Trump picks Florida loyalist Matt Gaetz for U.S. attorney general | Donald Trump news

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that Republican congressman Matt Gaetz, 42, will serve as his attorney general, a role that doubles as the country's top prosecutor and head of the Justice Department.

Trump announced the nomination in a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, citing Gaetz's background as a lawyer and as a member of the House Judiciary Committee.

He also suggested that Gaetz's nomination was part of his agenda to topple the government of perceived rivals. Trump has long accused Democrats of trying to “weaponize” the Justice Department against him, an allegation he reiterated in Wednesday's announcement.

“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan weaponization of our justice system,” Trump wrote in his statement.

“Matt will end gun control, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore Americans’ deeply shaken faith and trust in the Department of Justice.”

Gaetz, a Trump supporter, celebrated his nomination on social media, calling it “an honor to serve as President Trump's attorney general.”

Earlier in the day, the U.S. representative also reiterated the president-elect's comments about perceived bias in government.

“We should have a full trial of this GUN government that has turned against our people,” Gaetz wrote.

“And if that means abolishing each of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get started!”

A difficult decision

However, Gaetz's rise to the position is by no means assured. As a candidate for a Cabinet-level post, the fiery Gaetz must pass what is sure to be a contentious confirmation vote in the U.S. Senate.

Republicans will take control of the Senate in January, but many in the party view the far-right Gaetz as an unsympathetic careerist.

Gaetz played a central role in dividing the Republican Party last October when he led an effort to oust former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The ouster sparked weeks of uncertainty in the House, which was struggling to choose a replacement for McCarthy.

While Gaetz portrayed himself as an anti-establishment insurgent ready to take on powerful forces within his own party, some Republicans viewed McCarthy's expulsion as a publicity stunt intended to raise Gaetz's profile.

One of his fellow Republicans from Florida, Representative Carlos Gimenez, even told the publication Politico that Gaetz himself is politically isolated in his home state.

“Gaetz may have a few friends in the delegation,” Gimenez said in 2023. “But I’m not one of them.”

Trump's priorities

But Gaetz's election as attorney general is the latest indicator of the ideas and priorities that could define Trump's second term.

During the campaign, Trump spoke frequently of retaliation against political rivals and officials who criticized him or rejected his demands, including some related to his efforts to improperly overturn his defeat in the 2020 election.

“Well, revenge takes time. That’s what I’m going to say,” Trump told television host Phil McGraw in June. “And sometimes revenge can be justified, Phil. I have to be honest.”

Trump has also frequently criticized the Justice Department for its role in prosecuting two of the four criminal charges he faced.

Led by special counsel Jack Smith, federal prosecutors charged Trump with crimes related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his refusal to release classified documents after he left the White House in 2021.

In response, Trump called the Justice Department the “Department of Injustice” and accused it of trying to sabotage his 2024 re-election campaign.

“All of these FALSE POLITICAL PERSECUTIONS (PERSECUTIONS!) AGAINST PITCHER JOE BIDEN’S POLITICAL OPPONENT MUST BE STOP IMMEDIATELY!” He wrote on Truth Social in February.

Legal problems

By aiming to install Gaetz as department head, critics believe Trump is signaling that personal loyalty is central to his new administration.

Gaetz's election also bolsters a fellow Republican who, like Trump, has faced a Justice Department investigation.

In recent years, allegations have emerged that Florida lawmakers offered underage girls gifts in exchange for sex. Gaetz has firmly denied the allegations. In February 2023, the Justice Department concluded its investigation into the matter without filing charges.

McCarthy, meanwhile, responded to the allegations by calling Gaetz “a smart guy with no morals” who “no one can stand.”

Still, the House Ethics Committee has continued its investigation into allegations that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and drug use.

In September, Gates said he would no longer work with the “uncomfortably nosy” committee and called the investigation a “political retaliation.”