Democrats in each chambers of Congress have expressed concern over President-elect Trump’s resolution to faucet Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to function the following lawyer basic.
Trump introduced on Wednesday that Gaetz, a loyal congressional ally, might be nominated to turn into the nation’s prime regulation enforcement official, praising the Floridian as a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney.” Hours later, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) introduced that Gaetz would resign from Congress “effective immediately,” in what Johnson mentioned was a option to speed up the method of filling his seat to reduce the affect of dropping a member with holding a razor-thin majority subsequent yr.
The president-elect’s resolution instantly bewildered Senate Republicans with some questioning if there can be sufficient votes to verify Gaetz into the Cupboard place.
“It’ll just be interesting to see what his organic base is,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) mentioned on Wednesday. “On the finish of the day, Congressman Gaetz, he’ll have a listening to however I’m all about counting votes and I’d suppose that he’s most likely received some work reduce out for him to get a very good sturdy vote.
“We’re not going to get a single Democrat vote,” he added.
Gaetz’s choice shocked and stunned many Democrats in each chambers, with some arguing that the Florida Republican will not be certified to serve within the put up. Others referred to as on Senators on each side to reject his ascension and forestall him from taking up the place.
“I was originally going to hold off on commenting on nominations at this stage but I cannot stay quiet here,” Senator-elect Andy Kim (D-N.J.) mentioned in a Wednesday put up on X. “I don’t need a confirmation hearing to know that Matt Gaetz is not qualified for Attorney General. I will not support his confirmation.”
“Holy s—. Trump will nominate Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. The man who was at the center of a sex trafficking probe. God help us,” Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) mentioned on X.
Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) mentioned that Gaetz’s potential affirmation would “mean affirming the worst potential abuses of DOJ” and that the Trump ally “must be rejected by the Senate.”
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), an ally of President Biden, mentioned he expects Gaetz’s affirmation course of to be essentially the most thorough, one that may characterize a “deadly serious challenge to the Senate’s constitutional advice and consent role.”
“Given an ongoing ethics investigation in the House, given some of the allegations that have been made against Congressman Gaetz, and given some of his conduct, I think this will be a robust and thorough confirmation process,” Coons mentioned.
“My hope is that my colleagues in the Republican caucus will urge the president to reconsider,” he added.
One of many issues for members within the higher chamber is across the Justice Division’s (DOJ) probe into the allegations that Gaetz had sexual activity with an underage lady. The investigation was closed in 2023 and the lawmaker didn’t face legal fees. He has strongly denied wrongdoing. The investigation by the Home Ethics Committee probe continues to be energetic.
With Gaetz’s resignation, the probe by the Home Ethics Committee, which was within the final part, might be torpedoed. The committee wouldn’t have jurisdiction to probe Gaetz on account of him not being a member of the decrease chamber.
“Once a member is no longer a member of Congress, then Ethics has no jurisdiction,” Home Ethics Committee Chair Michael Visitor (R-Miss.) mentioned to reporters on Wednesday. “So if Matt Gaetz were to be appointed as the attorney general, the Ethics investigation that is currently ongoing would cease at that point.”
Gaetz has many attributes that Trump is on the lookout for within the subsequent lawyer basic. Throughout his tenure as a member of the Home Judiciary Committee, Gaetz has forcefully defended Trump and accused the FBI and the DOJ of conducting biased probes into the forty fifth president and different conservatives.
“The Attorney General of the United States must have strong judgement, moral character, and a deep respect for the law. As almost all members of Congress know, Matt Gaetz has none of those things,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the highest Democrat on the Home Intelligence Committee, mentioned in an announcement.
“What he does have is unconditional loyalty to Donald Trump and a willingness to weaponize the government against his political allies — an affinity that he and the president-elect share,” he added.
The Hill has reached out to Trump’s spokesperson for remark.
