Donald Trump’s appointment of Mr. Matt Gaetz as his attorney has come as a thunderbolt in Washington.
Of all the president-elect’s administration choices so far, this remains the most controversial — and sends a clear message that Trump intends to shake up the establishment when he returns to power.
The shock was still felt on Thursday morning as the focus was on the battle in the Senate over his nomination.
Trump is assembling his team before he takes office on January 20, and his picks for defense secretary, Fox News host Pete Hegseth, and intelligence chief, former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, have also raised eyebrows.
But it’s Florida politician Gaetz who is making the most headlines. He is perhaps best known for leading the impeachment effort against Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. But he has a consistent record of being a firebrand in the Houses of Congress.
In 2018, he brought a Holocaust denier to the State of the Union, and later tried to fire two fathers whose children died in a shooting in a public square after contradicting a claim he made about gun control.
His piercing style means there is no shortage of enemies, including his teammates. So Trump’s choice of Gaetz for this important role is a sign for those Republicans, too – his second administration will be filled with loyalists he hopes will stop his agenda, mainstream political opinion be damned.
Gasps were heard in the meeting of members of Parliament when the appointment of the chief American prosecutor was announced, reports Axios, citing sources inside the room.
Republican Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho reportedly responded with an insult.
“I don’t think it’s an attorney general appointment,” said Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski. “This one wasn’t on my Bingo card.”
Gaetz has allies on Capitol Hill who share an unwavering loyalty to Trump. The Florida attorney has been one of the president’s fiercest and most relentless defenders — in Congressional hearings, at press conferences and during television appearances.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, another Trump loyalist, called Gaetz an “accomplished lawyer”.
“He’s a revolutionary in his mind and heart, and I think he’s going to bring a lot to the table with that,” Johnson said.
In a social media post, Trump revealed that he intends to use Gaetz as a wrecking ball to radically transform the US Department of Justice, which he has blamed for many of his legal problems.
“Matt will root out organized corruption at the DOJ, and return the department to its true mission of fighting crime and upholding our democracy and constitution,” he wrote.
During the campaign, Trump promised to retaliate against the many investigations that were launched against him. Now, it seems, Gaetz will be at the forefront of Trump’s efforts to bring the Justice Department to heel.
The department also investigated Gaetz himself.
Last year, it declined to press charges over allegations it violated sex-trafficking laws when it traveled to the Bahamas with paid escorts.
He was the subject of an ongoing House of Representatives ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, illegal drug use and misuse of campaign funds.
But on Wednesday night, it is reported that there are only two days left before the very sensitive report of the House In the investigation, Johnson said that Gaetz resigned as a member of Parliament, ending the House investigation as the committee only investigates members.
Gaetz denied all the allegations against him.
According to CBS News, Gaetz had asked Trump for an advance pardon for any related crimes before the president leaves office in January 2021.
All this makes him unable to choose a position that usually goes to senior politicians, who know the law well.
Gaetz, 42, has a law degree and worked for a Florida law firm before his eight years in Congress. Joe Biden’s attorney general, Merrick Garland, was an appeals court judge. Trump in his first term appointed US Senator Jeff Sessions, and later Bill Barr, who had decades of experience in the Republican presidential administration.
The Senate will be responsible for confirming Gaetz’s nomination, and the Florida congressman has ruffled a few feathers in that chamber — including Republicans. Although his party has a majority, it will only take four “fall” votes, collected by the opposition Democratic Alliance, to sink his chances.
Gaetz himself said last year that he would like to become attorney general, although he admits that the chances are slim.
“The world is not ready, maybe,” he told Newsmax in an interview. “Of course Senate confirmation was out of the question, but you know, a boy can dream.”
For now, however, Trump’s closest supporters are celebrating his election.
“The hammer of justice is coming,” Elon Musk wrote about Gaetz in X.
Regardless of the final outcome of Gaetz’s bid for attorney general, Trump fired a warning shot at the US government. While his second term in office may be more organized than his first, it may end up being more contentious.
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