Trump Questioned if He’s Rethinking Matt Gaetz Nomination

President-elect Donald Trump was asked if he is reconsidering former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz as his attorney general nomination, and he replied, “No.”
On Tuesday, Trump traveled to Texas to support Elon Musk and watch the latest SpaceX launch. While at the site, Trump was asked by a reporter traveling with the president-elect if he was “reconsidering” Gaetz’s nomination. Trump directly responded, “No.”
Since announcing Gaetz as his pick for Attorney General, there has been bipartisan backlash and concern. Gaetz was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged sexual misconduct, and now, since resigning from Congress, the report is the center of concern for lawmakers.
A woman has also testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl at a party in Florida, according to her lawyer. And, a hacker is said to have discovered the sworn testimony of the young woman who claimed she had sex with Gaetz in 2017 when she was 17.
Newsweek has reached out to Matt Gaetz and the Trump transition team for comment.
Gaetz reacted to news of being chosen by Trump on X, formerly Twitter, saying “It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!”
Since the backlash, Trump has reportedly been calling Republican Senators to get his nominee pushed through. Senator Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, told Axios this week that Trump was “pretty persuasive.”
“He believes Matt Gaetz is the one person who will have the fearlessness and ferociousness, really, to do what needs doing at the Department of Justice,” Cramer said to Axios.
Meanwhile, Gaetz has reacted to critics like Former White House National Security Advisor to Trump John Bolton. Bolton said that Gaetz “must be the worst nomination for a cabinet position in American history” and said Gaetz “doesn’t have character.” Responding on X, Gaetz said, “We’ll mark John down as a ‘maybe’.”
In response to the backlash, political analysts have suggested that Trump’s unwavering support for Gaetz reflects a deeper commitment to his agenda.
“This is Trump signaling that loyalty and aggression are more important than optics,” said an unnamed strategist during a CNN panel.
Additionally, legal scholars have weighed in on the implications of appointing a figure with such controversy surrounding them. “It’s unprecedented to see a candidate embroiled in so many allegations even considered for a position like this,” remarked Professor Thomas Gregory, a constitutional law expert from Georgetown University.
Update 11/19/24 7:43 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.