Democrats in both houses of Congress have expressed concern about President-elect Trump's decision to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to be the next attorney general.
President Trump announced Wednesday that Gates, a staunch ally in Congress, would be nominated to be the nation's top law enforcement official, praising the Florida native as a “deeply talented and tenacious lawyer.” Hours later, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) announced that Gates was resigning from Congress “effective immediately.” Mr Johnson said this was a way to speed up the process of filling seats to minimize the impact of losing MPs to parliament. Next year, the majority will be razor-thin.
The president-elect's decision quickly perplexed Senate Republicans, with some questioning whether there would be enough votes to confirm Gaetz to the Cabinet.
“It will be interesting to see what his essential foundations are,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said Wednesday. “At the end of the day, Congressman Gates, he's going to have a hearing, but I'm committed to counting the votes, and maybe he's going to have to make some effort to get a good vote.” I think so.
“You're not going to get a single vote from the Democrats,” he added.
Gaetz's selection stunned many Democrats in both chambers, with some arguing that the Florida Republican was not qualified to hold the post. Other members called on senators from both sides to reject him and prevent him from assuming the position.
“I originally intended to refrain from commenting on the nomination at this stage, but I cannot remain silent here,” Sen.-elect Andy Kim (D.N.J.) told the newspaper on Wednesday. . post “We don't need a confirmation hearing to know that Matt Gaetz is not qualified to be attorney general. I will not support his confirmation.”
“Holy God. President Trump is nominating Matt Gaetz to be attorney general. The man who was at the center of the sex trafficking investigation. God help us,” said Congressman Maxwell Frost. (Florida Democratic Party) said With X.
Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Gates' possible confirmation “represents an affirmation of the Justice Department's worst potential abuses,” the Trump ally said, “and must be rejected by the Senate.”
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware), an ally of President Biden, said he expects Gaetz's confirmation process to be the most thorough, calling it “the Senate's constitutional advice and consent role.” “This will pose a very serious challenge to the
“Given the ongoing ethics investigation in the House, some of the allegations against Congressman Gaetz, some of his conduct, I think this will be a strong and thorough confirmation process,” Coons said.
“I hope that my colleagues in the Republican caucus will urge the president to reconsider,” he added.
One of the senators' concerns concerns the Department of Justice's (DOJ) investigation into allegations that Gates had sex with an underage girl. The investigation concluded in 2023, and no criminal charges were filed against the lawmaker. He strongly denied any wrongdoing. The investigation by the House Ethics Committee is still ongoing.
Gaetz's resignation means that the final stage of the House Ethics Committee investigation will come to nothing. The committee does not have the authority to investigate Gaetz because he is not a member of Congress.
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Mississippi) told reporters Wednesday that “ethics has no jurisdiction once a member is no longer a member.” “Therefore, if Matt Gaetz were appointed attorney general, any ongoing ethics investigation would cease at that point.”
Gaetz has many of the qualities that Trump is looking for in his next attorney general. During his tenure as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Gaetz has been a vocal defender of Trump, accusing the FBI and Justice Department of conducting biased investigations against the 45th president and other conservatives.
“A United States attorney general must possess strong judgment, moral character, and a deep respect for the law. As nearly every member of Congress knows, Matt Gaetz has none of those things. ” said Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, in a statement.
“What he really has is an unconditional loyalty to Donald Trump and a willingness to use the government as a weapon against his political allies. This is an affinity that he and the president-elect share.” '' he added.
The Hill has reached out to President Trump's press secretary for comment.
