President-elect Trump surprised many when he picked Rep. Matt Gaetz to be his nominee for U.S. Attorney General. The former Florida congressman has been severely scrutinized due to a lot of serious allegations, including sexual misconduct with a minor, sex trafficking, and drug use.
Both the Justice Department and the House Ethics Committee have looked into allegations against Gaetz regarding an inappropriate sexual encounter with a teenager at a drug-fueled sex party. There were reports alleging that the 17-year-old female high school minor was naked and other attendees besides Gaetz were participating in sexual activities. However, in 2023, the Justice Department decided to close the case without pursuing any charges.
Soon after Gaetz was nominated and unexpectedly resigned from the House, the Ethics Committee, which was ready to publish an extensive report on the allegations against him, had to halt their investigation because they could no longer address cases related to him.
Despite these controversies, Trump stated on Truth Social that Gaetz was a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney” who could help “end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.” On X, formerly called Twitter, Matt Gaetz called it an “honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General.”
Meanwhile, Republican reaction to the nomination has been overwhelmingly negative. An anonymous GOP senator told Fox News Digital that “He will never get confirmed,” while another Republican source bluntly stated, “Ain’t gonna happen.” Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, described the nomination as a “God tier kind of trolling” meant to “trigger a meltdown.”
Matt Gaetz has had a rocky past with his fellow Republicans. The 42-year-old was instrumental in the removal of former House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, and many saw this as more of a bid for attention than a serious political maneuver. Rep. Carlos Gimenez once stated to Politico that Gaetz is pretty much alone as even his own colleagues in the state aren’t rallying behind him.
With Republicans likely to have a narrow majority in the Senate, Matt Gaetz will require the backing of at least 50 senators to be confirmed as Attorney General. However, due to significant resistance from both parties, it looks like his chances for confirmation are very slim.