Saturday, 23 November 2024

Senate Republicans Signal Pushback Against Matt Gaetz Attorney General Nomination

100 Percent Fed Up
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Multiple Senate Republicans signaled they would not support confirming the nomination of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as President Trump’s attorney general.

“I don’t think it is a serious nomination for the attorney general. We need to have a serious attorney general and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to consider somebody that is serious. This one was not on my bingo card,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said.

“He will never get confirmed,” a Republican senator, who spoke anonymously, told Fox News Digital.

“Ain’t gonna happen,” one Senate Republican source told the outlet.

Fox News reports:

Gaetz’s office referred Fox News Digital to his response on X, “It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!” and did not comment on the GOP criticism about his potential confirmation.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters, “I think we have to consider any nominee by the president seriously, but we also have a constitutional responsibility.”

He was prompted about whether the House Ethics investigation currently being conducted into Gaetz would factor in to his confirmation, to which the senator replied: “That might come up.”

The allegations being probed by the committee include sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts.

Responding to the announcement of Gaetz’s selection for attorney general, Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., who chairs the Ethics Committee, said that “once a member is no longer a member of Congress, then ethics has no jurisdiction. So if Matt Gaetz were to be appointed as the Attorney General, the ethics investigation [which] is currently ongoing would cease at that point.”

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) hinted at pushback due to the ethics investigation into Gaetz.

“He’s under investigation by the House Committee on Ethics,” Collins said, according to Fox News.

“Obviously, the president has the right to nominate whomever he wishes, but this is why the background checks that are done by the FBI and the advice and consent process in the Senate, and public hearings are also important,” she added.

“We ought to have a full court press against this WEAPONIZED government that has been turned against our people. And if that means ABOLISHING every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get going!” Gaetz said Wednesday.

Per NBC News:

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who sits on the Judiciary Committee that oversees the nomination, said the Senate will “have to consider any nominee by the president seriously, but we also have a constitutional responsibility.”

“I don’t know the man, other than sort of this public persona,” Cornyn told reporters.

When asked about Gaetz being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of sexual misconduct, Cornyn deadpanned: “Well, that might come up.”

“I don’t know whether there’s any basis to it or not,” he added. “So yeah, I’m sure we’ll be asking a lot of questions.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who also serves on the Judiciary Committee, said the Senate will give Gaetz an “honest look” and that the investigations involving the congressman will be “part of the process” of considering him for the job.


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