president has the right to nominate whomever he wishes,鈥� she continued. 鈥淏ut this is why the background checks that are done by the FBI and the advice-and-consent process in the Senate and public hearings are all so important.鈥�
鈥淒o you think he鈥檚 a serious candidate?鈥� Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, another moderate who has sparred with Mr. Trump, asked reporters. When the question was put back to her, she replied: 鈥淣ot as far as I鈥檓 concerned.鈥�
Even some more reliable votes for Mr. Trump鈥檚 nominees in the past sounded less than sold on his choice of Mr. Gaetz for AG.
鈥淲e鈥檒l do our job here. We have a constitutional role. And he鈥檒l be vetted and come before the Judiciary Committee. I assume we鈥檒l have some questions for him,鈥� Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican member of that committee, told reporters. 鈥淚 think we have to consider any nominee by the president seriously, but we also have a constitutional responsibility.鈥�
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally and former military lawyer who serves on the Judiciary Committee, said he hadn鈥檛 been consulted about the pick and was 鈥渁 little bit鈥� surprised by it.
鈥淭he confirmation hearing will be important. He鈥檒l have some tough questions to answer,鈥� he said.
The appointments will be a crucial early test for South Dakota Sen. John Thune, whom Senate Republicans voted in as their new party leader on Wednesday just hours before Mr. Gaetz鈥檚 nomination was announced. Mr. Trump has been demanding that the Senate allow him to make recess appointments, which could give him a route to install Mr. Gaetz into that powerful position.
If Republicans do buck their president-elect and vote down Mr. Gaetz, it could give them some more political breathing room to vote for some of Mr. Trump鈥檚 other controversial picks. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina made clear that he saw Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Mr. Trump鈥檚 controversial pick for secretary of Defense, in a different light than Mr. Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard, another lightning-rod Trump ally whom he named as his pick for director of national intelligence on Wednesday afternoon.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 necessarily characterize Mr. Hegseth that way. The other people, they鈥檙e coming out pretty quickly. I think that鈥檚 good news. We got a lot of time to look at them, but I鈥檝e got to go look at the credentials and figure out whether I鈥檓 comfortable with them or not,鈥� Senator Tillis said about Mr. Gaetz and Ms. Gabbard.
Multiple other Republicans simply refused to weigh in. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton offered only a 鈥渘o comment.鈥� Indiana Sen. Todd Young, when asked about Mr. Gaetz鈥檚 nomination, immediately pivoted to talking about a different Trump nominee 鈥� singing the praises Mr. Trump鈥檚 pick of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of State. 鈥淚鈥檝e got nothing for you on that,鈥� Alabama Sen. Katie Britt told reporters as she walked onto the Senate floor.
