Trump 'heavily working the phones' to drum up support for Matt Gaetz nomination
President-elect Donald Trump has been making calls to bolster his pick to lead the Justice Department — Matt Gaetz — who already faces skepticism from some Republican senators, according to sources familiar with his push.
President-elect Donald Trump has been making calls to bolster his pick to lead the Justice Department — Matt Gaetz — who already faces skepticism from some Republican senators, according to sources familiar with his push.
Trump has been “heavily working the phones” to Republican senators for their support on behalf of Gaetz, a transition official said.
Separately, Vice President-elect JD Vance posted on X that he was helping Trump interview candidates, including some to run the FBI. (The post was deleted later.) Current FBI Director Christopher Wray's term doesn't expire until 2027, 10 years after Trump appointed him, but he is preparing for the possibility that Trump may seek to replace him.
Vance was in the Capitol on Tuesday, voting against judicial nominees from President Joe Biden who are continuing to be confirmed. He will be back Wednesday to talk to fellow senators in support of Trump's intended nominees, including Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, whom he intends to nominate to be defense secretary.
Trump announced Gaetz as his pick nearly a week ago. Gaetz was the subject of a federal sex crimes probe and was not charged with any crimes. The probe stalled over concerns about the credibility of two key witnesses or a lack of direct evidence implicating Gaetz, who has denied all wrongdoing. A lawyer for those witnesses has come forward to detail their testimony to the House Ethics Committee.
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