President-elect Donald Trump selected Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to serve as his Attorney General Wednesday in a surprising pick.
“It is my Great Honor to announce that Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The Attorney General of the United States,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social announcement.
“It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!” Gaetz responded on X.
Gaetz, 42, had not been reported as in contention for the powerful administration spot, but has been a loyal supporter of the 45th president and has been trying to influence the administration choices being made at Mar-a-Lago.
The Florida congressman had earned a reputation for being a thorn in the collective side of his House colleagues for his hard-right stances and opposition to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, leading to the Californian’s removal from power in October 2023.
“Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice. Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump said of Gaetz in the statement.
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“Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department. On the House Judiciary Committee, which performs oversight of DOJ, Matt played a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization. He is a Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law,” the Truth statement read.
The Attorney General position will require Senate approval, and with Republicans having a majority, Gaetz could get through without Democrat approval — though even Republicans expressed skepticism about his chances of confirmation in the moments after the pick was announced.
Gaetz would replace AG Merrick Garland, who the Trump team has accused of going after Republicans and who also led a sex-trafficking investigation into the Floridian, which the Department of Justice eventually dropped.