BREAKING: Donald Trump announces Matt Gaetz will be his Attorney General

[Ghost Bear]

Does Trump ever listen???   Sorry ...  he needs to start to listen to people once in awhile.

Right, because listening to the GOP-E worked so well for him in his first term.   

[Bigun]

@Bigun I had thought that Ken Paxton might get the nod.

Me too @GrouchoTex

[mystery-ak]

Matt Gaetz becomes Trump’s sacrificial lamb
By
Tiana Lowe Doescher
November 13, 2024 4:39 pm
.

President-elect Donald Trump‘s early Cabinet appointments have ranged from the obvious (brilliant House Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as ambassador to the United Nations) to the inspired (Fox News’s Pete Hegseth as defense secretary) to the aggravating (Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) as homeland security secretary). But the former and future president’s announcement that he is nominating Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as attorney general is Trump’s first pick that obviously, and intentionally, is dead on arrival.

Although Trump will reenter the White House with Republican control of both chambers of Congress, the Senate’s four-seat margin of control, with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance comprising the swing vote for Trump, includes at least two vulnerable Republicans up for dicey reelections in 2026: Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) of the ultra-liberal Maine and Thom Tillis (R-NC) of the swing state of North Carolina. The margin also includes Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who both brand themselves as more heterodox or independent Republicans.

Perhaps Trump just wants Gaetz as the Justice Department’s top dog, but just as likely are the odds that he is intentionally making the Florida firebrand his fall guy. As a sacrificial lamb, Gaetz’s nomination may be very well intended to fail to give the centrist wing of the party cover when political opponents try to accuse them of rubber-stamping all of Trump’s appointments.

more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/3229181/matt-gaetz-trump-sacrificial-lamb/

[bilo]

With Thune/McConnel will there even be any recess opportunities?

Thune told Trump they would go into recess if they can't get his nominees through quickly.

Gaetz is a brilliant pick. He was persecuted by the DOJ with phony charges from a guy who was blackmailing him and his father for millions. All charges were later dropped. He knows what it's like to have the FBI & DOJ after you and he never backed down.

Lets remember the DOJ is a part of the executive branch and answers to the POTUS. JFK picked his brother, Reagan picked his personal attorney. A POTUS should have an AG he wants.

Gaetz understands what persecution by the deep state looks like.

[rustynail]

Thanks.

[bigheadfred]

Gaetz has resigned from Congress.

[massadvj]

I'll say this, Trump isn't playing around this time. He's going right for the throat!

My thoughts exactly. I would love to be a fly on the wall of the Justice Department right now. Gaetz as AG has got to be their worst nightmare.

[mystery-ak]

OMG..it just gets worse...he could have waited until he was approved...

Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress over Trump nod to be attorney general, Johnson says
'I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately,' Johnson said
By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News
Published November 13, 2024 7:15pm EST

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced.

Gaetz gave House GOP leaders his resignation notice on the same day President-elect Trump tapped him to be his Attorney General.

"I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately," Johnson said. "That caught us by surprise a little bit. But I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, well, you can't have too many absences."

The speaker pointed out that Florida state law gave the governor "about an eight-week period" to fill a House vacancy and that by doing so, "we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3."

Johnson said he's already in contact with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on the matter.

This is a breaking story and will be updated…


https://www.foxnews.com/politics/matt-gaetz-resigns-from-congress-over-trump-nod-attorney-general-johnson-says

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

OMG..it just gets worse...he could have waited until he was approved...

Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress over Trump nod to be attorney general, Johnson says
'I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately,' Johnson said
By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News
Published November 13, 2024 7:15pm EST

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced.

Gaetz gave House GOP leaders his resignation notice on the same day President-elect Trump tapped him to be his Attorney General.

"I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately," Johnson said. "That caught us by surprise a little bit. But I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, well, you can't have too many absences."

The speaker pointed out that Florida state law gave the governor "about an eight-week period" to fill a House vacancy and that by doing so, "we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3."

Johnson said he's already in contact with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on the matter.

This is a breaking story and will be updated…


https://www.foxnews.com/politics/matt-gaetz-resigns-from-congress-over-trump-nod-attorney-general-johnson-says

He must have wanted out anyway.

[libertybele]

OMG..it just gets worse...he could have waited until he was approved...

Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress over Trump nod to be attorney general, Johnson says
'I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately,' Johnson said
By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News
Published November 13, 2024 7:15pm EST

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced.

Gaetz gave House GOP leaders his resignation notice on the same day President-elect Trump tapped him to be his Attorney General.

"I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately," Johnson said. "That caught us by surprise a little bit. But I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, well, you can't have too many absences."

The speaker pointed out that Florida state law gave the governor "about an eight-week period" to fill a House vacancy and that by doing so, "we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3."

Johnson said he's already in contact with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on the matter.

This is a breaking story and will be updated…


https://www.foxnews.com/politics/matt-gaetz-resigns-from-congress-over-trump-nod-attorney-general-johnson-says

Agreed.  He could have waited, but that gives DeSantis a golden opportunity. 

[The_Reader_David]

If the Senate won't confirm a recess appointment will work.

Trump has a mandate we haven't seen in decades. He won an electoral landslide and the popular vote. Maga voters have a long memory and Senators know it.

But a recess appointment (1) would have to wait until the Senate is in recess, leaving the post vacant in the meantime and (2) would only last until the next Senate session at which time the usual nomination and confirmation process would have to take place for him to continue in the post.

[mystery-ak]

Agreed.  He could have waited, but that gives DeSantis a golden opportunity.

Can DeSantis replace Gaetz or does it require a special election?

I know DeSantis can replace Rubio's seat.

[Bigun]

My thoughts exactly. I would love to be a fly on the wall of the Justice Department right now. Gaetz as AG has got to be their worst nightmare.

I'll bet personnel is overwhealmed with retirement papers about now.

[libertybele]

Can DeSantis replace Gaetz or does it require a special election?

I know DeSantis can replace Rubio's seat.

It takes a special election, but IMHO DeSantis could encourage who he think would make a good replacement.

[jafo2010]

libertybele...

With Thune as majority leader and Gaetz as AG -- they are going to tank Trump's agenda.

At a minimum!  Gaetz and Noem are both poor choices.  I had hoped he would pick Ken Paxton, current AG of Texas.  Perhaps he was not available, but Paxton is the most impressive AG in the USA right now, IMHO.

Gaetz will not get any respect at DOJ.  NONE!!!  They will undermine him every step of the way.

[Sighlass]

Can Trump fire him at any time, might just be a ploy to get rid of Matt... Hire and Fire... out of Congress and otherwise. Not like Trump actually keeps anyone anyways... about a year and nobody can stand working for Trump (and vice-versa).

[massadvj]

I'll bet personnel is overwhealmed with retirement papers about now.

This is Washington. I think they will try to hang on and circumvent Gaetz the way they did Barr. I expect Gaetz will be a wrecking ball, but the establishment bureaucrats will try to tie him up with "process." There will be blood.

They know him as a firebrand, but he has not demonstrated he can be effective at anything. I can't think of a single battle Gaetz has won in his career, other than his election bids. This will be a major test of his leadership skills.

I like the pick for no other reason than it is a giant middle finger to the deep state lawfare bureaucrats. I can't think of a better pick in that regard.

[corbe]

   Paxton remembered this and intelligently dodged the bullet.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVHJYuLRbYY

[mountaineer]

At a minimum!  Gaetz and Noem are both poor choices.  I had hoped he would pick Ken Paxton, current AG of Texas.  Perhaps he was not available, but Paxton is the most impressive AG in the USA right now, IMHO.

Gaetz will not get any respect at DOJ.  NONE!!!  They will undermine him every step of the way.

Do we know whether Paxton was asked? Maybe he respectfully declined.

[corbe]

This is Washington. I think they will try to hang on and circumvent Gaetz the way they did Barr. I expect Gaetz will be a wrecking ball, but the establishment bureaucrats will try to tie him up with "process." There will be blood.

They know him as a firebrand, but he has not demonstrated he can be effective at anything. I can't think of a single battle Gaetz has won in his career, other than his election bids. This will be a major test of his leadership skills.

I like the pick for no other reason than it is a giant middle finger to the deep state lawfare bureaucrats. I can't think of a better pick in that regard.

   He wouldn't have won this one either.  @massadvj

[cato potatoe]

At a minimum!  Gaetz and Noem are both poor choices.  I had hoped he would pick Ken Paxton, current AG of Texas.  Perhaps he was not available, but Paxton is the most impressive AG in the USA right now, IMHO.

His name may come back around. 

Gaetz lost his mind in the feud with the McCarthy, which spilled over into the convention where he interrupted a live interview.  He also had some bad plastic surgery done recently.  Guy has issues, and I hope this means he is going away.

[DB]

Now that Gaetz had quit congress, Trump can come out and say "just kidding"...

[mystery-ak]

Now that Gaetz had quit congress, Trump can come out and say "just kidding"...

LOL....I like that

[corbe]

   There should be a place for him, MTG, Bannon, Stone, Manafort, Flynn and Guliani in his Administration, as they've all taken a bullet for him. 
   Just not Cabinet level.

[240B]

The people who are scared to death are Merchan (especially Merchan, and his daughter), James, Willis, and even Garland himself. They are all neck deep in illegalities and completely inappropriate behavior.

But the smarmy "Lord on High" Merchan has to be shitting himself and losing sleep. The way he mistreated Trump was very, very, personal. It is time for him to get a slap-down up to disbarment.