1 week Ago By Brianna Boecker
As Donald Trump continues to appoint members of his inner circle to positions of power, one of the more chilling picks is former congressman Matt Gaetz, who’s been chosen to become US Attorney General. This appointment would see Gaetz lead the Department of Justice, the same office that was investigating him over allegations of The former Republican Florida Representative was also under a House ethics investigation for the same allegations when he resigned on Nov. 13.
The far-right MAGA loyalist is also responsible for the coup that led to the ousting of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Gaetz has been an outspoken critic of the justice department and lambasted prosecutions of Trump and January 6 rioters. Now, Trump is bringing Gaetz, one of his diehard supporters, back to Washington in an appointment that will see him lead the Department of Justice.
Former Trump campaign strategist Steve Bannon told that Gaetz is Trump’s “absolute perfect pick”, considering “it’s pure MAGA”. On Wednesday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Few issues in American 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.
” Although Gaetz has been formally nominated by Trump, his selection as Attorney General will be subject to Senate approval. And just this week, Republicans officially won control of both the , which gives Trump’s priorities an easier pathway. The role of Attorney General will play a large role in enforcing the president-elect’s policy on immigration, reproductive health and the political retribution he continues to speak about.
Compared to previous Attorney Generals, Gaetz has relatively little experience as a practicing lawyer. While others have been top prosecutors, judges or nationally prominent defence lawyers, Gaetz only spent a couple years as a lawyer after graduating university, with the rest of his career spent as a politician. It’s been reported that when Trump first announced Gaetz as his pick for Attorney General, politicians across the board, including Democrats and even some Republicans, were shocked.
Centrist Republican senator Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) at Trump’s pick saying “I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for attorney general. We need to have a serious attorney general.” “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to consider somebody that is serious,” she said, adding that “this one was not on my bingo card”.
Democrat Chris Murphy called Gaetz’s nomination “a red alert moment for American democracy”. Gaetz certainly hasn’t been the only concerning pick from Trump’s lineup. Fox News host Pete Hegseth has been chosen as defence secretary, and have been tapped to lead a team focused on cutting regulations from outside the government.
And just this morning, Trump nominated vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr – a man who’s been described as a “science denier” and “conspiracy theorist”- to head the US federal health agency..
