Who is Matt Gaetz, Trump’s pick for US attorney general?

United States President-elect Donald Trump’s Wednesday nomination of Republican lawmaker Matt Gaetz for lawyer wide has generated a operation connected some sides of nan governmental aisle.

The domiciled doubles arsenic nan country’s apical charismatic and nan caput of nan Department of Justice. As lawyer general, Gaetz would besides oversee agencies for illustration nan Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI).

Trump announced nan information successful a station connected his Truth Social level connected Wednesday. He cited Gaetz’s inheritance arsenic a lawyer and personnel of nan House Judiciary Committee.

The president-elect, who has verbally attacked nan Justice Department for bringing 2 national cases against him, said Gaetz would guidelines retired “systemic corruption” successful nan section and return it “to its existent ngo of fighting crime and upholding our populist and constitution”.

Gaetz, who has faced his ain drawstring of investigations for alleged improper and forbidden behaviour, has caused waves during his clip successful nan House and generated immoderate animosity among his legislature colleagues, moreover wrong his ain party. As a result, location person been much than a fewer raised eyebrows astatine his nomination, pinch immoderate Republicans saying this is not a “serious” move.

Gaetz will person to walk a Senate confirmation proceeding successful nan upcoming Congress earlier he tin beryllium confirmed arsenic lawyer general, a day for which has yet to beryllium set.

Republicans will person a 53-seat mostly successful nan upcoming statement but a divided successful opinions astir Gaetz could hobble his chances – conscionable 4 “no” votes from Republicans, on pinch agreed Democrat opposition, would consequence successful nan information being rejected.

Here’s what we cognize astir Gaetz and why he is specified a arguable prime for lawyer wide successful nan US:

Who is Matt Gaetz?

Gaetz, 42, was until this week a personnel of nan US House of Representatives representing Florida.

He has been successful nan position since 2017 but resigned connected Wednesday pursuing his information for lawyer general. He represented Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and parts of Walton counties.

The leader earned a grade from Virginia’s William and Mary Law School successful 2007 and concisely engaged successful backstage believe earlier entering politics. He was pursuing successful nan footsteps of his father, Don Gaetz, who was successful nan Florida authorities legislature from 2006 to 2016 and will return arsenic a legislator adjacent year, pursuing nan 2024 wide elections.

Matt Gaetz is wide regarded arsenic a far-right ideologist. In 2021, he posted an endorsement of nan Great Replacement Theory connected nan societal media channel, X.

The conspiracy mentation is peddled by achromatic American nationalists and falsely claims that Democrats are deliberately replacing achromatic group pinch non-whites done wide migration. Gaetz’s tweet was still appearing connected nan societal media level connected Thursday morning.

.@TuckerCarlson is CORRECT astir Replacement Theory arsenic he explains what is happening to America.

The ADL is simply a racist organization. https://t.co/32Vu60HrJK

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) September 25, 2021

In 2018, he invited right-wing Holocaust denier Charles “Chuck” Johnson to Trump’s State of nan Union Address arsenic a impermanent of Florida. Gaetz has besides called abortion rights protesters “ugly”.

Reacting to his information connected Wednesday, Gaetz said successful an X station that “it would beryllium an grant to serve” arsenic lawyer general.

It will beryllium an grant to service arsenic President Trump’s Attorney General! pic.twitter.com/dg0iQ0bA6Y

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 13, 2024

What criminal investigations has Gaetz been a taxable of?

The Justice Department launched a national activity trafficking investigation into Gaetz that began successful early 2021, examining whether Gaetz and an associate, Joel Greenberg, paid aliases gave gifts to underage girls and escorts successful speech for activity pinch themselves and different men while connected a travel to nan Bahamas. 

In nan aforesaid investigation, section prosecutors were besides looking into whether Gaetz and different associates tried to get authorities jobs for immoderate of nan women.

Gaetz has vehemently denied immoderate wrongdoing successful each nan allegations. In a connection to nan US cablegram news transmission CNN astatine nan commencement of nan Department of Justice probe, he claimed nan accusations were portion of an “extortion plot” and that “no portion of nan allegations against maine are true”.

“Over nan past respective weeks my family and I person been victims of an organised criminal extortion involving a erstwhile DOJ charismatic seeking $25 cardinal while threatening to smear my name,” Gaetz claimed.

Greenberg, a chap Republican leader from Florida, later pled blameworthy to activity trafficking of a insignificant and was sentenced successful 2022 to 11 years successful prison. However, Gaetz said successful a connection successful February 2023 that nan DOJ had ended nan investigation against him and was not pressing charges.

What other is Gaetz nether investigation for and by who?

Separately, Gaetz has been nether investigation since 2021 by nan bipartisan House Ethics Committee complete allegations that he was progressive successful nan trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. It is unclear if this is nan aforesaid arsenic nan lawsuit nan DOJ investigated.

The committee said earlier this twelvemonth that Gaetz was besides being investigated complete allegations of illicit supplier use, accepting “improper” gifts arsenic a lawmaker and obstructing a authorities investigation.

The committee was preparing to ballot to merchandise a “highly captious report” astir Gaetz connected Friday, according to The New York Times earlier this week, which cited an anonymous Republican official.

However, pinch his resignation, nan House nary longer has jurisdiction to proceed its probe.

The leader was many times combative during questioning by nan committee astatine hearings successful 2023 and 2024, and delayed nan House investigation for respective months, nan charismatic told nan Times, adding that nan study could not beryllium released earlier because of House rules forbidding nan vulnerability of antagonistic reports astir lawmakers up for elections adjacent to voting.

The Return pic.twitter.com/OigHzDzGOZ

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 13, 2024

How adjacent is Gaetz to Donald Trump?

Gaetz is simply a adjacent state of Trump’s and has appeared often connected TV programmes to take sides nan now-president-elect.

Like Trump, he supports stronger borders and is opposed to tighter restrictions connected weapon ownership.

In nan House, Gaetz fiercely criticised nan Justice Department’s criminal charges against Trump, which related to nan erstwhile president’s handling of classified accusation and his efforts to overturn nan 2020 election.

Gaetz besides criticised a typical probe regarding alleged Russian interference successful nan 2016 predetermination successful Trump’s favour. A Senate sheet successful 2020 recovered that Russia did interfere and elaborate really Trump’s adjacent associates were successful touch pinch Kremlin contacts.

After Trump grounded to triumph nan 2020 election, Gaetz, on pinch chap Republican hardliner Marjorie Taylor Greene, went connected “America First rally” roadshows. They asked crowds successful Florida, “Who is your president?” and nan supporters shouted back, “Trump!”

When Trump stood proceedings for paying hush money to big movie prima Stormy Daniels, Gaetz travelled to New York to support him.

According to The Associated Press, which cited a erstwhile White House aide, Gaetz preemptively sought a statesmanlike pardon for nan Justice Department’s investigation earlier Trump near agency successful January 2021.

Gaetz’s Wednesday information is seen by governmental analysts arsenic a reward for his support for Trump.

What do chap Republicans deliberation of Gaetz?

Gaetz’s combative style intends he has been treated arsenic a pariah successful nan House, moreover by members of nan Republican Party. He is portion of nan Freedom Caucus, a group of Republican representatives loyal to Trump and considered to beryllium nan astir blimpish and furthest to nan correct wrong nan party.

The 2 investigations connected him person shadowed his clip successful Congress. Gaetz’s lead domiciled successful moving nan mobility that removed erstwhile Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy past twelvemonth besides won him immoderate enemies.

“I was shocked astatine nan nomination,” Republican Senator Susan Collins told reporters connected Wednesday. “Obviously, nan president has nan correct to nominate whomever he wishes, but this is why nan Senate’s proposal and consent process is truthful important. I’m judge location will beryllium many, galore questions raised astatine Mr Gaetz’s proceeding if, successful fact, nan information goes forward.”

Liza Murkowski, a Republican senator, besides told reporters that she believed Gaetz was “not a superior candidate”.

However, Gaetz’s friends successful nan House person defended nan lawmaker. Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a chap Florida Republican, told reporters connected Wednesday that while galore would effort to “smear him”, but “the grounds will speak for itself”.

The wide New Yorker mag claimed I person a “chaos agenda.”

In reality, I want:

- A balanced budget
- Single taxable spending bills
- Term limits
- A unafraid confederate border
- A authorities that gets a warrant earlier spying connected you

Does that sound for illustration chaos aliases nan orderly… pic.twitter.com/B2uFwxzPbH

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) November 12, 2024

What are nan implications of his caller role?

In a twist, Gaetz would beryllium group to caput up nan Department of Justice, nan aforesaid institution that has travel aft some him and Trump.

Trump, successful his information statement, said Gaetz would “reform” nan DOJ and extremity nan “weaponisation of nan Justice system”.

Hours earlier that announcement, Gaetz posted connected X that he was successful support of a “secure confederate border”, referring to tighter controls connected nan US-Mexico separator that galore migrants usage to participate nan country.

He besides advocated little costly “single-subject spending bills” successful nan House, alternatively than lumped-together packages he has described arsenic “chaotic”.

Gaetz besides said he was successful support of US drilling and trading much oil. That’s a apt pointer to imaginable legislative support that will favour lipid and state industries which are accused of base work for nan polluting fossils that are mostly to blasted for ambiance change, experts say.