Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., is seen extracurricular the U.S. Capitol aft the past votes earlier the August recess connected Thursday, July 25, 2024.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
President-elect Donald Trump connected Wednesday said helium volition nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to service arsenic U.S. lawyer general.
Trump wrote connected Truth Social that Gaetz "has distinguished himself successful Congress done his absorption connected achieving desperately needed betterment astatine the Department of Justice."
Gaetz replied connected X, "It volition beryllium an grant to service arsenic President Trump's Attorney General!"
If helium is confirmed by the Senate, Gaetz volition win Attorney General Merrick Garland, who led the Justice Department arsenic it carried retired a sex-trafficking probe into the congressman.
The DOJ yet declined to charge Gaetz.
Gaetz remains the taxable of an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation into whether helium engaged successful intersexual misconduct oregon illicit cause use.
Gaetz, who has denied immoderate wrongdoing, said successful September that helium would nary longer voluntarily enactment successful that panel's probe.
The 42-year-old lawmaker, who has carved retired a estimation arsenic a staunch and vocal Trump loyalist, has aggressively criticized the DOJ probe and prosecution of Trump by peculiar counsel Jack Smith.
In October 2023, Gaetz filed the archetypal question to oust then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, his chap Republican. A set of 8 Republicans led by Gaetz would yet articulation with each House Democrats successful removing McCarthy arsenic speaker, plunging the GOP league into chaos.
Gaetz was traveling with Trump, billionaire Elon Musk and others connected Wednesday during the president-elect's archetypal travel to Washington, D.C., since defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, NBC News reported.
Trump's enactment of Gaetz came arsenic a large astonishment adjacent to his Republican colleagues connected Capitol Hill.
Johnson, whose projected bulk has already been slimmed aft Trump tapped 2 House Republicans, Elise Stefanik of New York and Florida's Mike Waltz, to articulation his incoming administration, said Tuesday, "I don't expect that we volition person much members leaving."
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told Punchbowl News she was "shocked" by the pick.
"This is wherefore the Senate's counsel and consent process is truthful important. I'm definite that determination volition beryllium many, galore questions raised astatine Mr. Gaetz's hearing," she told the quality outlet.
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