Trump sparks excitement and tension among Republicans after nomination of Matt Gaetz for attorney general

Donald Trump announced the appointment of Congressman Matt Gaetz as his next attorney general. The controversial MAGA congressman will be in charge of the Department of Justice and his choice did not take long to generate controversy among his Republican colleagues, both in the House and Senate. In addition to surprise, there are also doubts that he could not be confirmed by the Upper Chamber.

"It is my Great Honor to announce that Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The Attorney General of the United States. Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice," Trump wrote on social media.

In turn, he emphasized the need to reform the Justice Department, which Trump has defined in recent months as a political weapon.

"Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department," he added.

Rep. Matt Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives just hours after his announcement, aiming to expedite the special election to fill his vacant seat in Congress. Former President Donald Trump has already selected three lawmakers for his new administration, creating short-term complications for the slim Republican majority

"He submitted his resignation letter with immediate effect from the Capitol. That took us a bit by surprise," said Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House.

One of Trump's most loyal Republicans

A 42-year-old Florida Republican, Gaetz has been representing the 1st District in the House of Representatives for seven years, where in 2023 he led the revolt to oust then-speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Although initially a more moderate Republican, he veered strongly toward Trumpism, with even some libertarian overtones, allying with his Georgia colleague, Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Since 2020, he became one of the most loyal members of Congress to Trump, both in the House and on social media. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, he had viral exchanges with witnesses and members of President Joe Biden's executive branch over the past four years.

According to Politico, Gaetz was also instrumental in Ron DeSantis' first gubernatorial campaign and his initial cabinet appointments.

In terms of policy, he shares the president-elect's agenda, including the reclassification of marijuana to a Schedule III drug. Indeed, he was one of two Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee to vote in favor of the Marijuana Criminal Record Expungement and Reinvestment Act (MORE), which sought to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act.

Mixed reactions following Gaetz's election

Gaetz's nomination caused surprise among Republicans along with mixed feelings. Some of those celebrating were Lauren Boebert, Charlie Kirk and Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general and another candidate for the post. Even El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, congratulated Gaetz on his new post.

"There are few people I trust more to take on the deep state and end the weaponization of the justice department. Matt Gaetz has been a stalwart defender of liberty, and Texas has his back. Congratulations, Matt," Paxton wrote, for example, on his X account.

"I knew you were destined for great things, my friend," President Bukele added, also attaching a video of the two walking.

However, some members of Congress are not fully convinced by Trump's choice for attorney general. One of them is Congressman Max Miller (R-OH), who assured that "Gaetz has a better shot at having dinner with Queen Elizabeth II than being confirmed by the senate."

For John Duarte (R-CA), the House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz's sexual conduct could be a problem when it comes time to go through the Senate confirmation process. According to him, that will make him a "compromised attorney general" and he believes there were "better options."

"He will never be confirmed"

Some senators already expressed doubts about Gaetz's ability to be confirmed. Susan Collins (R-ME) confessed to being "surprised" by Trump's choice. "This shows why the advice and consent process is so important and I'm sure that there will be a lot of questions raised at his hearing," she added.

"He will never be confirmed," another Republican senator who preferred to comment anonymously told Fox News. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said Gaetz "[has] got his work really cut out for him" to be confirmed in the Senate, where he needs 51 votes or 50 plus the JD Vance tie.

"I think what we can tell you now is that we always allow the president to have the benefit of the doubt, but we still have to do our role in terms of due diligence," Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) said for his part.

Tough WSJ editorial against Gaetz

The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal took just hours to weigh in on Trump's pick for attorney general.

"This is a bad choice that would undermine confidence in the law. Mr. Trump lauded Mr. Gaetz’s law degree from William and Mary, but it might as well be a doctorate in outrage theater. He’s a performer and provocateur, and his view is that the more explosions he can cause, the more attention he can get," they wrote.