CNN anchor Jake Tapper couldn't contain his embarrassment after President-elect Donald Trump announced his shock nomination of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to be attorney general.
“Welcome to The Lead, I'm Jake Tapper, and let me start the show by saying a few words I've never thought of using together before. Those words are 'U.S. Attorney General Matt Gaetz,” the host said at the beginning of Wednesday night's show.
“Because if you're wondering what a Trump presidency would be like without guardrails, we've got an idea beyond theory,” he added.
President Trump announced early Wednesday afternoon that he would nominate Gates to be the nation's top prosecutor in the incoming administration, shocking Congress even among Republicans who had publicly criticized Gates.
The 42-year-old Republican firebrand, known for his fierce loyalty to Trump, resigned from Congress shortly after Trump's announcement, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Gaetz's resignation comes in 2021 over allegations that the congressman engaged in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, accepted inappropriate gifts, and extended special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship. It marks the end of an investigation by the House Ethics Committee that began in April. and attempted to obstruct a government investigation into his conduct.
The ethics committee was reportedly scheduled to vote Friday on whether to release a “highly damaging” report on Gaetz. punch bowl news.
However, with Gaetz's resignation, the committee no longer has the authority to proceed with the investigation.
Gates strongly denies any wrongdoing.
President Trump called Gaetz a “deep talent” who would “end weaponized government, secure our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore the American people's badly shattered faith and trust in the Department of Justice.” “He is a tenacious lawyer.”
The former congressman vowed that the next commander-in-chief will “root out systemic corruption in the Department of Justice and return the department to its original mission of fighting crime and defending democracy and the Constitution.”
Gaetz's appointment reportedly sparked opposition from moderate Senate Republicans, and it is unclear whether Gaetz will be able to secure the votes to win the nomination despite Republicans controlling the Senate.
Several House Republicans meeting at the Capitol burst out laughing at the announcement, sources told the Post.
Other sources told The Hill and Politico. Some lawmakers held their breath. And I saw one I laughed until tears came out in the room where members were meeting to select the leadership team for the 119th Congress.
If confirmed, Gaetz will replace Merrick Garland, the attorney general who has long accused President Trump of going after Republicans, but Garland is the Florida attorney general whose investigation the Justice Department ultimately dropped in 2023. He also led a human sex trafficking investigation.
